I need to keep an ear out

Watch out for the drool., originally uploaded by phaird.

The gloomy weather didn't stop anyone from coming out today. It was busy and I talked with a few of my regular friends. The funny thing was we were talking about how my dog, Toby has been so much better at the park. He was running around and playing with other dogs.

But then it happened. Toby heard the gun club. First shot he perked up but he was okay. But then it kept going and he tucked his tail and headed to the parking lot. I went and got Toby and, foolishly brought him back to try to get him to calm down. It didn't work and when other dogs came by and sniff around, Toby got very aggressive. After a few minutes, I had to leave the park. I felt so bad for Toby. He has been doing so well and made great strides and enjoying the park again. Now I’m worried he is going to be afraid again and it will take months of support to get him to like it again.

Next week will be a new week and I’ll try to give him time to walk up in the woods to get his energy out before all the other dogs show up.

Falling fast

Riley saying hi, originally uploaded by phaird.

Fall is finally leading into winter so every nice day is more and more cherished. This Sunday was a beautiful day with enough sun and warmth to bring everyone out to the park. There was a few new faces even like Riley. He wasn't wild about the camera but I got a nice photo of him.
It's been such a while since I've posted anything to the blog. Each weekend has been really crazy with photo events and clients or family. My next goal is to write up questions for the interview process for my book. I think I know enough people at the park now that I feel I can ask them to be involved with my book. I just need to know what I want to know next. More soon.

Quiet day at the park

Walking out of the park, originally uploaded by phaird.

It's Columbus Day weekend and even though the weather is perfect, it wasn't very busy at the park. We got to the park early so I could get back home. I had a busy family day planned so I wanted to get to the park early. Even still, the park was almost empty when I got there and was still pretty quiet even when I left.
This new puppy Shepard was there. He is becoming a regular at the park and even though he's a puppy, he's doing really well. He listens and gets along well with all the other dogs. Puppies often get a lot of extra attention from the older dogs but this little guy has been holding his own. He doesn't get chased too much and listens well to his family.
I borrowed a telephoto lens and have been trying to learn to photograph dogs running and jumping better. My style has been to shoot with a wide angle lens and get close but I'm always trying to get better at shooting. Look at the other photos on my flickr page to see some of the the action pics.

Bring treats and it's a PARTY

Bring treats and it's a PARTY, originally uploaded by phaird.

Between all the new puppies and the summer like weather, Sunday was a pretty great day at the dog park. I really needed it too. I've been flat out, photographing all kinds of events lately. It's good to be busy with my camera and dogs but slowing down and spending quality time at the park and with my family is really important.
For me, it's about making time in my crazy schedule to do the things I want to be doing and move out the things that don't matter.
I invite my boys to come and some times the do but most times they don't. I think that will change when they get older but this is the one time just for me.
Everyone talks about how they bring their dogs so they could run around but that is only part of the story. The community is important too. The ability to slow down and just talk to someone of common interests. These are the things I love about the park and why I started this blog and book idea. The community that builds at dog parks is a unique event. I'm really interested in other peoples stories and I want to know more. I just need to make more time to prepare the book and talk to people.

Busy day at the park

Busy day at the park, originally uploaded by phaird.

It was a gorgeous Sunday at the park. Lots of people were there, hanging out, dogs running everywhere. I brought my boy, Geoffrey who had fun with the dogs, and throwing rocks into the pond. I'm not surprised it was so busy. Today's weather is so nice and everyone is trying to enjoy these nice days because fall isn't far away.

Fun with frisbee

Fun with frisbee, originally uploaded by phaird.

Today was a busy day at the park. After last weeks hurricane Irene, everyone was glad to be back. Some people were there for hours just letting their dogs run or walking the trails. It was also a day for new puppies to show up at the park. There were two golden puppies, a German Shepard puppy, and a few others I forget the breeds. Puppies always get a lot of attention but with the warm weather, the muggy day, everyone was just happy to be taking in the last weekend of the summer.
I know my summer flew by. I had lots of projects to work on and  made it to the park as much as I could and over all had a good summer. Like most, I want it to last longer but the fall offers new projects. I'm doing a fundraiser photo even for a group called Smile for a Cure which raises money for Canine Cancer research. I'm shooting some smaller events in September and will shoot at Woofstock on October 1. I'm really busy.
I'm not giving up on my book project. I've been inspired by a project called Project Dog. They did a kickstarter fundraiser to get a book published. I know if I got my book to a level of completion, that I could totally get a Kickstarter project funded. I've talked to more people at the park and know I have a good group to interview. My ideal is to get a good writer to work with. We'll see.
Either way, I'll be back at the park, next week, taking pictures, talking to people and having a good time.

Perfect day for a pano

Pano dog park 1, originally uploaded by phaird.

Sunday was cool and overcast with a threat of rain. A perfect day to photograph. Well, not normally but because I was testing out a panoramic head, it was perfect for me. The way it works is I attach my camera to a special tripod head that allows me to rotate my camera at a central point. I take about 24 photos as I spin the camera around and then I stitch them all together in Photoshop. A lot of the software (and even some cameras) make it really easy to put together photos that aren't centered properly. Because it's overcast, the lighting is the same all the way around me so my exposure is the same all the way around.
The only down side is that the park was kinda quiet and even though I tried to get around everyone with dogs, it still looks like the park ins empty.
I'm going to the Cape this weekend so I am going to bring the pano head again and do more on the beach, if I can get early enough.