“Dogs are our link to paradise. They don’t know evil or jealousy or discontent. To sit with a dog on a hillside on a glorious afternoon is to be back in Eden, where doing nothing was not boring — it was peace.” – Milan Kundera

When Colleen inquired about our special event in the Quinte area, she asked if our photo sessions were meant just for families or can she bring her dog. Our resounding answer was, “Yes! Of course you can bring your dog.” Families come in many shapes, sizes and species – we don’t discriminate!

Colleen’s dog Kane is beautiful and such an easy dog to shoot with. Kane’s breed is Cane Corso and since I hadn’t heard of this type of dog, I looked it up. Apparently Cane Corsos originated in Italy and are great companion dogs that serve as hunters and guard dogs. But, you would have thought “professional model” would be on his list of credentials! Even though there were tempting geese, swans and ducks swimming near by, Kane didn’t react at all. He stood proud and statuesque for every photo.

For the first time, my sister-in-law Jenn McCauley and I worked together as a team. While Colleen and her partner Danny were posing for the photos, Jenn and I whistled or made noises to draw Kane’s attention to the camera. The trick when working with dogs is to grasp their attention without too much excitement. We don’t want the dog running toward us or getting too excited and jumping or moving. We just want to perk their interest with a whistle or the rustling of leaves. Also, when I take photos with dogs I always tell the dog’s Mum and Dad to look at the camera, keep hold of their dog, smile in  their poses and let us do the work to catch the dog’s attention. (And yes, I say “Mum and Dad” because our pets are like children to us.) While we took photos of Kane on the dock, Jenn held up the flash to capture the various tones in his coat and to highlight the shininess of it.

The swans in the background of the photos were fantastic in one sense but, a pain all the same. Apparently, the swans were hungry and kept bobbing their heads down into the water to pick up food from the floor of the Bay. Which meant that their nether regions were sticking straight up out of the water. No one wants a keepsake photo if it has swan booty in the background! Other times the water fowl cooperated nicely and even a passing sail boat were fantastic additions to the images.

Colleen and Danny are a great couple who were extremely easy to work with and very cooperative. Colleen has a keen eye for artistic expression and I can tell that by the images she chose in the ordering process. She was happy to be sharing this day with her partner Danny, and the love they share radiates through their photos.

Photos taken October 2013 by Dragi Andovski. Published ©2103 DA Photography.

Location: Belleville, Ontario.