April 2016
Sharpening my lens at Barkelona
This was life changing! Barkelona was my first international pet photography workshop held by amazing instructors, Kaylee Greer (my longtime mentor) and Sam Hadix of Dog Breath Photography, Nicole Begley of Nicole Begley Photography, and Charlotte Reeves of Charlotte Reeves Photography.
This was a super exclusive workshop. Limited seats available. Rigorous selection process, worldwide applicants, the whole nine yards. But I got in! This was a dream come true. International travel, Barcelona (one of my favorite cities), and dog peeps? Yes, please!
I was completely struck with joy, and even now, upon my return, I’m left with this feeling of awe.
The workshop was held in an 11th century estate, Casa Felix, in the charming village Olivella, just outside of Barcelona, Spain.
Photographers joined from the US, Australia, New Zealand, England, Canada, and Norway. We had one goal in mind – improving our business and mastering our craft – Pet Photography.
Thus began, our “Barka Tribe”.
Ingrid Ramon, a dog behaviorist in Spain also taught us in depth about dog behavior and set up several photo shoots with her clients’ dogs. Her knowledge of a dog’s body language is invaluable.
I’m proud to have experience in understanding and navigating dog behavior. Every dog is unique and to know when a dog is stressed and how to alleviate stress is one of the keys to pet photography.
A dog licking its lips, showing the whites of its eyes or a straightening its tail are just a few signs of stress that are important for pet photographers to take note. When a dog shows signs of stress it is time take a break. Go for a short walk or play with the owner or a ball. Also, sometimes dogs can be scared of the camera which is why I always take a few minutes to let a dog be around the camera and get lots of treats before diving in right away with the camera.
