BEHIND THE SCENE - DUCKY

Life IS a ball! A true statement most labs would make...and I would have to agree!

Most people would say that I am a dog photographer – and they are right, but in reality, I am a conceptual photographer who takes pictures of dogs. How does this differ from what other dog photographers do? My images are based on a concept, or a story, that I want to tell versus traditional portrait photography. The first and most important step in creating one of my stories is the concept. I spend a lot of time brainstorming - looking at art, magazines, my surroundings, and thinking about what is possible and believable using a dog. I’ve found that without a firm idea of a goal (concept), the chances of an image being successful drop quickly. The concept is key. Next, I sketch these thoughts out to translate what I see in my mind. Once I land on a good concept – one I think matches my style best, I take it to the next step and begin production. With Ducky, I knew it would be “unlikely” to get a pup to float on a beach ball so I purchased a large exercise ball that would be safe and more comfortable. We scouted a very happy and willing lab and, with all hands on deck, had a great time getting the shot. The last shot was the pool. Fortunately, we had a local friend with a beautiful yard. I put all of the elements together in post-production for what “balanced” out to be a very fun and colorful image.

"Ducky" Yellow Lab Art Print. Get it HERE