Sunday’s Woofstock – second installment ~ {Toronto dog photographer}

i present to you the final set of images from our fabulous Woofstock weekend.  as i mentioned in the last two installments, because of the overwhelming response and the often crowded booth, i wasn’t able to sneak away from scruffy dog booth for more than a very brief outing on Saturday, and then one quick pee break on Sunday … so whatever images you see here were snapped quickly inside or just outside of the hubbub of our very popular booth where there was often very little more than elbow room … that’s why you’ll see a lot of ‘overhead’ shots.

as i’ve mentioned in the previous Woofstock entries, if i did manage to pull myself out from behind the scruffy dog table to snap a few photos of your dog, you’ll find them in one of these blog entries.  please respect the copyrights of these photos and do not copy them from the blog.  instead, please email us and request them.  i’m happy to provide you with a copy for your facebook page!  and obviously if you’re interested in any prints, just let me know.

and oh, what happy, shiny, sparkly faces visited us at the scruffy dog booth.  like this amazing Boston-cross … look at this face!!!

i could have shot him/her all day … what expressions!

… every shot of this character is brilliant, i had a hard time choosing which to share here.

and this bruiser … i just LOVE when black dogs have these phenomenal eyes for me to focus my cameras on.

and it’ll be a long time before i forget this little niblet and her expressions.  she strutted up to the booth, pulling her man behind her, with an attitude and an air that no other dog could possibly match, like: “hey, photographer chick, i’ve arrived. i’m here. check me out. hundreds of dogs you’ve shot, you think you’ve seen it all … well, darling, you ain’t seen nothin’ yet!  i’m the hot shit you ain’t never seen in your career!”

i think she’s right.

whether the front end or the back end … she was all ‘tude!

and this pretty little girl danced for me …

and then there was bat-earred Billie …

so pretty in pink.

now, i’d like to write a word or two about this girl with the eye-liner eyes (again, forgive for not remembering everyone’s name … the weekend is a blur!).  always when owners tell me things like: “Oh, my dog doesn’t photograph well, they always end up being a black blob.” or “They’re extremely camera shy and always turn away from the camera. I can never get a photo of them.” … well, it’s not so much that i’m trying to prove them wrong; it’s more that i hear the need for at least a couple of decent photos of their beloved 4-legger.  so … when i heard phrases like that this past weekend, i immediately reached for the camera and came around the table.

as i rounded the corner of the table in this particular case, i immediately felt this gorgeous girl’s energy.  she was just lying there, seemingly calm, but her energy was palpable for me.  i lowered the camera and told her owner: “no, you’re right.  her energy isn’t right.  i’m not even going to try.” why? because if i don’t have the proper time and environment in which to bring a dog around to accept the cameras and the concept of a photoshoot, i am not going to force the concept on them and potentially ruin them for any future shoot.  i’ve met too many dogs who have been ruined by previous photoshoots by non-dog-savvy photographers and have had to work long and hard with them to bring them around.

but then this little girl met my eyes, perhaps her hound-nose catching whiff of the dehydrated treats clutched in my one hand, and she got up.  then she jumped up on me.  when her owner pulled her down, i told her no — as i do with my clients with potentially camera-shy dogs — let her jump on me, i explained.  i’m a play-thing for their dog, not some new authority in their life.  i’m not there as a trainer, but as their new, fun outlet … although i’ll never leave a photoshoot with the dog still jumping all over me … we always leave with respect and love and wagging tails.

so while this little hound girl jumped and clawed at me, i doled out treats, all the while holding the big, scary camera overhead, patted, treated … then i asked for a few sits … treated, patted … still with the big, black camera overhead, and in under two minutes this eye-linered girl was posing like a pro.  and how gorgeous is she?!

then there are others who are completely and utterly oblivious to the camera …

and when he finally did take a treat, well, i have to admit, it was what i imagine it would be like feeding treats to a hippopotamus … those lips!

and here’s the first pharaoh hound i’ve met in person …

this sweet little pup belongs to a fellow raw feeder who lost her last girl some time ago.  i was so thrilled to meet the new pup in her life…

and this sweet old girl (many apologies to owners if i’m getting their 4-legger’s gender mixed up … it was a long weekend, with a long flood of gorgeous dogs, and although i had a 98% success rate in guessing gender of the pups who came into our booth, for some reason, when it comes to photos, i have more difficulty).  lying so patiently while her owner chatted with me about the different sessions and packages available, and the best seasons for booking.  i just love the seniors.

and you know i love the scruffies …

this ball of sweetness belongs to one of the Pattison CTEs who were our wonderful booth neighbors … i managed to snap this photo a split second before she realized i was squatting there, at which point she mozied over, and rubbed herself all over me for affection.

and no, i didn’t get a single photo of the booth this year!  a number of you have already asked to see images of it, but i was too busy, and totally forgot to take photos!!  if anyone else got a shot or two, i’d love to see it!

thank you to everyone who visited us this past weekend — past clients, future clients, dedicated facebook and blog followers, fellow photographers, fans, and everyone else. thanks for bringing out your wonderful pups for us to meet.  it’s a lot of work and a big investment to put together an event like this, but you make it worth it!

and a huge, bottomless thank you goes out to Karen and Kim — my amazing staff members — who worked such long hours, so devoted and dedicated, so passionate about scruffy dog and everything we do, and equally passionate about all of the dogs out there.  if you met them, i’m sure you’ll agree — they’re absolutely amazing!  i couldn’t have asked for two greater, more generous, and more positive people at my side last weekend.  you’re amazing, girls!

as for the draw … yes, it’s coming.  i’m keeping everyone in suspenders.  🙂  the event gear is all still being unpacked, artwork is still wrapped up, and everything needs to be sorted.  so please stay tuned!

thank you again to everyone. and please hug your 4-leggers from us at scruffy dog.