Back To The Shelter

Every Friday I get the oppurtunity to head out to the local animal shelter and photograph the dogs that are there looking for Fur Ever homes.  Some of these dogs are reunited with their families (I love it when that happens!)  Some are sent to the HOUNDS Training Program, which has saved the lives of several dogs.  Very thankful for that program.  Several dogs are sent to rescue groups, which we are FUR EVER  grateful for! They really help keep our shelter numbers down or dogs would be dying.  Also, many dogs are adopted! We love our adopters and our fosters!

It's not always easy getting shelter dogs pictures taken.  They don't want to sit pretty, they want to RUN and PLAY, which those are great shots to get.  We want to see them running and playing and having a fantastic time.  People want to see happy playful dogs.  However, those aren't exactly the type of photos the rescue groups are looking for, though it is good to send some of those too.  They need photos that show the side of the dog, photos that show how big the dog is, photos that show the face of the dog, and any unusual markings a dog may have, or any injuries or abuse a dog has, while still making the dog look good.  Not always easy! I've showed in a previous post the conditions I get to photography in, and the before/after of a shelter photo. 

I love taking head shots of the dogs, generally when photographing a shelter dog I try to get multiple shots of the dog, some times that happens, sometimes it doesn't.  I only have 2 hours to get photos of the dogs, once a week.  Sometimes, there are a lot of dogs! It also can get confusing because volunteers are walking the dogs, and they will put a dog up before I've photographed (that generally happens while I'm photographing another dog)  So it's important to always walk through the shelter and make sure I have everyone! Below are some heads shots of dogs I have taken, trying to show their eyes, and facial espressions or unique markings. 



















I put the head shot in a collage with a body shot so rescue groups and potential adopters can see how big the dog is, and see it from a side view, which is important. 









I still have a LOT to learn about photographing shelter dogs, but believe me it's come a VERY long way! Photography is always a learning experience.  You never TRULY get things perfect, you are always learning new ways to do things.

Mahala