DeeDee,
congratulations on the Rally Novice title! I'm starting my two elder Rotties, Annie Fay and Rowdy, later this month. Both are retired Conformation Champions and they love the working relationship that Rally provides.

In all candor, most professional show photographers would have noticed that sign thing. I find that the regular show photographers seldom shoot Rally or other Obedience Trials, Agility or other non-conformation events. Primarily because each venue requires different skills and most of the show pros are interested in big volume. A typical Show provides between 200 and 400 orders.

Frankly, I love the other venues. Both as an exhibitor and as a photographer. Plus, the people are more real. The more you hang around Conformation folks, the better you'll understand what I mean by that And, yes, I would have asked you and the judge to kneel.

When you look at show photography as a business and not just a hobby, you have to focus (pun intended) on where the greatest revenue potential is. Traditionally, that's been Conformation formals. As David Ramey has pointed out, Agility is getting very popular and this specialty area has great potential too. But it requires the skills of a sports photographer and not everyone has the timing or the equipment. David obviously does.

Also, traditionally, the folks exhibiting in the working events have been less willing to spend money on photos. They tend not to breed or advertise their dogs and while there is demand for the action shots, here in Florida it's always been for snapshot sizes. Hard to make a living selling 4X6 prints.

All this is the stuff of marketing plans and business plans which we can talk about in a separate thread.

Hallie is gorgeous!

Jim

Julie,
Show Photography isn't for everyone. If it were, there would be a lot more Show Photographers. It's difficult to shoot and the backend fullfilment process is laborious if you don't have other people to help.

Your comment about dog/people sizes is right on: the #1 Great Dane in the country, Sandor, is shown by a gentleman who is 5'7" and he kneels for photos. Makes Sandor, who is not a massive Dane, look huge.

Julie, I've seen your images -- you are artistic by nature if not by profession.

The horse venue has great potential. A good friend of ours owns/exhibits Quarter Horses in Michigan and she's been trying to get us involved in Horse Photography. Like you, I'm comfortable with dogs but don't really have a lot of experience with horses. I can shoot them moving but have no idea how they should be set up for formals. Yes, I could learn but I'm more comfortable with the things I know than trying to learn new subject matter and a new market.

Personally, I think the pet portrait business has the greatest potential.

Jim

Quote:

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As David Ramey has pointed out, Agility is getting very popular and this specialty area has great potential too. But it requires the skills of a sports photographer and not everyone has the timing or the equipment. David obviously does.

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Sometimes, I wonder if I have the timing
What Jim is saying is very true. Show photography is completely different from Agility Photography. I have to pre-visualize what photos I want and then set up to try to capture the photos and my timing is in the 0.01 seconds. I need to get action shots from different angles so my customers can not say "I already have a tire shot." I have to watch the angle of the sun in relation to the course layout. I have to be prepared to photograph in a pouring rain. And up here in Alaska, I have another problem to overcome that most Agility Photographers never encounter. A MOOSE WALKING ONTO THE COURSE!!!! Picture in your mind a judge from the lower 48 States, 100 dogs and a moose. While everybody is watching the moose, you had better get the photo, because the judge will want to buy one and the owner of whichever dog is on the course at the time will want one. You have to be quick on your feet and think on the run. You have to be at one with your equipment. If you have to think about how to do something with your camera, the shot is gone. I have to be able to change WB, focus point, etc. while not taking my eye from the viewfinder.
Jim on the other hand controls his lighting, background and the pose of the dog. Sounds easy, but I would be willing to bet that Jim can tell you lots of problems he has to solve doing his Show Photography. I know I don't have the knowledge he has to pose the dog.

LOL Julie...that is the opposite of me and my little shortcake. I also had a wonderful Great Dane though, he was #3 in obedience in Danes and outweighed me by 50 lbs. He was my boy...awesome dog. I will never have another Dane though, he only lived to 6 and had about every horrible genetic disease known to dogs (even though he was well bred). It's a heartbreak breed. I agree with Jim, you ARE artistic, it is obvious by the photos you take. You are a natural.

Jim your two are going to love Rally. I love that you can talk to them in the ring. It's a lot of fun. My last doxie was #1 hound group in obedience with 44 OTCH points and multiple HIT's...then at age 4 she had to have back surgery and I retired her immediately. I don't want to go thru that again so I will not jump Hallie, even the 8", so we won't advance past rally novice and regular novice.

