Bruce Weber Photographer Talks About Taking Amazing Photos of Golden Retrievers

Golden retrievers are gorgeous, majestic dogs. Hence, photographing opportunities arise all the time while playing with them, or even when they are just lazing around the house. Even renowned industry professionals like Bruce Weber Photographer love taking photos of golden retrievers. In fact, a pack of golden retrievers have accompanied Weber almost throughout his professional journey, and found their way into his professional and personal shots. In many ways, his passion for his permeates all Weber’s creative endeavors. His 2003 film ‘A Letter To True ‘is named after one of his golden retrievers and narrated by Julie Christie and Marianne Faithfull.

Before anything else, a photographer needs to give their beloved golden retrievers the time to warm up to the camera. No matter whether they are taking pictures with a long-lens 35mm camera or a simple point-and-click Polaroid, like any other pet, a golden retriever is unlikely to be comfortable in a situation when an object unknown to them is held in front of the face. If the golden retriever is well trained, then it should be allowed to sniff the camera and become comfortable with it. A few shots should be taken during this time as well, not for clicking actual photos, but to make the pup acclimated to the sound a camera makes. Having such an approach would make sure that the dogs won’t get bothered when a photographer is actually taking their photos.

A major mistake many people make when taking images of their golden retrievers is that they use the flash of their camera in order to add light to the shot. Doing so can actually give the dog glowing eyes and a washed-out appearance. Moreover, the quick blast of light can make the pup spooked, and have a chance of damaging their sensitive eyes as well. Hence, it is always better for amateur photographers to take pictures of their golden retrievers outdoors and make use of the natural light. Golden retrievers love to play in the open, and hence going for such an approach will not be much of an issue. If a photographer really needs a studio setting, then having an off-camera flash pointed upwards at the ceiling for added illumination would be a better option.

Capturing the dog while they play or interact with family members would be one of the best ways to get natural and amazing images of a golden retriever. Doing so will also eliminate the need to have the dog pose for the photo. People can always check out the works of Bruce Weber Photographer to gain inspiration for the compositions and settings one can try out while taking pictures of their golden retrievers. The enduring affinity Weber has for canines prevail in his books Bear Pond and Gentle Giants: A Book of Newfoundlands. While his love for canines began with massive Newfoundlands, over the years he found a perfect partnership with Golden Retrievers.