Improve Your Spaniel Photography

By PA Team

29 August 2011 09:00

Before I had a dog, I used to take pictures of lots of things. Landscapes, still-life, other humans, you know the stuff. To be honest, at the time I found the variety rewarding, but I now know that my true calling is Spaniel Photography. Yes, Spaniel Photography.

Granted, some people will risk life and limb to chronicle a war-zone or trek to the other side of the planet and take pictures of volcanos, but basically, they're missing a trick. Spaniel Photography presents pretty much all the challenges you need to grow as a photographer and if you play your cards right you might get a cuddle at the end. You can't hug lava, right? A tank won't lick your feet.

If you've ever attempted dog photography you'll know that it's tricky. But Spaniel Photography is like the Premier League of dog photography. If someone gives it the chat about their Great Dane pics, or tells you what a great Boston Terrier photographer they are, let me tell you, they're mugging you off. Spaniel Photography is harder, faster, wetter, smellier and generally hairier than all other forms of dog photography. In fact, in my experience, one of the least controllable subjects on the planet is my two-year old Springer Spaniel. Not only is his speed a great test of a camera and lens's focusing ability, he's also a tricky subject to expose, with his atypical black face and largely bright white body causing untold metering problems.

But before I go on, some background. My dog is the offspring of a tenacious and honourable line of RAF Spaniels. Drug sniffers and bomb-finders, every floppy-eared one of them. But his civilian life has all but rinsed the nobility from his character. He's a flâneur who skirts the boundaries of usefulness. He's a rogue, and such a character is not uncommon in civilian Spaniels - it's this tendency towards the blasé which presents such a dizzying mix of photographic problems, but fortunately most of them are simple to solve when you know how and have the high level of technical skill required.

Spaniel portrait:

Problem: Spaniel needs to pose for portrait, but won't stop moving and is trying to eat lens / camera strap / photographer.

Solution: Grip dog treat between teeth and lisp firm instructions.

Spaniel action shot:

Problem: Spaniel is more interested in eating seaweed / excavation project / barking hysterically at the sea.

Solution: Grip dog treat between teeth and lisp further instructions.

Spaniel in landscape:

Problem: Once off lead, Spaniel embarks on marathon sprint to god-knows-where / sits in long grass imagining itself invisible / requests tennis ball be thrown with more hysterical barking.

Solution: Wait for dog to reappear, then grip dog treat between teeth and… well you get the idea.

Food is clearly a big motivator in his life, so why not use it to my advantage? It's a pretty simple contract after all and so long as you get what you need before issuing the treat, everyone's happy. It's just important to remember that he's a treacherous bastard when it comes to a sausage. His repertoire when it comes to eliciting treats extends to: sit / raise right paw / lie down / some combination of the latter. Each one tends to follow the other in quick order as if he's trying to crack the code which will make edible stuff fall into his mouth. And in a Pavlovian fashion he now expects to be fed whenever he sees a camera, which is why he must be kept away from tourists, lest he molest one. Again.

The first shot I took of him was the easiest - he was very small, relatively slow moving and had just weed on my lap, which had clearly tired him out.

The last shot I take of him will be the hardest, and knowing that I'll never take his picture again will destroy me.

I'm going to make the most of him while he lasts.