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And a perfect nick name for "Hard Drive" LOL!!

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Dee Dee,
you have no idea how perfect!!!! Never name your dog anything that could become predictive of behavior .

Here's what Crash looks like in his "shorn" state: that coat was just too much to maintain with Sundance saliva all over it.



John, now that looks like a Yellow Lab. I'll second Dee Dee's comments about your portfolio: very nice images. But shooting things that happen in the wild is not exactly the same as making things happen in pet or show photography. That's the part you have to learn. Clearly, you know the photography piece.

Jim

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John you may have a little to learn about some of the dog breeds, but you certainly have nothing to learn about photography! I just looked in on your site, awesome work.

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But shooting things that happen in the wild is not exactly the same as making things happen in pet or show photography. That's the part you have to learn. Clearly, you know the photography piece.

Jim

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Thanks Jim; I did some studio work back in the 70's; did a couple animals shoots but mostly people. Once I get my alien bees and backgrounds, I will start practicing every day. Until then, I am practicing outside

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Seriously, unplanned shots are great but if you're going to do pet photography, you need to set up a shoot where you're working a bit closer to the dog/cat and where you work on the most difficult aspect of pet photography: baiting. If you talk with James, Julie, Dee Dee and others, you'll find that getting expression, ears and head angle is the most difficult part of this particular discipline. To do that, you have to know what's correct and then figure out a way to get the animal to do it.

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Kim,
I was referring to "pet photography" as a form of business and not just a photographic subject.

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As was I My question was posed with the OP's candid action shot of the Lab in mind. To me, it is a very marketable image but my impression after reading through the thread was that the image was somehow less worthy than a studio-type shot, and if the OP was serious about pet photography, he do better by focusing his efforts on portraiture and studio type work.

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I can take lovely sunrise and sunset photos but in order for me to sell them, I'd have to get a lot more technically competent as well as creative -- kinda like Roman who creates outstanding landscape and fine art images.

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Agreed!!! But this is also where I lose you and perhaps where you're loosing me as well Keeping on topic and with the original candid action shot in mind, how is this style of photography any less technically or creatively complex than a studio type shot?

I will agree that they are entirely different styles of photography that call upon different skill sets from the photographer. I also agree that studio work requires more patience and creativity in getting the subject to cooperate, but I don't agree that the style of photography is more technically or artistically challenging, or has any more validity from a business perspective than other styles of pet photography.

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In the business of "pet photography" most people are willing to pay for formal or informal portraits. You might even be able to get someone to pay for candids of your dog running on the beach or in a dog park. But the portraits require more sophisticated posing and baiting techniques than simply capturing the moment.

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The last sentence of the above paragraph seems to reduce candid style photography to nothing more than "snapshot" work that requires little in the way of technical, creative or artistic competence???

To clarify, I'm responding out of interest and because I think it's a good subject I'm not trying to stir the pot, just some interesting dialogue