For my final project, I sought to capture my dogs’ personalities in a series encompassing two portraits per dog for a total of eight portraits. My initial inspiration for this project was William Wegman, a photographer well-known for his whimsical, colorful, and iconic images of his Weimaraner puppy, Man Ray. After further research, with the help of Professor Maurides, I came across Bruce Weber who is well-known for his black and white images of dogs and people. Thus, I decided to split my project into a black and white series portraying my older dogs Princess and Marley followed by a color series portraying my younger, more energetic dogs Jesse and Riley.

Throughout my journey, I came across several obstacles. First, I found it difficult to maintain my dogs’ eye-contact. In an attempt to grab their attention, I stuffed my pockets with dog treats. This method yielded terrible results because their attention was drawn to my pockets and they all clustered around me. In my second attempt, I instead placed a dog treat over the camera lens to capture their glance. This method proved more effective and allowed me to yield multiple shots.

Tools:

Part I: Princess’ Series

Princess is a 13 year old flat-coated retriever. She was born in Tennessee and rescued from a kill shelter by North Shore Animal League in Port Washington, New York. Every morning at 6:00 am, she barks until my mom comes downstairs to keep her company. Before she started having trouble walking, she used to be an extraordinary swimmer. A few years ago, we took her to the beach and she swam out into the Long Island Sound to chase a boat. She reached the buoy in a matter of minutes! During this time of year, she is often found under the Christmas tree or refusing to get out of the snow.

Sleeping Beauty, Princess, Stony Brook, NY

Snow White, Princess, Stony Brook, NY

Extra(s):

Princess, Stony Brook, NY

Princess, Stony Brook, NY

Part II: Marley’s Series

Marley is a 11.5 year old boxer-lab mix. He was born in Tennessee and rescued from a kill shelter by North Shore Animal League in Port Washington, New York. He is rather timid in nature and is very fearful of loud noises such as thunder and fireworks. He is very fond of me and tends to follow me around the house. However, once he is released into the yard, he turns into a madman; running at 100 mph and pouncing on his brothers and sisters. Although he is such a sweet boy, he tends to find himself in a lot of trouble. We had to child-proof our house due to his ability to open doors (including the refrigerator).

Paradox, Marley, Stony Brook, NY

Bipolar, Marley, Stony Brook, NY

Marley, Stony Brook, NY

Part III: Jesse’s Series

Jesse Pinkman is a 4 year old beagle. He was born in Tennessee and rescued from a kill shelter by Friends of Freddie Rescue in Middle Island, New York. Jesse is truly a one of a kind dog. He likes to be treated like a baby: hand-fed and cradled. He is very expressive and driven by food. His face lights up when he hears the word, “chicken,” which is how I achieved some of these shots. He has severe separation anxiety. Upon return to the house, he anxiously greets us with hugs and kisses (he stands on his hind legs and wraps his front paws around us). Throughout my mom’s treatment, he has been attached to her hip to give her comfort. He is the little man of the house.

Here, Jesse, Stony Brook, NY

Helping Hand, Jesse, Stony Brook, NY

Extra(s):

Jesse, Stony Brook Harbor, Stony Brook, NY

Jesse, Stony Brook, NY

Jesse, Stony Brook, NY

Jesse, Stony Brook, NY

Jesse, Stony Brook, NY

Jesse, Stony Brook, NY

Support, Jesse, Stony Brook, NY

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Zombie, Jesse, Stony Brook, NY

Birthday Boy, Jesse, Stony Brook, NY

Part III: Riley’s Series

Riley Mae, our newest addition, is a 9 month old golden retriever. She was born in Louisiana and rescued from a kill shelter by New York State Retriever Rescue. She is not very expressive but is starting to come out of her shell. Just recently, she has been attached to my hip. She wakes me up in the morning by jumping on my bed and plopping down beside me for belly rubs. She also really enjoys popcorn.

Pastel, Riley, Stony Brook Harbor, Stony Brook, NY

Sunset, Riley, Stony Brook Harbor, Stony Brook, NY

Extra(s):

First Snow I, Riley, Stony Brook, NY

First Snow II, Riley, Stony Brook, NY

Vroom!, Riley, Stony Brook, NY

Light, Riley, Stony Brook, NY

Bloopers:

Jesse and Riley, Stony Brook, NY

Marley, Riley, and Jesse, Stony Brook, NY

Marley, Riley, and Jesse, Stony Brook, NY