Here at HQ, we have a special spot in our hearts for dogs and dog photography, all pet lovers have dog photography as part of their lifes. So when we stumbled upon Elke Vogelsang‘s dog portraits, we were instantly smitten. Her ability to capture her four-legged subjects at their most expressive and playful is just extraordinary. Mostly shot in close-ups, each portrait brims with intimacy, a sense of humor, and the photographer’s own technique.
So how does she do it? We asked this Germany-based photographer to share her personal story, her own tips to getting a good portrait shot, and her choice of gear. Ready to step into Elke’s world and gather some handy tips? Scroll down, and prepare to be amazed!
Dogs and photography always played a huge part in my life. When our first dog, Noodles joined our family, I felt the need to improve my photography and capture her beauty and character. This was seven years ago. We now have three dogs, and all three of them are well-trained “photography companion dogs” as I call them. They love to pose for the camera, because they know they will always get a reward. You’ll find pictures of them on magazine covers and in books worldwide, which makes me very proud. I still can’t believe that this former hobby of mine turned out to be such a rewarding and exciting job! Because of the many dog pictures I show on 500px and Facebook, I now have quite a few customers who want their dogs to be portrayed. So I have the chance to combine two of my passions — dogs and photography.
Laurie brought in a scratchboard sketch of a poodle that she liked. We experimented a little to see what we could come up with. These are her choices from the session. The top one of Rainey is my favourite. They are to be printed on metal panels.
