If you dig back through my blog archives (please don’t!) you’ll find two previous appearances by Riley and one by Spencer and Flynn. Their owner has been a loyal supporter and friend since I started out – I first met her five cameras ago! During 2015 I was tasked with photographing all of her four dogs, including new kid Doug, first as two pairs and then as a group. This is going to be a super long post because it’s the highlights from all three of those sessions.
First up were Riley (14) and Spencer (10). Riley is either deaf or has developed extremely selective hearing in his old age. I suspect the latter myself, he’s still got the whole cheeky terrier thing going on.
Spencer was extremely shy and wary of new people the first time I photographed him so it was nice to see he’s come a long way since then.
I was warned that he would run into the water as soon as he was released so I got the duo shot done while they were both still dry.
Next minute …
Riley may be well into double digits and have arthritis but he’s still very mobile and fit for his age. I want to know his secret!
Next up were Flynn and Doug, the Kelpies. I’ve done a portrait session with Flynn before and he was also a model at the Zoomies Workshop that I taught at in Kiama. I knew he was a superstar and he didn’t disappoint.
What I wasn’t ready for was the absolute ridiculousness of Doug. Talk about Mr Personality!
He had me in stitches the whole time.
To say Flynn is ball obsessed is a massive understatement. I don’t know how many times I had to try and hide it from him to get an expression different to his desperate for the ball face!
I think these two win the handsome Kelpies competition, hands down.
While I was taking Flynn’s portrait, sillypants was behind me doing these ones!
So much good looking. Sigh.
Many many weeks (and a knee surgery) later we met for a Sunrise Session, with husbands masquerading as assistants in tow, to get the group shot.
After a little play with his pack in the water I got to play favourites with Doug. In my defence he’s the only dog in the pack that I’ve only had one session with so he deserved a little extra camera time, right?
After agonising over what to order Adriana decided to get the lot, plus a few extras. This is the wall collection …
… and this one will be printed on metal.
I posted an album flip through on my Instagram yesterday so I won’t share another one again so soon, but if you keep an eye out I’ll post the one from these sessions in the next few weeks.
If you need more Doug and Flynn in your life stay tuned because they’ve also signed up for my Tails of Sydney project and I for one can’t wait to see them again!
PS You might notice that the staining in Riley’s fur around his face and feet is pretty much gone in the group shots, which were taken about six months later. That’s not due to retouching (actually the early pictures have had the staining pulled back slightly to make them less severe), it’s the result of him taking turmeric tablets for his arthritis. He also had a change in diet to Raw for Paws but Adriana thinks the change in his fur is predominantly from the tablets. She was giving him Bioceuticals Thermacurin or Fusion Curcumin, depending on availability, not at the same time, one tablet per day.
