Pug Patrol

Let me introduce you to the one and only Franklin, a redonkulously adorable six-month-old pug. This little dude has more spunk in his tiny body than a caffeinated kangaroo on a trampoline. 🤣

"Pug Patrol"

Oftentimes people tell me after-the-fact that they were worried about how their dog was going to behave during the session, so now I try to head that off beforehand. At the beginning of Frankie’s photography session I reassured his mom that it was totally okay if he was a spazzy puppy, after all, I’m here to capture the authentic canine chaos! I confirmed he could remain on-leash for safety for the duration of our session. And then I laid down my number one rule for dog photo sessions: the dog never has to "perform" – he could just be his normal charming puppy self and I would be ready to capture the moment. Other guidance for dogmom: no pointing at the camera, no talking to Frankie to direct his attention to me, and no feeding him treats. Why? I want the dogs to engage with ME (and my lens). I work hard to build a rapport with them – communicating in their universal love language: food. If that doesn’t get their attention, I act the lunatic (in the most professional way possible, of course😉), by making bizarre sounds trying to capture those perfect expressions and behaviors. During a session, I often get so wrapped up in the technicalities of photography that I forget to socialize with the human counterparts. Oops!  So, I gave Franklin’s mom a head’s up on that too – if I seem lost in thought during the session, it's not that I'm ignoring you; I'm just juggling camera settings, angles, light, and location – a true multitasking maestro. 😝 Once we covered my pre-session talking points, during which Frankie had eaten half his body weight in rabbit poop 🤢, we got to work creating some magical images!

We started on the stairs of the Victorian-esque Rose Chateau office building in Parker (after getting permission, of course), where Franklin unleashed his GINORMOUS talent for head tilts. I swear, I thought that squishy wrinkly head was going to come unhinged and pop off his body. Our adventure continued to various spots, from apartment stairs to landscape edging, and finally to an elevated cement column (purpose unknown). I got down as low as humanly possible, contorting and getting a great ab workout in the process, lol, and photographed UP at him, turning this little furball into a larger-than-life superhero. A snuffling and snorting superhero. 🤣 I had to clean my lens more than once during his session due to bodily fluids smearing the glass. Ha!

The behind the scenes (BTS) look of how I created it:

Frankie's session was a wild ride of pug-tastic proportions, leaving us with unforgettable memories and a camera lens in need of a good cleaning. But hey, that's the price you pay for capturing the essence of a superstar like Franklin! 🐾📸

Additional unedited images from the session:

From Franklin’s mom: “I just loved watching the entire process; lighting, the various methods for getting his attention, helping to make him stand from a sit.  All so interesting to me!”

Ginger Wick Photography is an award winning dog photographer specializing in creating beautiful custom artwork of dogs & their people. Based in Parker, CO serving the Denver area.