In my last post about Author Headshots at the Writers' Federation of Nova Scotia, I mentioned I chose that location specifically for its dog-friendly atmosphere. Possibly the best thing about visiting the office (for me) is having Toulouse come out and offer her belly for a rub. She's one of those dogs that smile with her whole body. You can't help but fall to your knees and speak in the most ridiculous of doggy voices. Or is that just me?

Anyway. 

The idea for doing these portraits was sparked by Toulouse (gorgeous black lab and trusty companion of Executive Director, Marilyn Smulders). She happened to be at the office when I was setting up to do a video shoot a few months ago and I invited her to get up at the desk for a few photos. It occurred to me then that plenty of creatives share photos of their lovely beasts on social media platforms. But we rarely have pictures of people WITH their pets. I often try to get a selfie with my hound but my arms just aren't long enough and she tends to be looking the other way by the time I get things lined up.

In preparation for the session, we talked about what sort of backdrop we could use. My idea was just to have the bookshelves and a desk, as we'd done with Toulouse. Marilyn had a better plan. She'd been considering the idea of a lounge, a settee, a fainting couch, if you will, to complete her home studio. A place where one can relax and "munch bonbons" (as she put it). As if she ever relaxes! And she found one. Of course, she did. Marilyn gets stuff done.

It couldn't be too posh, considering its (initial) use. Nervous/excited/exuberant dogs might produce liquids while perched upon it. This one was ideal. It even has wheels on the legs so it can be moved around. So we had our set-up. Very dignified, indeed. 

On the day of the photos, I showed up early to wrestle with my lights. I wanted to incorporate natural light but have a little studio light as a fill to reduce shadows and enable a faster shutter speed. Luke and Marilyn sat in so I could do some tests on them. I think he looks quite grand on the couch. I think he thinks so too. What a doggy smile!

This session, as with the author headshots was a fundraiser for the Elizabeth Venart prize. You can read more about that here. I expected there to be some challenges. Have you heard W.C. Field's quote to "never working with children or animals?" What's the fun in that? I often do both. You just need time, a sense of humor, and a massive bag of treats. 

Not all of the dogs thought the blue couch was the place to be. Many were happy to have a belly rub in the middle of the floor or explore the bookshelves where I was keeping the aforementioned bag of treats. I think Luke might have been the one dog that thought the couch was the place to be. Still, I think we got some fun shots and it made me want to do some more environmental portraits with people and their pets in the future. I'd love to capture writers at work with their furry muses nearby, snoozing or batting at the keyboard.