September 2008

In August , I travelled to Hideaway Kennels in Calhan, Colorado to photograph Ben Garcia and his dogs for an upcoming full page ad The Sportsman’s Cabinet is designing for Ben's field trial and gun dog training programs and his excellent new video entitled 'First Steps.' What a pleasure it was to work with Ben, a very talented trainer who has also had considerable success in the field trial world running pointers, English setters, Irish setters and other pointing breeds. Hideaway Kennels is located east of Colorado Springs in rolling prairie type country. To learn more about Ben, please visit Hideaway Kennels and look for his new half page ad in this month’s Pointing Dog Journal. First Steps is an excellent training video!

The online field trial publication Strideaway was officially launched on July 16th! Mazie Davis of Davis Kennels and I have been working on the project for about a year.

S t r i d e a w a y  o b j e c t i v e :

Strideaway is an online publication dedicated to and promoting the great sport of American Field Trials and the dogs that compete in them. The objective is to present the voices and ideas of experienced trainers, handlers, breeders and other knowledgable participants whether they are involved with All Age or Shooting Dogs, horseback or walking field trials with particular emphasis on wild bird field trials and the dogs that compete in them. We will be adding interviews, articles, stories and quotes from field trial experts, veterinarians and other enthusiasts throughout the country on a regular basis and hope to provide an expanding source of information relevant to field trials.

We began 2008 with the exciting new ad campaign for DOGS Unlimited showing up in publications including Pointing Dog Journal and Gun Dog Magazine. Thanks to all my great models — both human and canine! The long awaited for website for Sean Derrig’s Erin Kennels went live in mid-March. We have received great reviews! I travelled to Illinois in November to photograph Sean’s beautiful farm, Rocky Run, and his field trial dogs and horses. What a pleasure it was, especially on the last day when Sean ran CH Erin’s Tin Soldier and CH Erin’s Bad River off horseback. Always a challenge to get the ’real deal’ but those two great field trial champions gave me all the opportunities!

In the works is Larry Garner’s APF Dogs website and new creative for Claremont Investmenty Partners / Industry Leaders Fund including website redesign, collateral material and a trade show booth for their December conference in Pheonix, AZ — The Superb Bowl of Indexing. Also in the works is an exciting new project for Minnesotta grouse field trial buddy, Brett Edstrom (The Sporting Table) and a newly revised website for Dave Breslin’s Ard Righ Kennels. We have several new clients including LeRoux Kitchen located in Portland, Portsmouth and Cape Cod. We are working on an extensive e-commerce site for LeRoux.

Outdoor, bird dog and field trial dog photography continues to be the most important new service TSC is offering it’s clients. Several of my pick photographic images of field trial dogs and prairie landscapes are now available as high quality archival prints. Please visit our new ecom site: Fine Arts Photo Prints!

For recent photography of field trial pointers, English setters and landscapes from my trip to Hideaway Kennels in Colorado, please visit: Newest at Photo Galleries.

And once again, I thank my talented collaborators, Jennifer Morris, Scott Tirrell, Dennis Griggs, Steve Helsley, Daren Worcester and Jennifer Kowtko for their expertise.

Chris Mathan

Tips for Bird Dog and Field Trial Dog Photography

I get frequent calls and emails from field trialers asking what kind of camera to buy to take photos of their field trial pointers, English and Irish setters and other pointing breeds.

That’s a hard question to answer given all the great choices. It depends entirely on what your wants and needs are. Today’s pocket point and shoot digital cameras create extraordinarily good quality images for posting to the internet and making prints from home printers. And they don’t require too much time to learn how to use. Then there are a myriad of digital SLR cameras from reasonably priced consumer models to the most sophisticated and expensive professional models. Obviously the more sophisticated the camera, the greater the learning curve...and it can be daunting to people who have no former understanding of photographic principles which still apply to today’s digital world of photography. Unless you have aspirations of becoming a professional photographer or a very serious amateur, a high end digital camera is not likely to be your best choice. If you become more serious down the road, you can always upgrade.

It should always be remembered that the camera is a tool. It does not make aesthetic decisions. Great photography is still an art that requires skill and an educated eye to express your perspective of the visual world! Buy the camera that matches your needs.

If you want to photograph your dogs from horseback or 4-wheeler, camera size and weight need also to be considered.

My advice to anyone trying to decide what kind of camera to buy is do your research! There are great resources on the internet like Digital Photography Review and Shutterbug. There are also plenty of magazines like PC Photo and Digital Photographer Magazine. Regardless of what you buy, take the time to read the camera manual. Some of the point and shoot cameras are so simple to use, people don’t bother reading the manuals and often don’t understand their camera’s advanced features. I sometimes get people sending me photographs they want to use for print jobs. If that’s your goal, you need to set your camera at the highest setting for the largest file...that’s generally not the default setting of your camera. If you want to go the SLR route, and you are new to photography, why not take one of the online courses available specifically for your model of camera at places like Better Photos.com These courses take you through the basics and you will feel much more comfortable with your camera allowing you to advance more quickly.

Now on to photographing your field trial dogs and bird dogs. Unless you are just taking random shots, get someone to help you. DON’T MESS UP YOUR BIRD DOG’S TRAINING TO GET A PHOTO!!! Especially derbies or young dogs that are in the process of being broke, don’t push your luck. You might end up with one nice photograph at the expense of setting your dog back. When I photograph young dogs, I get what I can and leave it at that...I shoot fast and make as little disturbance as possible around the dog. Don't make eye contact with the dog.

When and where do you photograph pointing dogs?
Photography is about light. Light changes from time of day to location to season. Sometimes I have to but I try not to take photos in bright overhead sunlight. There’s too much contrast and the colors are washed out. Early morning, late afternoon and overcast skies are much more likely to give you a pleasing result. Pick as natural a setting as possible...preferably not your lawn! If you have trees or bushes as a background, try to put some distance between them and your bird dog so the dog is the central element in the photograph. If you have a beautiful prairie or mountainous landscape, try to offset the dog so it compliments the setting and creates some interest. If you take photographs at an AKC or FDSB field trial, be sure you never interfere in the trial proceedings. Having a camera does not give you a licence to be anywhere but in the gallery without special permission from handlers, judges, marshals or other field trial officials.

What position should you photograph bird dogs from?

Well, it depends, first on the light which might limit where you can be in relation to the dog. Remember, your dog will come into the bird according to where the scent is coming from. Every dog looks a little different every time it stops and points and you have to assess where it looks best from in relation to the background. I tend to like pointed dogs from an angle that shows their face, chest and body but sometimes the way the dog is pointing, it looks best from the front or side. With a mature, broke dog, I will photograph them from all the angles that work and decide later which I like best.

The most important thing, whatever kind of camera you decide on, is to take lots of pictures and enjoy the process. Your photos can capture special moments with your bird dogs that you will cherish forever.

Good luck!!

Chris