Dog Show Photography - Tips & Tricks Part 1

What are dog shows? Think - Westminster and Crufts. Yep - every weekend around the globe, ‘exhibitors’ are travelling to and from All-Breed and Specialty (breed) dog shows. Of course most are nowhere near as large as Crufts, and don’t expect to see any others on TV- but your local Canine Council and clubs will be hosting regular dog shows most weekends and it can be an enjoyable way to build a portfolio, hobby/career and make a bit of money on the side.

It will always depend on your location, but here in Australia most shows do not have an official photographer and you will find plenty of amateurs and professionals at local shows photographing randomly/candidly or specific breeds. If you are unsure photographers are welcome, check with the person in charge (usually the Show Secretary) before you attend.

Photographically speaking, it all sounds very easy in theory - a bunch of dogs running around a ring and then standing in front of a judge - not too demanding on your photographic skills?

The truth is, dog shows are reasonably easy to photograph once you have experience, but newbies to the field often fall into the same traps and mistakes because they lack the specific knowledge they need to photograph a dog show correctly.

Tip #1

• If you’re not ‘part’ of the dog world, DO go along to some shows as a spectator before you haul your camera and equipment around. Like any mini-society, the dog world has its own etiquette and it is best to work all this out before you step on people’s toes. Remember, everyone there is your potential customer as you will only be selling the images to the people who own the dog.
• Most people have to wait around a lot of the day so don’t be too shy to ask questions. You can usually grab a catalogue (this will cost you a couple of dollars) from the office which will have all the breeds that are being shown and how many dogs are entered per breed.

Tip #2

• Find out in advance if there is an official photographer or not! If there is, you can still approach them and ask if they mind you taking shots, but they will be working their butt off and having to stay till the end of the show, so it is bad form on your part to go home and try and sell those photos you’ve taken before the official photographer has even left the place. Don’t undercut your fellow photogs.

Tip #3

• Equipment, Equipment, Equipment. You will need a fast lens for indoor shows as most are very poorly lit and have uneven lighting. An IS/VR lens is helpful, but depending on your camera and how it handles noise, F4 would be as slow as you could go to get useable shots. The dogs will be gaiting past you at a reasonably fast speed, so a shutter speed of 1/500 is the bare minimum - I try for around 1/1250.
• For outdoor shows you are less inhibited, but you will need at least 200mm focal length.

That’s it for now….next time I will talk about the types of shots required, how dog shows work and WHY you are taking the photos, and then what to do with them once you’ve got them!