My Go Dog
Wednesdays are practice days, and each week Ringo and I go out for a day trip so he can get more experience being out and about, while gaining exposure to new situations and settings. It’s all part of socializing him and getting him prepped for the ultimate road trip - a 1,500 mile cross country move.
We began our visit at Sterling State Park today with some short walks in a couple of different spots. It was a bumpy start but Ringo’s performance improved after burning some excitement off. Before heading home, I found a good location for his signature shot with him peeking out the back window of my 2007 FJ Cruiser, a shot we take each time we go on these outings.
But today’s photo has a twist. I’ve been wanting a shot of me with Ringo in his signature pose, so I went to the trouble of setting up the tripod and lining up the shot, all while a few curious people looked on.
This is a difficult shot to take in so many ways. I have to capture both of us in focus, both properly exposed, both positioned well with good expressions, all at the exact moment the shutter releases. This is also a selfie, so I’m shooting blind using a remote shutter release.
People are coming and going in front of us in cars and on foot, something that usually sets Ringo off. But this is his signature shot. This is his moment. And he holds it together like an old pro. I’m getting better at being a model too, and magically, it all came together on my last shot of the day.
As I packed up, a man pulled up next to me, a dog sitting quietly on his lap. The man was amazed at what he just witnessed, and asked how did you get your dog to pose like that? He went on to say that he couldn’t get pictures of his dog because the dog wouldn’t cooperate. I explained that I photograph Ringo every day, so he has a lot of practice and has become very good at posing.
I’ve followed Ringo around with my camera like paparazzi since the day I brought him home, so he’s become very comfortable in front of the camera, and at some point, it seems he learned to pose. And I’ve been studying self-portraiture for a while now, but only recently started turning out good photos of myself. Just like any other skill in life, it simply took a lot of practice.
Ringo may have work to do with his training but he crushes it when it comes to turning out great photos. For more beautiful shots of Ringo (and my other dogs) check out my photo gallery.
