Some of my clients have been coming to see me for a very long time. This family have been with me for nearly sixteen years, which means I’ve watched a fair bit of their life unfold through a camera lens.
So when they got a puppy, I made my position clear: he was not optional. I would be photographing him. No charge, that felt a bit ransom-y, but also non-negotiable.
He’s a German Shepherd Akita mix, just eight weeks old at the time of the session, and I was completely smitten from the moment he arrived. Excellent temperament for a puppy in a new environment, calm and curious and very good at being looked at.
And then there are the ears. Enormous. Slightly too big for the rest of him at eight weeks, standing straight up like satellite dishes, each one seemingly operating independently. The breed will likely grow into them eventually. I am quietly hoping he doesn’t.
The first shot, taken on the floor up close, shows him at his most serious, those big dark eyes taking everything in. The second, against the dark fine art backdrop, shows the ears in their full glory, tongue out, completely at ease.
Puppies are very welcome at the studio. Especially ones with ears like that.