Like a family picnic - well of a very large and dog loving family

On Sunday 11 September 2011 the SPCA held its annual Paws for a Cause event in Stanley Park, Vancouver. It was a lovely day and had the feeling of a big family picnic.  People of all ages with their dogs of all sizes came to Lumberman's Arch to have a good time, chat with vendors and other animal lovers and show off their dog's good looks and talents - OK, also their own good looks and talents.

At 11.30 the sporty crowd went for a run, while at 12.00 the fun-loving crowd got their dogs in a row, ready for a 3km walk in the park. Dogs of all sizes and abilities participated!

I had a table at the Community tent and sponsored the prize for the popular look-alike contest. Glad I was not the judge with all those good looking look-alike teams....

The jury - read the audience - had a hard time to select between these talented participants. Susannah and her Papillon Gergie were just too sporty to ignore and walked away with the prize of a photo shoot and an exclusive album from PPP-Photography. With such a pretty and well trained dog it should be fun to create this keepsake for Susannah.

As per the SPCA website, they raised $740,000 during this event. Thanks for coming out and stopping by my table too. Don't forget to sign up for my newsletter to keep informed about upcoming events and special offers from PPP-Photography.

Photographing a puppy - the challenges

Puppies are cute - there is no doubt about it!

Photographing them can be a challenge. Puppies tend to move around a lot and are less likely to follow commands. On the bright side, a lot of play leads to a tired and even cuter puppy.

Follow a couple of tricks to achieve good images:

Try and confine your puppy to one area of your home. The less it can move around, the less you'll be chasing him with your camera and lighting gear.

Shoot lots!!! If your camera has a continuous shooting button - use it. As your puppy moves around it is sometimes hard to get the one good shot. By increasing your shooting rate you are more likely to take home a winner!

Try and create even lighting: as your dog moves around the area, try and have it lit evenly by using a diffuser, ideally an umbrella. Better even - two lights!

Give your puppy a toy to occupy himself. A good toy like this treat filled Kong can focus your puppy in one location, allowing you to get a good angle.

Try and avoid busy backgrounds - not always possible as seen here but less is more!

And after a busy session of close up photography, move away a little and let your puppy play. Now you can get beautiful candid shots.

Most importantly - make sure it is fun for you and your puppy!

Enjoy the action and pass on the tips!