Dog Photography at the beach, Tynemouth!

Hairy Dog Photography at the beach, Tynemouth.  Jamie Emerson specialises in action dog photography and pet portraiture throughout the North East.  

Outdoor doggy photoshoots are always a bit hit or miss - the freezing, horizontal sleet we've endured over the last few days did not bode well for Thursday's photoshoot with five dogs on Tynemouth Beach!  Amazingly though, the day dawned crisp, fresh and sunny and I dug out my sunglasses and warmest fleece.

With really bright, low winter sunshine, there's very little to be gained from using speedlights - they just cannot compete with the sun (especially when the subjects are fast-moving and unpredictable!).  So out came the 70-200mm f2.8 VR lens.  It's a monster and weighs a ton - so much so that I've almost stopped using it at weddings and had been considering getting rid of it and buying a lightweight 85mm f1.8 prime, but after yesterday, I think I'll hang onto it a little longer.

Anyway, this isn't a lens review - bring on the dogs!!

Black Lab Cocker X running full speed on beach

That's Arthur above, going full tilt to fetch his ball - like so many dogs, he has a full blown obsession with balls!  If I recall correctly, Arthur and the other black dog Millie are both Black Labrador-Cocker Spaniel crosses.

Ex show Whippet running on Tynemouth Beach.

 Names are definitely not my strong point and trying to remember the names of two humans and five dogs seems to be beyond me!  Anyway, this handsome fella is an ex show dog - his markings really are amazing and he's such a total softy.  I want a whippet!

The smaller dog in the photo above is a hunting Whippet apparently.  He's also most definitely the boss dog - his lovely owners tell me that he can eat any of the other dogs' food with impunity!

The Nikon 70-200 f2.8 VR lens is just a thing of joy and beauty for this kind of work!  Pin sharp photos, time after time, even with five dogs hooning around on a beach!

Black Labrador in the sea at Tynemouth by Hairy Dog Photography

Me and my shadow!  Whippet and Black Labrador on Tynemouth Beach by Jamie Emerson

I really, really like the shot above - it was a total chance shot but the Whippet seems to have a lumpy shadow all the way round him!

The speed of this chap was mindblowing.  He also just can't stop without something to crash into - usually his owner!

Smiling Whippet dog on the beach

That is one happy dog right there ^^^  If that's not a smile, I don't know what is!

And back home for a few studio type shots - as always, the portable studio fits into pretty much any size of space with very little fuss.  This might have been the last outing for the white backdrop though - it's had every type of dog biscuit imaginable slobbered all over it...

All the dogs were happy to have a snooze after their beach exertions!

Sleepy puppy in black and white

What a great day, and if I dare say it, what a great set of photographs! You can see the whole gallery of this shoot on the Hairy Dog Website.  If you would like a doggy photoshoot, do pop over to my website specialist dog photographer, north east and use the contact page to get in touch.  Gift vouchers are also available for your dog-obsessed friends :-)