200 - 400 orders...wow. I totally don't know what to expect at the lure coursing nat'ls. I have a hunch there won't be all that many entries. You are right, the photographer that day seemed to be very much a novice, in posing, and confidence. But a nice gal and we got the shot of the judge and the ribbon...This one was a little better in grouping, funny because I am taller than this judge but look smaller the way we are set up. And Hallie can be seen better, which is what I care about.



This was our first leg (of anything). I was dogless for 4 years after the devastating loss of my prior doxie, wasnt going to get another dog, blah blah...then someone dumped this perfect, wonderful little doxie at an animal shelter during the night. She is perfect! 10 months old at the time (now 5 yrs) housebroken, sweeet, funny, loving, loves to work, quiet, I'll always wonder how she ended up at an animal shelter. (she is ILP'd).

Yes I agree, David has the knack of capturing those action shots!! I suspected working dog people may not shell out as much for shots (I know the conformation mentality too LOL I showed in breed for a long time, I am definitely not the typical mindset though I did it for fun with my dog, I never bred). David has had great success, I am prepared for either scenario here, I would like to do some agility trials though (as well as horse events). I'd really like to do some pet photography and get a portable studio set up. Again I am justifying all this because it will give me better photos to paint from!! LOL.

David I almost fell off my chair reading about that moose! But what a photographers dream! LOL!! You could have made a mint I imagine on those shots. Hmmm...wondering here if I can rent a moose for the lure coursing trial...LOL. If this turns into something I'll do more, I will get another lens (to go with the new body) so we'll have two sets and whoever is helping me can take photos from another angle too. Yes I do need to sit down with my manuals and figure out different lighting situations and how to adjust settings for them in an instant. We've had dark rainy skies since I got the camera, and I'm getting that down but haven't practiced in sunny weather. I think I have a handle on most but haven't played with WB at all yet for instance...

I photographed a NADAC trial and they have Gamblers as a class. They put down some of the safety tape (i.e. "Caution") and you direct the dog without crossing the line. This field had a lot of Goose manure on it because of all the Geese that winter there. I went out and bought tape that said "Bio-Hazard" and put it down in place of the "Caution". Everybody enjoyed the joke.

David,
I really do think this is somewhat dependent on where you are located. The typical trial here in Florida does not generate that number of orders or that revenue/sale. I'm delighted that you do but I don't think you can extrapolate your experience in Alaska with the rest of the country. And I've been around folks on the working side for over 10 years now and they don't spend as much on photography as the Conformation folks.

On the other hand, I think you have to maintain the attitude that it's because they haven't gotten the product they wanted to buy -- which is your point and a good one. There is a very good firm that just got into Agility photography here during the past year and they produce great images and they are doing quite well financially as a result. Delivering what people will pay for is the key.

Thanks for the info. As always, it's very useful.

Jim

Dee Dee,
I had no idea how much showing experience you had. This entire field is a good match for both your creative skills and your avocation.

BTW, we have a Rottie that we bred who was #5 in Obedience and #3 in Agility last year despite the fact that she had a litter of pups in April. She's working on her OTCH/MACH. How do people find the time to do all that training?!!!

You have 4 months to get yourself ready for the National. Practice everything and get to know your camera. With your eye, you'll do great.

You might even talk to people at the Lure Course Trial you're going to this month and ask them what they like about the photos they're currently getting and what they'd like to see. Some primary market research It might give you some ideas for what to deliver at the National to maximize your revenue potential.

Jim

Jim that is awesome about your rotties! You and your wife have much to be proud of! It's so much fun working with (and painting and photographing) dogs...today I am laying my first track for my little girl Hallie. I'm just a little over the top about this dog we are joined at the hip!

Thanks for the good discussion here. I finally did hear from someone who said typically around 50 dogs are entered at the Borzoi Nationals in Lure Coursing. It goes for 2 days. I am also shooting a Schutzhund Trial on the 19th (very small...maybe 5-7 dogs) but it will be good practice. The person who answered my lure coursing questions also said the owners like good action shots (more than win) with the dog tucked up or stretched out or possibly somewhat head on. It will be interesting to see how it goes and where we go from there. These posts have been such a help!!