Socks, my fuzzy cat
Pets make great subjects for photos. Of course they can be difficult to photograph if they are easily excitable or fidgety. None-the-less our pets are part of our family and as such we may find ourselves taking lots of pictures of them. Of course Facebook is where most of them end up, right? Who doesn’t like a good kitty shot or puppy pic?
Maggie Mae, my wife’s Sheltie
Our pets provide us with comfort and joy. We provide them with security, good chow, a warm bed, and love. Why not make images of our pets for posterity? Dogs and cats are the most common pets in America. They however have lives of brevity. A dog gives us more love and affection in ten years than most people give in a life time. Dogs are not judgemental. A dog’s love and affection are unconditional. Cats? Well, they actually are a bit judgemental; but they make up for that shortcoming by being more self-reliant and really fuzzy 🙂
Lucy, our former Lab
I enjoy utilizing my photo gear to image my pets. In the digital age, I have the luxury of making many images. No film or processing cost. I tend to rip through a couple of dozen images just to get one decent one. But it is always worth the effort. I love my pets and my pets love me.
Photo by Graham Law
My good friend Graham Law, Owner of Seawood Photo, Inc. is the best dog photographer I know. He is not an animal photographer by trade. He does it because he enjoys it and it helps save the animal’s life. He and his lovely wife, Melissa take in shelter animals. They work tirelessly to find homes for these abandoned dogs so they might provide joy and happiness for a family rather than the sorrowful notion of being put to sleep. Graham and I have both trekked across the country, cameras in hand, and produced images we still cherish today. But how can any of that be more satisfying than making an image that captures a dog’s soul. Images captivating enough to bring someone forward that will save that animal’s life and give that dog joy and a meaningful purpose.
Photo by Graham Law
Graham does a great job capturing the character and charm of these wonderful pets. This is no easy task. He also uses top grade gear! He and I have been collecting and using photo gear for over 30 years. His status as a camera shop owner is a bit too much for me to compete with however and I often find myself just a wee bit over the envy line 😉 Graham typically uses a Sony A7s mirroless body with a 35 megapixel full-frame sensor and a very interesting variety of lenses. Last time I saw him, he was running around with a Zeiss Biogon 21mm lens on it! I don’t think he’s using that glass for the awesome pet shots we see here. Despite the fact that the two of us are cruising along in our sixth decade, he still seems to do a great job on manual focus. Something I am nowhere near as proficient at anymore. I would like to thank Graham for giving me permission to use his images.
Photo by Graham Law
In closing, don’t forget to make great images of your pets. They will continue to warm your heart long after they are gone and well done images can conjure up powerful emotions. After all, isn’t that why we do what we do? OH, and next time you think about getting a new dog or cat… yeah, animal shelter or rescue organization 🙂
Here are a some more cute pet pics from Graham and I.
Photo by Graham Law
Muffin the cat, Rod Sager, EOS-M with 22mm f2.0 pancake
Photo by Graham Law
Kyle and Maggie, 12/23/2008, Rod Sager
Photo by Graham Law
Pookie the cat, Rod Sager 1993 (1990’s scan)
