Misty day Dog Photography, Portable Studios and Wasted Energy

Jamie Emerson runs Hairy Dog Photography in the North East of England covering Durham, Newcastle, Darlington, Northumberland and beyond.  Bespoke pet photographer, specialising in outdoor, lifestyle portraiture.


Almost every time I step out for a dog walk...

...I'll have a camera of some kind with me.  Sometimes I'll also have high hopes of a decent photograph but usually it's purely force of habit.  Today looked 'interesting' outside - huge rolling fog banks drifting through hollows, causing trees to suddenly loom up before being immediately wreathed in mist again.

So rather than the usual point and shoot, or small DSLR with one small, prime lens, I hefted one of the big cameras into my rucksack along with the monstrous 70-200mm lens.  A weighty combo.  I'm sure that most of us have gone for a walk with a camera, only to return home without the blooming thing leaving its bag.  Well, I do that a lot, so if I have the 'Big Guns' with me, I pretty much force myself to take at least one photo.And yes, it was pretty much a waste of effort - what should have been a set of beautiful, ghostly, ethereal photos was in reality, some photos of greyness with hints of tree...

In light of the lack of visible subject matter, I reverted to my default setting of dog photographer and got one passable shot of Kasper in the woods, where the fog was less thick.  So at least carrying the big camera for a few miles wasn't a complete waste of effort!

In other news, I recently visited Charlie the Spaniel in Byker, Newcastle for an indoor pet portrait photography session.  My portable studio squeezes into surprisingly small spaces and although I do specialise in outdoor, lifestyle portrait work, I'm equally at home in a studio and always relish the chance to get creative with the lighting.  Charlie and his people behaved admirably throughout - you can see his full gallery here on the hairy dog website.

If you'd like to book your dog in for a session, please feel free to pop over to the main Hairy Dog website to learn more or get in touch using the hairy dog contact page.

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 :-)

Bella and Lulu's Shoot

Hairy Dog Photography - Providing dog and pet portraits throughout the North East.  Covering Durham, Sunderland, Newcastle and further afield.  Canine events and on-site printing, studio sittings or beautiful photos of your dog on his favourite walk all available.

Today's shoot was so windy that at times it was hard to stand upright!  This didn't stop Bella and Lu having a fantastic time.  As always, I was travelling light with one camera (D300), two lenses (70-200mm, f2.8, VR and Sigma 10-20mm for a comedy shot or two.  My Lowepro belt and pouches (rocking the batman / ninja look as usual) let me carry strobes, spare batteries, prime lenses and other bits and bobs close to hand.

It's hilarious watching two so very differently sized dogs playing.  Bella is completely fearless and didn't seem to mind at all being bowled over by Lu.

The wind really was blowing a gale and after a short time we dropped down the back of the hill, where it was a lot calmer.  Shooting two dogs together offers unique challenges, especially where the dogs are very different breeds.  I chose mostly to try and get clean shots of the dogs separately.

Aaaw!  How cute is Bella! 

Lu crashing through the undergrowth, straw flying everywhere!  I love the way labs just plough through whatever it is that's in their way!

 Got a STICK!  Happy dog.

Right - she's standing still - QUICK, get a portrait!

You see?  I did warn you there's be a comedy 10mm super wide angle shot...  Despite the crazy wind, harsh sun and fast-changing light, there's definitely a few 'keepers' amongst this set of pics.  Thanks to the owners and thanks also to Bella and Lu, who kept me grinning the whole walk.

Fancy some shots of your dog?  Just visit the Hairy Dog website and hit the contact button once you've had a look around.

Hairy Dog Blog!

Well, here it is - the very first blog post from Hairy Dog Photography.  The idea behind Hairy Dog is that everyone in the North East can, and should have access to professionally shot dog / lifestyle portraiture (I'm still trying to think of a slightly more elegant term to describe what is, essentially, a beautiful, modern set of photos, of you, your dog and your family).  It doesn't have to involve anyone but your dog of course.  If you'd rather not be in the limelight, that's just fine - your dog can take centre-stage!

The idea came back to me during a recent walk with my own dog, Kasper the hairy lurcher.  I was, as always, taking photos of him doing what he does best (digging, chasing, burrowing and generally making a mess of himself).  I always use the same kit as I do for weddings - top end camera and lenses - flashguns for a bit of dramatic lighting sometimes.  As I was uploading the images onto the computer for a spot of editing and processing, it struck me that perhaps other people might like professional pictures of their dog 'in the field' as it were.  Even better - the owners and maybe the whole family could be included, interacting and hopefully just having a lot of fun!  This put me in mind of the first time I had this idea, years earlier.  I'll dig out the negatives, get them scanned and blog them next week.

I stuck up a note on facebook asking if anyone would like a free, no obligation shoot, and limited it to the first five responses, and included some samples of Kasper's photos.  Within an hour, my inbox was stuffed.  So I extended it to the first 20 to get in touch and again, was overwhelmed.

So it seems there is a demand for quality pictures of the hairiest family member!  The format will now be the same for anyone and everyone.  A free shoot and a free small print.  No obligation to buy anything thereafter and absolutely no chance of a hard sell - it's just not something I do!

I remain, first and foremost a documentary wedding and portrait photographer in the North East , but this will almost be like going back to photography as a hobby for me.  Who knows, perhaps the film cameras will make an appearance too!