Apart from shows and events, animals generally photograph far more naturally in their own surroundings, so most of my work is done on location at your premises or anywhere your animal feels at ease but it's absoloutly vital they are comfortable with the surroundings chosen to take the pictures be it a local park- garden - field or on the beach.
I'm able to provide YOU the opportunity of seeing the un-edited photographs straight away in three way's. Via laptop computer. A set of proof images sent by post orthe same day by e mail.
Generally the agricultural animals I photograph are owned by specialist farmers and are normally highly expensive breeding animals costing many thousands Including - Bulls, Sheep, Rams, Prize Winning Pedigrees, Goats, Rabbits, Chickens and Cockerels.
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Because most clients choose to have their animals photographed at home, this removes many of the problems photographers experience when the animals don't perform as they usually do, and those animals will certainly tell you when they are not happy.
I always try to spend time with the each animal first before I even bring a camera out because pictures of animals should never be shot in a hurry. There's no limit to the amount of photographs taken on a location shoot, I keep going until I feel I have captured your animal exactly the way you normally see him and this is the challenge I love most of all and I won't be beaten. Stressed animals wont perform for anyone and this is the time they look their worst.
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I cover many types of equestrian show and event from PONY CLUB to BADMINTON but there are only a handful of EQUESTRIAN PHOTOGRAPHERS who know and understand horses.There are many who call themselves Horse photographers but they are the ones with all the gear and absoloutly NO IDEA. You know who I mean - He's the man with the really long lens and an itchy trigger finger, he's the guy who keeps his finger on the button firing off hundreds of shots whilst desperately hoping to get one or two decent useable pictures, he's the guy who hasn't any knowledge of how to use the camera on any other setting than "PROGRAMME" and cant take the shot without the help of "FACE RECOGNITION" Is this the man you trust to take your precious animal pictures or how about your wedding photographs? He's the man who's never used old fashioned FILM, because you cant use those camera's without a modicum of skill and talent.
What sort of animals are they, well a pet can be anything that's not human ie RABBITTS - DOGS - CATS - BUDGIES - PIGS - SNAKES - SPIDERS Whatever animal you have is your pet and I've photographed most types of animal in the UK.
Dogs are by far the most important pet to the majority of the UK populas but any animal can be provided you have the specialist knowledge to look after him or her correctly, but dogs can be the worst animal in the world to take pictures of, especially as you are only going to buy the picture that captures his character the same way as you always remember him to be, THATS HARD.
Because of the difficulties of photographing animals away from their normal environment I mostly take the pictures at your home or in a nearby park, somewhere the animal feels comfortable, and I ALWAYS spend time with your pet before I ever bring out a camera, because potentially that's the time when things can go wrong and nearly always do.
THE SCENE - Your having a terrific time playing with the dog and its all lovely but then the dog spy's the camera on the spot the little darling turns into a horned demon and instantly legs it to the nearest bush or decides he has to WEE and that's a process that cant ever wait because it has to be RIGHT NOW not in a minute but NOW. The whole world stops, it doesn't matter if he's catching a frisbee out of the air or going through a tunnel at the local agility show he has to PEE that very moment and no other time will do.
This is the sort of thing I'm up against especially with dogs on a daily basis, but who cares I still get the pictures and I've never failed yet, what's more I wouldn't have it any other way.
I'm at my best when confronted with a cantankerous K9, so whatever animal you call your pet I'm positive I will capture his image exactly the way you will always remember.
Most people know how much I love photographing animals, ANY animals it doesn't matter but since I was introduced to DOG AGILITY by a very good veterinary friend of mine I've been hooked and she simply said "you should really have a go at photographing agility - HOW HARD CAN IT BE?".
I'm pretty good at fast motor sports and easily shoot motor bikes on a track doing 150 mph, I take race horses at the point to point going mach 2 over a brush and I've never failed to get the right picture but then I started on dog agility and found out how incompetent I can be - these dogs are the only animals that have ever caught me out and made me look absolutely stupid. Of course that was a few year's ago and things are different now because I've been practising and there's no way those little buggers are going to make me look a pratt!
Anybody who has tried to photograph a collie that understands far more about agility than any human, will know exactly what I mean - these dogs cannot be predicted - they never ever jump a fence the same way twice - they know nothing about strides like a horse in show jumping because they can easily tear round the course on one leg - they don't jump when you think they will and they turn 360 degrees in mid flight, how can anybody take great pictures of dogs when they act like this and they do it to make us look stupid!?
Anyway I have found a perfectly good method of taking more than acceptable pictures, pity it doesn't work all the
time because some of the little gits still catch me out and they do it on purpose, they communicate to each other - I can see it in their faces
when I'm near the start line, "RIGHT BOYS LOUIS'S HERE AGAIN WITH HIS CAMERA !!!
That's why I love this type of photography and there's nothing better to test a
persons professional competence than AGILITY!! So my Professional "RESPECT" goes out to all agility photographers.
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