Hunting Dogs On The Shepody Marsh
All of my custom pet photo sessions start with a phone call to plan the perfect session for each pet family. No two are ever completely alike, even at the same location!
During our planning call, this client told me that she had grown up next to the Shepody Marsh in Albert County, NB. She said that she would love to do her photo session there because it would be such a fitting location for her two hunting dogs, Brittany Spaniels Gauge and Georgia.
Brittany Spaniels Gauge (left) and Georgia, running on the banks of the Shepody River. Both dogs were on leash for their whole session, and it was removed later, in Photoshop. We use a 30 foot lead for running shots like these!
She was very concerned that her busy, active hunting dogs could not be off leash, but she really wanted to capture them being active in a natural setting that suited the breed.
“I have two high-energy, hunting dogs that I dreamed of having photographed ‘in their element’, but thought no one had a shutter speed fast enough to catch them! Ha! Turns out, Tracy comes well equipped to handle busy, playful, distracted dogs- she had duck calls, treats, and a handler (so I didn’t have to try and do it)!
☆☆☆☆☆”
We lucked out with the most amazing, stormy skies over the Shepody Marsh for this hunting dog photo session.
As you can see, the marsh absolutely delivered all we could have hoped for! It was a stormy evening with dramatic skies and even a rainbow for a little while. The actual rain was considerate enough to wait until we were heading back to our cars at the end of the photo shoot.
I loved how the client wore this brown barn coat that went so well with the natural scenery and even matched the dogs’ liver and red coats! This is one of my absolute favourite photos from this year.
Although my sessions are focused on the pets, I’m always happy to capture the beautiful connection between my animal subjects and their human companions.
The sunset reflecting on the Shepody River made a perfect backdrop for this happy pair of dogs.
The sunset on the river behind Gauge and Georgia almost creates an optical illusion, as though I might have been shooting up at them, with the sky behind them!
“I would love a photo of them sitting side by side with a rather regal feel to it. They are very active dogs and will be distracted by smells and “hunting”. I do worry about them being too excited to work with.”
The sunrays breaking through the clouds over the marsh made a dramatic backdrop for this photogenic pair of dogs!
“I had photos done when my previous dog, Gracie, got sick. I thought of them as a memorial. I didn’t want to wait for such sad news before getting photos of Gauge and Georgia. Whatever your intention or need is for photos of your pet, Tracy can capture it- not just the picture, but the sentiment and the personalities of your pet(s)! Photos are important! They last long after the moment has passed - Make the investment!”
By the end of the session, I was even able to capture a few moments where these busy, active dogs looked calm and serious…perhaps even “regal”, as the client had hoped!
Featured Product - a gorgeous, custom-made memory box from my photo shoot with a pair of hunting dogs on the marsh.
Slightly obsessed with how gorgeous this custom-made Memory Box turned out. The client trusted me to choose the coverings, so I went with a rich brown leatherette to compliment the colours of the dogs and the barn coat she’s wearing. For the lining, I chose a stormy blue/grey linen that matches the dramatic skies we had during our session.
All in all, between the beautiful subjects and the incredible light we had out on the marsh that evening, this was one of my favourite sessions of this year.
Acrylic top memory boxes like this one are hands down my most popular product. They hold very sturdy, rigid matted prints that are ready to be framed or display as they are on a shelf or small easel. Clients love them because they can get more images from their session, and have the flexibility to rotate which images they display, while storing the others safely.
This is a room mock-up, showing the large matted prints this client chose for her walls, as they would look to scale in a room.
