Tuesday 8 October 2013

Autumnal dog walking in North East England

The nights are drawing in...


And I love it!  This is absolutely my favourite season, especially on a day like today, with bright, crispy sunshine making the trees glow orangey-green against a bright blue sky.  It makes me want to get out and about with the dog.  More so than the green shoots of Spring, more than snowy Winter days.  The result is that Kasper, the original Hairy Dog, has been getting more time outside than usual.

specialist dog photographer on a shoot near Middlesbrough
Labrador against an autumnal backdrop
As a specialist dog photographer, weather like this is nothing but good news.  The light is nowhere near as harsh as it is in the height of the Summer - it's perfectly suited to creating beautiful outdoors dog portraiture.  The heat for the last few months has also made dog photography somewhat harder - dogs are too clever to go full pelt when it's that hot!

Specialist north east dog photographer in Herrington Park in the snow
Snowy dog photoshoots are a lot of fun, but nothing beats a crispy Autumn shoot
Around this time of year I usually start advertising dog photography gift vouchers, and this year is no exception.  In fact, I'm pushing them hard this year, helped by a £75 coupon for advertising through Google Adwords (thanks Google!).  These vouchers really do seem to be hugely appreciated by the recipients - they are usually people who dote on their pets and who, like me, have a great love of the outdoors.  The whole concept of having a photoshoot whilst on a favourite dog walk appeals to most of my clients and the resulting photos are simply a reflection of the owner and dog's lifestyle.

Recently, I've been seeing a lot of vouchers coming in and a resurgence of visitor numbers through the website - I put this down to the change in the weather - perhaps owners who have been swithering about having a doggy photoshoot feel that the time is ripe as the leaves turn, the temperature drops and the light fades into a golden glow.

In other news, it now looks like Hairy Dog is becoming the 'go-to' photographer for local dog shows.  I'd actively avoided these shows for a long time due to worries that such shoots would dilute the high quality brand that is Hairy Dog.  Well, I needn't have worried - the last show proved that I can still pull out top quality photographs in a high-pressure situation, with queues of dogs waiting their turn.  Here are the most recent photos - dog show photography north east.  I'm back there ( The Dog House, Cold Hesseldon ) for a German Shepherd show later this month.  Can't wait!

Dog show photography in the north east by Hairy Dog Photography
As always, if you're interested in seeing high quality, creative photographs of dogs, please do 'like' the Hairy Dog Facebook page or call Jamie on 07866127732 to set up your own photoshoot, thanks!