I want to write a brief entry here and send special thanks to the gang at the Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind and America’s VetDogs. We spent a day there over the weekend making images of the dogs for an upcoming American Greetings card line, as well as for some packaging for pet treats and products whose profits go back to the Foundation.
I was listening to another photographer talk about how exhausting it can be to photograph dogs, and man oh man could I associate with that. Now don’t get me wrong – it’s the usual great time, filled with people who share my love of dogs, on a great mission to help others! But too, it’s a lot of knee-poppin’, back-bending, and sweat to accompany all of the laughs and smiles. It’s a joint effort, a collaboration – the furry friends are a part of it, the trainers and handlers, the organizers (who forsee all of the chaos), and even my assistant were all part of the fray. As the shooter, my mind is on the tech end of the shoot as well as being part Director, part active participant. And with dogs on a mission such as these pups, an important part of the shoot is knowing when to stay the heck out of it – to just let the trainers do their thing. Most of all, everyone involved needs patience and the constitution to stay in the game.
So, what does it take to get a group shot of these handsome breeds that lend their lives to helping veterans and the visually impared? A lot of bags of ice for knees, coffee, pizza for fuel, hyper organization, and 100% focus – for 7 hours at a time. Maybe a back rub would help, too. Thanks again to all the staff there – you guys and gals were amazing.