My Toy Toss Isn't Broken!

I shot two Collie Specialties this past weekend and it was really the first chance I've had to shoot formals the way I normally do. Although I confess I set up on a tripod and did it the way the other show photographers do instead of sitting on the floor. Still, I had to use the newly-mended left arm to throw toys and I had some concerns about how well I'd do.

It appears that when you are totally focused on the dog and clicking the shutter at precisely the right moment, you don't even think about the throw. You just do it and my tosses were as good as ever. For many of you, that doesn't mean much but the toy toss is an important element in my getting the dogs' heads into exactly the position I want. It's nice to know I can do my job without worrying about my toy-tossing accuracy .

I also wanted to mention an interaction that took place at the shows which really impressed me. The Specialties were being held in conjunction with All Breed shows in Ormond Beach, FL in an open pavilion. With temps in the 40's and winds at 30 knots, that pavilion can be both cold and like a wind tunnel and coated dogs really were getting their coifs blown around a lot. The photographer for the regular All Breed shows, Tom Digiacomo, had set up his backdrop and strobes in a room across the parking lot from the pavilion and when he saw that I was going to be shooting the Collies, he offered to let me use both the setup and his strobes. Since we shoot the same camera, that was really easy but I can honestly say this is the only time I've had a "competing photographer" make such a generous offer and I was totally impressed. Not to mention, pleased not to be freezing my nose off ! Kudos to Tom for both his professionalism and his generosity.

Jim

Glad to hear you have your groove back

That's awesome on all counts. I can only imagine what it would be like if I suddenly lost my ability to do animal impressions to get the dogs' attention!

Good for Tom too! There are a couple photographers that I would think would do that around here, but not many.

Jim,
on the Conformation side, it's very unusual. Tom is a gentleman. That's my highest compliment and I mean it without exception.

Jim

Jim - glad to hear the "tosser" is back in good shape. Have you ever tried one of those little portable 3 legged stools? I have one and I love it. It's called a WalkStool. It is very light weight, collapses to 14" and has it's own bag that easily attaches to my backpack or takes up very little room in my big camera bag. The one I have is 18" tall and is rated at 440#. It gets me low enough to get the shots I want and even with my bad knees, allows me to get up with ease. I always take it to shows to sit ringside for candids cause it gets me lower than a regular chair and I can move it around easily. They have a couple of other models that are 22" and 26" with higher weight capacities and bigger seats, but I find the 18" to be just perfect.

Julie,
no I haven't used the stool but I've used a lot of other props and, frankly, none of them work as well as my own butt . Depending on the dog and whether they are on the floor or on a podium, I've actually laid on my belly for formals so I like to have the ability to move around as I need to without worrying about dragging a chair or stool with me. Of course, the biggest problem is getting back up but I get lots of help from the exhibitors who appreciate my willingness to "get low".

Jim

I can't recommend the walk-stool for anyone who doesn't sit perfectly still. I've toppled the thing on many occasions.

It also gets very uncomfortable very quickly. It really isn't designed with the male anatomy in mind.

Ah, Jim(s) - being as I don't have the "junk", the stool is very comfortable for me!!! Haven't toppled it yet, but I still get on the floor and on my belly to get shots -- the hazards of being a photog.