Photographing Saoirse – Surrey Dog Photographer

Last week I photographed a little lurcher named Saoirse (pronounced Sor-sha, it means freedom in Gaelic).  Let me tell you a little bit about her, so you’ll understand why this shoot was such a special one.

Someone tried to kill her by hitting her about the head with a blunt instrument. She suffered the most shocking head injuries I’ve ever seen and was left for dead.  But an angel was watching over Saoirse that day, whispering in her ear “Live, Live!”.  By some miracle she clung on to life and found her way to the gentle arms of a kind stranger who got her urgent medical attention and brought her to Cottage Rescue in Ireland.  Over the next months she was nursed back to health and found herself a wonderful foster home in Hertfordshire.

When she was entered in my recent Charity Giveaway, I knew right away that if she didn’t win the draw, there would need to be a Photographer’s Choice photoshoot winner too.

You might expect that a dog that had been so terribly abused would be very traumatised, but not a bit of it.  Saoirse is loving and trusting with people, playful and full of fun, just as a young lurcher should be.  She adores other dogs too and would love to go to a home with another young lurcher or hound in residence so they could play and be silly and snuggle together.  But she doesn’t forget: she is afraid of big, long objects like brooms.  And she was nervy in my studio, more so than any dog I’ve ever photographed.  Most of her photographs were actually done on a lead (removed afterwards in processing) with someone feeding her treats to take her mind off surroundings that were clearly scary for her.

And then something wonderful happened. Saoirse is a very clever girl who seems to tune into your thoughts telepathically.  Suddenly all her nerves disappeared, she realised that this situation help no dangers for her, she lay down on the set, arranging her beautiful sighthound legs elegantly about the rug, off came the lead and she posed, and posed and posed. And here is one of the resulting images.

If you think you might be able to offer Saoirse the perfect home, get in touch with Cottage Rescue to lodge your interest.  Homing will be subject to a successful home check and a rehoming fee to the charity.

Kent Greyhound Rescue dogs at the Oscars – Surrey Studio Dog Photographer

Kent Greyhound Rescue recently visited the madaboutgreys studio for a photoshoot for some of their hounds.  We had greyhounds, lurchers, saluki crosses, wolfhound types and some hounds that were bitsa everything.  The canine stars of the show arrived in a fleet of limos and the flash bulbs started popping the moment the dogs set foot on the red carpet.  There is absolutely no truth in the rumours of cattiness amongst the celebs (though one of the hounds did pose particularly beautifully whenever anyone mentioned felines – I guess all models have their trigger words…).  Some had brought their own wardrobe and accessories; others just went with the flow.  They checked in at the local wee-fi hotspots, cruised the worktops for canapes and then they were ready to get to work.  Of course they all had star quality – they are hounds after all – and every single dog among them rocked the shot.  Anyhow, without further ado, here are the results of the Canine Oscars for the Kent Greyhound Welfare photoshoot:

1. Winner of BEST CAMERA CANDY

Reuben, cat-friendly, child friendly and available for homing through Kent Greyhound Rescue.  He’s a bit shy but quickly comes round once he realises you mean him no harm. The most handsome lurcher you ever saw – impossible to take a bad picture of this lad.

2.  Winner of STUDIO FAVOURITE and BEST HAIR

Studio lights just love a dog with big hair and Molly does big hair exceptionally well.  She is one of the Kent Greyhound Rescue ambassador dogs, and has already found her forever home.

3. Winner of MOST HANDSOME DOG

Buster is certainly a looker and he knows how to work a camera.  But like all the top models (and lazy greyhounds) he won’t get out of bed for less than a Bonio.  Available for adoption for Kent Greyhound Rescue

4. Winner of STUDIO HAND’s FAVOURITE

Beautiful Earl, sweet, gentle and totally unfazed by the whole studio thing.  He is going to make someone a wonderful, easy companion.

5. Winner of  BEST BRINDLES

Kelli, a sweet little lurcher with the most stunning brindle markings.  Sweet natured, laid back, she is going to make someone a delightful pet.

6.  Winner of CUTEST POSE

Daisy, cute as a button, KGR ambassador dog, not for rehoming, but she just came along to coach the rest of the gang on posing for the camera.  They could not have had a better teacher.

