ernie | brentwood dog photography
August 20th, 2009I met the cutest little rescue dog named Ernie and I couldn’t wait to take his photos. Problem was, Ernie was DEATHLY afraid of the camera. Just even having it out around him made him scurry out of the room. And the sound of the shutter clicking completely freaked him out!
Usually with dogs like this, I have them over their camera shyness within 15-20 minutes. Not with Ernie though. I think the first hour of our shoot yielded a lot of photos like this:
And this:
And this: (poor guy!)
Luckily with a ton of patience, treats, and praise, Ernie slooooooowly started coming out of his shell. You can see him totally blossoming in these photos as the shoot progressed. Given how shy he was (I was a little scared I might not get a decent shot, to be completely honest!) I’m so proud of Ernie for sticking it through and eventually learning to trust me and my camera. And no telephoto lenses were used either - I shot with my 50mm and wide angles the whole way through - go Ernie!
(Click on small photos to enlarge)
Ernie is his mama’s first baby. Second baby is on the way.
August 21st, 2009 at 7:12 am
You did a great job of breaking Ernie out of his shell. Nice photos. Your clients have a cool looking house.
August 21st, 2009 at 7:18 am
These are just lovely. They really captured his personality. The final one, the one of him on his back, and the one of him looking at the camera between them on the couch are my favorites. Gorgeous as always! And yes, I want that house.
August 21st, 2009 at 7:23 am
Even though this little guy was shy you still managed to capture some absolutely adorable shots. The colors, lighting and compositions are all wonderful.
August 21st, 2009 at 7:24 am
BEAUTIFUL. The light, their home, the colors, and your clients are beautiful. You are like a dog whisperer!
August 21st, 2009 at 7:50 am
Hi! I’m new to your blog, and wanted to send a big WOW! Love the evolution of this photo session! Ernie is so cute, and definitely worth the hour you put in to get him over his shyness. Lovely!
August 21st, 2009 at 7:51 am
I loved seeing the progression of these photos. You ended up with some amazing ones that Ernie’s “mom” and “dad” will definitely be able to cherish for a long, long time!
August 21st, 2009 at 7:51 am
Love the results! Patience certainly paid off, I bet you were sweating it in the beggining, I would have been panicking!
August 21st, 2009 at 8:22 am
The shot of Ernie upside down is so great! And Ernie might be shy, but he has bold taste - his home is gorgeous.
August 21st, 2009 at 8:34 am
I love the one that he is behind his dad’s legs.
August 21st, 2009 at 8:55 am
Ernie is so adorable! Great job Grace. I can see him totally come out of his shell.
Also their house is beautiful!
August 21st, 2009 at 9:01 am
Way to go Ernie!
August 21st, 2009 at 9:20 am
Glad to see all that effot paid off
Another wonderful session!
August 21st, 2009 at 9:21 am
cute little guy! and what a fabulous house to shoot in….. i’m drooling over the light
August 21st, 2009 at 11:35 am
wow i am totally coveting that living room!
that shot of ernie upside down on the bed is fab–you definitely got him out of his shell!
August 21st, 2009 at 1:55 pm
What a sweet face he has! Love the shots of him behind dad’s legs and upside down on the bed.
August 21st, 2009 at 4:58 pm
Wow Grace- these are amazing!! What a trooper (you and Ernie!)
. . . and what a gorgeous little family! The house is just too cool- what a fun shoot!!
August 24th, 2009 at 8:45 am
Beautiful photos and light Grace…LOVE that funky sofa.
August 24th, 2009 at 7:19 pm
The hard work and patience totally paid off - the shots are beautiful. they are going to flip!!! He’s so adorably cute too!! Reminds me a bit of Paddington.
August 25th, 2009 at 2:16 pm
i think the top one is really cool!
August 25th, 2009 at 5:13 pm
I love the ones where he is peeking through his legs and when he is upside-down on the bed. Cute!!!
August 26th, 2009 at 9:59 am
Grace, your work is incredible! Little Ernie finally came out of his shell, and boy oh boy, did you do a fantastic job capturing it! Love it!
August 26th, 2009 at 10:46 am
It’s really tough when they’re shy but you rocked it as always of course! He is so adorable!
August 29th, 2009 at 7:06 am
I can’t get over the amazing light in that house. Wonderful shots Grace. I wouldn’t expect anything less.