Afghan Hound at Lure Coursing Event (Click to enlarge - click twice to enlarge again)
My best wish for all you aspiring photographers is that you get a chance to photograph an Afghan at a full run. There is something about their coats that stops me dead in my tracks. I was one of the spectators at a Lure Coursing event in southern Louisiana in November. It is a joy to watch these running dogs because no one teaches them to do this…it’s just what they want to do. All the humans have to do it sit back and watch them. Either they do it or they don’t. This fella did. Doesn’t his tail look like an integral part of the run?
The photographic technique is stop-action, not panning. Though I moved the camera with the dog as he ran, my shutter speed was too fast to streak-blur the grass as would have happened if I shot at perhaps 1/60 or thereabouts.
I didn’t want much of a depth of field for this (f5.6) and I didn’t want a smidgen of blur on the dog, so I used a shutter speed of 1/1000. We’ll talk more about panning soon.
If you’re interested in seeing more of these shots they can be viewed at Sisters Pet Pics Proof Section – Lure Coursing.
I love all these photos, especially the ones where you caught the dog mid-air so it looks like they’re flying. And I liked the poodle shots-I would have never thought a poodle could run like that. But I was disappointed that there weren’t any shots of the Golden running but I’m glad you included those photos anyway. Truly stunning photography!
The shots of the Golden (at the end of last collection of the Lure Coursing proofs) were requested by the woman who lives with and loves this dog. Two years ago I photographed Dixie when she was about 20 pounds heavier. She has been on a strict diet and has been undergoing walking and swimming therapy to get the weight off. They attended the event as spectators and did not run.
Dixie is looking great and she’s added years to her life by taking off the weight.