7.  Winner of BEST DRESSED DOG, BEST SIT and THE PEOPLE’s CHOICE

Bingo, KGR ambassador dog who works tirelessly to raise funds for the charity and draws the crowds wherever he goes.  If you put some money in the collecting tin he’ll tell you where he gets those stylish coats made…

8.  And finally, Winner of BEST COMB OVER and THE PHOTOGRAPHER’s FAVOURITE

Missy.  Such a sweet and pretty little black greyhound girl, she is the very image on my own greyhound Jasmine in her younger days.  She also sports these rather fetching wayward ears.  What’s not to love?  Fill in a pre-adoption questionnaire quick if you’re interested in offering her a forever home.

Studio or location for your pet photography session? views from madaboutgreys, Surrey dog photographer

Studio or location?  That’s the first question you need to think about if you’re planning to hire a professional pet or family photographer.  Some people are already decided on exactly the kind of shots they are after and what they’d like to use them for.  If you’re one of them, that’s great.  But if you’re looking for some guidance, read on.  At madaboutgreys PHOTOGRAPHY I offer both studio photography in Surrey and location photography across South East England. I love both and I know which kind of photography will work well for particular images. Here are some personal thoughts to help you decide.

Why choose a studio photoshoot?

• Studio photography is perfect for images with a very polished, timeless look, ideal for portraits, canvases and wall art
• This is a chance to get some unique images, unlike any you’ll be able to get yourself (unless you happen to have your very own photographic studio!)
• The weather doesn’t matter.   Ask about evening photography sessions, they’re perfect if you have a busy job and need to fit in
• A good studio will have a wide range of backgrounds and will be able to come up with a look to suit your decor and taste. At madaboutgreys we have over a dozen different backgrounds and an infinity of different ways to light them.  I run through the different options and show clients examples of different set ups before we get photographing, and we always try several different looks during the shoot
• Studio lighting is highly controllable and a professional photographer will be able to tune the lighting to bring out the best in their subject and get a wide range of different looks.
• Studio props can create, for example, Christmas, Valentines, St Patrick’s Day themed shots if you want some pictures for cards
• If you’d like some studio shots with your pet, this is your chance to see yourself under the same sort of studio lighting that’s used to flatter the stars
• Your dog will likely LOVE it.  Most turn into terrible show offs under the studio lights, even the shy, nervous ones seem to connect with their inner poser.
• Great for cats who might roam and for dogs who can’t be let off lead.

Why choose an outdoor photoshoot?

• Great for informal, relaxed photography in a natural setting – perfect for photo books, wall art etc
• Maybe you and your dog have a special favourite place like a park or a beach, a stunning setting that you want to capture as part of your shoot?
• When the natural light plays ball, there’s absolutely nothing to beat it!
• When it doesn’t, an experienced professional will have lots of lighting and processing tricks up their sleeve that will make the pictures look as though the weather was great.  And they will book you several slots in their schedule so you have a couple of fallback days in case it’s actually tipping with rain.
• A change to get some stunning shots of your pets at play and in action: the kind of thing you’re unlikely to get at home (unless you have several thousands of pounds worth of fast lenses!)
• Great if you are a large family and want some group pictures as part of your shoot
• A good photographer will have worked in the area for some years, they’ll be able to suggest some perfect locations and know when the light and the seasons work together to bring out the best in those locations.
• Dog doesn’t go offlead?  A good dog photographer will always know of safe enclosed spaces and if none of those appeals, be an expert at removing leads in post processing.  We can work it out!

Here’s a little game you might want to try.  Which of the shots in the gallery below were studio and which were location?  And what sort of shots appeal to you most?

THE ANSWERS – if you want to know which images were studio photographs and which were taken on location, check of this gallery for studio images and this gallery for photography on location.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

 

Cruft 2013 – Day 1 – Hounds and Terriers – Surrey Dog Photographer

For a dog photographer based in Surrey, the Crufts Dog Show at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham is just a bit outside my usual catchment area.  But I made an exception for Crufts 2013.

