THERE IS ANOTHER HOBBY BESIDES PHOTOGRAPHY?(Yes, and watch where you step)

THE DOG SHOW

                                      (   This article was originally published on Pixiport.com and is being reprinted with additonal images with permission)  

I am an advocate of photographing what you see, what is going on in your neighborhood, town or city and what is happening in your life.

Hobbyist group shows are some of the most fascinating of all assemblages to watch and photograph. Last weekend I saw an article in the Palm Beach Post for a dog show, run by the Jupiter-Tequesta Dog Club of Palm Beach County, Florida. Believe it or not, the Club has 50 members and yet over 1000 dogs were shown during the two day event. 

You learn things from shows like this and reading about them. Did you know that quite a few dog owners have handlers that make up to $100,000 a year? One professional handler at this exhibition showed 20 dogs in one day. And I thought that these men and woman just liked dogs and raised a whole lot of them.

The owners and handlers take their canine interest seriously. Although the public is welcome, my wife found out the hard way that you do not try to pet these dogs before the competition. You might mess their hairdo, distract them or do something else that could affect their standing in the upcoming competition. And you think there is controversy about manipulation and retouching in image making? Look closely at the first image above. The lady is applying makeup to her pooch. I saw people using hair dryers, some type of hair spray, numerous brushes and combs and even a magic marker (to make sure the coloration was right, I am sure).

And, if you think the expression "it’s a dog’s life" conjures up visions of mistreatment, look at the next picture. That dog weighs 80 pounds or more. I suppose, it would have been too taxing to have him walk all the way to his pen. These dogs are pampered and preened.

Most images I took that day were surreptitious although many owners and handlers love to be photographed with their dogs. While it is polite to ask, it certainly is not necessary.

As for equipment, I used a Nikon D1X set at ISO equivalent 3200 and then overexposed by one stop. However, any 400 ISO equivalent digital camera pushed one stop (underexposed by one stop and then adjusted in your computer imaging software) would have done just as well. Remember, the judges have to get a good look at the dogs, and look they do, so a lot of light is needed for the show. If you are going to use film, I would recommend using Tmax 3200 shot at 1600 and developed for the full 3200 ISO. If you have a lab do it, they should know what you are talking about.

I have been to quite a few photography shows. They concentrate on equipment sales. Gallery shows are about seeing and selling images. They are both far more sedate than a good dog show.

One can legitimately ask, is this really Street Photography? You bet it is. While the images are not taken on the street, they are about aspiring people doing what they do with a passion.

If you think that the photography is only of man’s best friend, think again. The owners, trainers and spectators were at least as interesting as the canines, especially when they were photographed interacting with them. The people were perfectly natural in their peculiar environment, mostly oblivious to anything and everyone, except for their dogs and the judges.