Friday Fix (1/11/2013) - Photos

By Christy Hess

In case you haven’t seen my previous blogs, I LOVE working with our puppy photos. I finally caught up on our pictures from our previous adopters (alum) and our before and after books. These photos are just so much fun to look at; I must say the best and most interesting looking dogs come from Colorado Puppy Rescue. So check out our current photo albums here.

The last couple of years I have been helping with the website. Our criterion for puppy photos on the website is to have at least one good full body photo (to give potential adopters an idea of size and coloring) and one good close-up of the face.

I am not sure how many people have followed our website over the years, but I can tell you first hand, that the photos that we have posted to our website the last two years are consistently better than photos from any other rescue that I have seen. The bar has been set.

The past year I have helped with taking photos. Intake is so busy, that there is no time for touch-ups to photos, just crop and go. I am a beginner photographer at best, and although all puppies are adorable subjects, capturing that in photos is an art that I am still learning. Puppies move FAST!!!!!

I try to take 10-30 photos per puppy – hoping to get 2-4 that show our adorable puppies at their best within about a 5 minute time frame. There is an art to setting up for puppy photos, then being able to get out of the photo. I have been so lucky to have some fabulous photo assistants.

I am sure that people who watch a photo session crack up. Not only are we trying pose the puppy and snap as many photos as possible, but we are also making all kinds of weird noises and holding up toys to try to get the ears perks and the puppy looking straight into the camera.

So as you look at our website and see all of the adorable pictures of our available puppies week after week, I just wanted to share that it takes a lot to get there. Here are some of the photos that didn't quite make the cut.

Peek-a-boo

Nope - not gonna look!

Ohhhh - what's that?

Whoops - hands.

Curious puppy!

Framing of the photo is important too.

Focus

They just move so fast.

This is an adorable photo, if only I could see the face

Maybe they will go away if I don't look.

Got an itch!

This doesn't count as a full body photo.

Let me get closer to you!

We get a ton of these that would make great T-Shirts.

When a puppy has to go, they have to go!

Awww - shy!

Ummm - are you done yet? 

What is that WAAAYYYY up there?

Thank you to everyone who takes photos and assists with photos – you make finding homes for our puppies effortless. Thanks to Colorado Puppy Rescue for supply great props for the photos.