Stephanie McGahan - Photographer of the Month - June '19
Hi, my name is Stephanie and I am a doggo-holic. I’ve always been lucky to have family dogs and spent time (fairly obsessively) photographing them with a little point and shoot camera. I still have lots of happy memories on 6×4″ prints stored in albums.
A few years ago my son decided to treat himself to a bridge camera with his birthday money. Needless to say, he quickly became bored and I ‘inherited’ it. After a couple of years, I became frustrated with its limitations, and purchased my first, used Canon DSLR. I chose Canon simply because all my trusty point and shoots had been Canon, so I had faith in the brand. I joined a local photography class, then progressed to HNC level portraiture, and other evening classes at my local college. This path I recommend to everyone, I met some great friends and learned so much. I continue to train but in my chosen genre of dog photography. I also joined my local camera club and was lucky enough to win the Intermediate Print League in my first year, and the Advanced Print League this year.
My entry into the March photo competition came about during a miserable evening autumn walk with my own two dogs on the beach. I’d just switched camera systems, from Canon to Sony, after successive shoulder injuries make carrying heavy equipment difficult, to say the least. This was the first outing of my shiny new camera, loaded with a 35mm prime lens. I started snapping my dogs, incorporating some basic training with Baillie puppy. This shot was the last of the set and signified the end of shooting/training as the boys were losing interest in both (as seen in the photo), and it’s always best to end on a high.
My favourite part about dog photography is the happiness of my clients when they see their best friends in print. Especially when they’ve come to me thinking their dog will never sit still enough for a portrait. Beautiful dogs on stunning wall art. What’s not to love?
My latest project is photographing dogs on a specially constructed swing, after ‘borrowing’ the idea from the baby photographers. Having a sister who is a trained florist also helps with creative inspiration.
My only advice for anyone taking up photography today would be to shoot what you love, what inspires you and brings you joy. Always. Don’t be discouraged by others, follow your own path.
I share my work on my FB page here, its fun to chat with fellow dog lovers there, and also on my website . For 2019, I hope to find more precious pups on the other side of my lens and make more people happy. If you don’t think that photos are important, wait till they’re all you have left.
