Hiking & photography with dogs near boulder, co. - No. 1

Hey, guys! Thanks for checking in! We're keeping busy here at Soul Dog Studios, taking advantage of the warm weather for adventuring outdoors (and sunbathing on the porch, if you're Lyra).

Pet photography, for me, doesn't stop at the professional level; I strive to integrate it into my daily life, whether I'm working a client session, retouching someone else's photos, or working on artistic projects featuring my own dogs. With so many pet-friendly recreational opportunities in the Boulder area, it's difficult to imagine just staying home without utilizing the gorgeous local scenery to create something everyday. So on Tuesday when I was invited on a dog hike with two friends, I jumped at the chance. We agreed on a location (an off-leash legal trail in Lyons, CO), a start time, and packed up our dogs - a combined group of 6 - and hit the trail. My friend had told me beforehand about the seemingly endless fields of purple wildflowers currently in bloom, and, as a pet photographer, how could I not pack the camera gear, too? 
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My day pack ended up heavier than usual with the added weight of my camera body and two lenses, but it was entirely worth it - even though I only ended up using my 85mm. I would have been super disappointed if I had chosen to pack light and forgone the photo-opps of the dogs. 
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The purple and yellow flowers, combined with the early morning light, provided the perfect backdrop for posing dogs. That's Evey in the purple and Punch in the yellow. I've been photographing these two dogs for years, and they're quite well versed in posing at this point. I'm grateful for their patience, especially since they just wanted to race down the trail!

That's not to imply that only highly trained, well-practiced dogs are good candidates for pet photography; Folly here, a young Pyrenean Shepherd with energy to spare, was spotted rock-hopping throughout the hike, which made for perfect candid photo opportunities. I or her owner would simply make a silly sound to capture her attention, and I'd take the shot.
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Jupiter was a bit more complicated to photograph. He's an 8 month old Mudi puppy and almost never stops moving. Still, I've got a number of tricks up my sleeve I've learned from puppy photo sessions, and was able to capture him briefly looking at the camera in between stick-munching.
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All in all, we ended up hiking a solid 9 miles and tiring everybody out in the process. The trail was gorgeous and we can't wait to go back! If hiking's your thing, consider getting in touch about an on-location session and maybe we can get together!

Oh, and there was a hidden gem along the trail that I photographed extensively...stay tuned for Part 2 to see! :)

Kristen
Soul Dog Studios