Maynard making steps toward a park

Acton park pano in October., originally uploaded by phaird.

check out the Maydog website to read about the small steps being made to a new dog park in Maynard. It's pretty exciting.

Toby needed a walk

To get Toby back in the swing of things at the park, we got there early and did the long walk on the paths behind the park.  I really love going on those paths when the weather is cool and the ground is hard.  In the warmer months, it can get really muddy and hard to avoid the swampy areas.  It's nice now because there is traction, not too slick and easy to get around.  Toby needed the walk to get his energy out and feel better about being at the park.  I had to coax him through the park but once we got up to the path, he was happy to lead the way.  We did the long walk that lasted almost 45 minutes.  He didn't seem that worn out even though I was but once we got back to the park, it was busy with people and dogs.  Toby wasn't ready to socialise yet so since he headed for the car, I followed and we took off.
This is a good first step for him and I hope he'll be back to his friendly self soon.  I don't want to be that guy with the mean dog that everyone keeps away from.  I like being that weird photographer guy who is always around with his camera, taking pictures and talking with people.

Holiday Pics, this weekend.

The next two weeks, I'll be doing a holiday photo shoot from noon to 4pm at Pet Source.  This weekend I'll be in Marlborough at their store and it should be a great event.  Everyone who gets a photo, gets a awesome goodie bag and if you sign up ahead of time, you can get a %20 discount on all your shopping at Pet Source that day.  I've already got a bunch of people signed up so I know it's going to be a BUSY day.  Hope to see you there.

There was some confusion about the dates and stores but it's all cleared up.  Come to Marlborough on the 10th and Concord on the 17th.

Starting over for Toby.

BW_Toby-Park, originally uploaded by phaird.

Looks like Toby is going to need lots of coaxing to get back into the park again. Last week he heard gun shots so this weekend, he didn't want to go. This isn't the first time this happened and I had to work hard to get him comfortable with the park. It will take some work but I know I can do it. The plan will bring him early, go for a walk in the woods and let him get his energy out. Once he's done that a few times, he'll be better off. I wish I had more time to bring him to the park but work and life gets too much in the way so far.
I decided to edit these photos I took of him to show how he was feeling. I'm using a program called Lightroom to edit my photos and it does a great job of allowing me to be creative. What do you think?

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.