Dangerous Adventures in Photography

Have you ever seen those suits that beekeepers wear for protection? I need one! Taking pictures of these puppies is getting dangerous.

This morning the puppies woke up at 5 and then had their first breakfast of milk from Halo. I got everything ready for their second breakfast and individually fed them their yummy (!) rice and chicken concoction. I decided that feeding time was the perfect time to get them used to having their feet handled and so I fed them on the table with a towel for traction. I placed their little feet in “show” position as they ate, and this worked well.

They then went to their play area and that is where the fun started. The first problem is that they all climb in my lap, making it impossible to take pictures. When one leaves to the play, another is pulling on the camera strap while a couple of the other puppies are biting me in various tender places with teeth they clearly sharpened over night. It is hard to take pictures when the camera is being used as a tug toy, and you are jumping because someone just bit through your jeans!

I lay down to try and get some close-ups – big mistake. One puppy started on my toe while another pulled my hair and the one was still attached to the camera strap and yet another was gnawing on the camera. Sigh. And invariably a puppy runs on front of the camera at the exact moment I am trying to capture a split second of cute action, giving me a lovely tail shot.

The puppies finally started to drift off in a pile and so I lay down again to try and capture some sweet faces. I snapped a picture and at that exact moment a puppy came from nowhere to land directly in front of the flash. I smelled singed fur and quickly checked to make sure the puppy was okay – she was. More sighing.

The pictures today are all from my dangerous adventure in photography this morning. One puppy is chewing on a nylabone (while another is no doubt chewing on me). I love the shot of Dawson with his bum in the air and the toy in his mouth. Ledger is the leaping puppy – it is not a good picture but captures well the frolicking these puppies are doing now. Lolo is chewing on the crate and Sula is trying to get Ledger to play by chomping on his shoulder. Madison is the close-up with paws showing – she is one photogenic puppy. The other close-up is Rosebud, who continued to play long after the others were asleep – Lolo in my lap and the others in that cute puppy pile.

Hope you have a wonderful adventure today and preferably one that is pain-free! We will see what we can do about video.