I had a great day photographing there yesterday for the Hounds and Terriers day.  What a wonderful sight to see so many beautiful dogs all in one place. A dog photographer’s paradise! I fell in love, first with the Manchester Terriers, then the Borzoi, then the Wolfhounds, then the Bassets,. But at the end of the day a gorgeous dark brindle greyhound girl caught my eye and I realised I am, and always will be, a greyhound-lover first and foremost.

Though there were plenty of other togs using flash guns, I decided against out of kindness to the dogs, who already had plenty of other pressures to contend with.   Thank goodness for the stellar performance of the D3S in low light conditions.

More pictures here for those who are interested.

Bobby the greyhound – Surrey Dog Photography

Just look at Bobby!  One of the most stunning dogs I’ve ever photographed.  Whoever needs persuading that black dogs are the most beautiful animals in the world just needs to meet Bobby: young, well-muscled, with stunning bone-structure and in the absolute peak of condition.

But things are not always as they seem and there was a bittersweet undertone to our recent photo session together.   Poor Bobby has been having nose-bleeds, his vet has discovered a large inoperable tumour and the prospects are not good. Some dogs are destined to grow old along with us, growing shabby round the edges together, shuffling into old age in mutual, uncritical acceptance…  Others don’t make old bones, but they distill a whole lifetime’s worth of beauty and love and grace into the time they share with us.

Please join me in sending good thoughts and prayers to Bobby and his family, wishing that they may yet have many more happy days together.

madaboutgreys Charity Giveaway – The Result!

So many worthy entries for the madaboutgreys Charity Giveaway and so many great ideas.  Thanks to everyone who took the time to nominate their favourite animal welfare charities and came up with some wonderful ideas.

My beautiful Jasmine (above) has made the draw and we have a result.  In fact we have three winners so read on.

1. Jasmine’s Choice – She drew the ticket for Kent Greyhound Rescue so a big congratulations to Gordon Davies who nominated KGR for some very special pictures of their longer stay dogs.  Watch this space to hear all about it when I do the photographs and Gordon please get in touch to set something up soon.
2. The Vox Pop Choice - If numbers of votes cast were all it took, Wimbledon Greyhound Welfare would have won this draw hands down.  So well done to Dawn O’Brien and all the WGW supporters for their efforts and I’m talking to Denise about exactly what photographic work I could usefully do for you.
3. The Photographer’s Choice - Among all those nominations was one for a very special greyhound girl from Cottage Rescue in Ireland.  When I heard her story I was quite literally moved to tears.  And I was determined that, whatever the outcome of the draw, I was going to roll out the red carpet for this girl.  And that is is exactly what I’m going to do.  More later.

If your favourite charity isn’t among the winners but I’m able to help, I’ll do my best to do so.  There were some great ideas among your nominations and I’ll be in touch if I can fit them in.

Charity Giveaway from madaboutgreys, Surrey Dog Photographer

Would you like to nominate your favourite dog rescue or charity for a bit of madaboutgreys magic?

Every year I donate between 150 and 200 hours of madaboutgreys time to various charities and dog rescues.  Because rescue dogs probably need a bit of madaboutgreys’ help and publicity more than most.  I’m currently inviting madaboutgreys fans and followers to suggest charities and rescue dogs for a madaboutgreys photoshoot draw that will take place on 1 March 2013.

There are many ways I could help: for example you could request that I do a photoshoot for a sticky kennel dog or foster to help them get a bit of interest; I could provide event coverage for your favourite charity or do a set of pictures for an animal sanctuary website.  And obviously I’ll be publicising the shoot on my blog and on my Facebook page, so this is a chance for your charity to reach new followers too. So get your thinking caps on, come up with some ideas and get your nomination in quickly.

Here’s just a few pointers:

• you can nominate any worthy charity – it doesn’t have to be an animal rescue
• the photographs need to be done at my studio in Richmond Surrey or on location within 30 miles or so of Richmond.
• you must be a madaboutgreys Facebook fan or a follower of my blog to make a nomination.  But it’s easy to join – just click the Like button on this link.
• one nomination only per household – but you can always ask all your friends to nominate your charity too.

I’ll be shortlisting my favourite entries on 1 March 2013 and my beautiful greyhound girl Jasmine will be picking the winner.  So don’t delay, get your nominations in today.  Just click here to fill in your entry form.