The shot list
We had two sweaters, a tidy path and a plan to photograph the dog against a pale wall. She chose a puddle three steps away. I adjusted the lead, a friend raised the phone, and the Italian Greyhound studied a wet leaf. Not one photograph from our shot list.
The frame we kept
Later we found a frame with a funny ear, a slightly crooked collar and real attention in the eyes. It beat the advertising pose. We fixed the collar before the walk and kept the photograph as it was: a dog need not be perfect to be memorable.
Three frames instead of thirty attempts
When we reviewed the photographs, our favourite turned out to use the normal lens and no filter. Someone’s bag was in the background. I wanted to remove it, but my friend said to leave it: you could tell we were actually out walking.
We approached the next session differently. First the dog explored a familiar path. Then we found soft light and took a short burst. We did not change sweaters three times or demand eye contact at every stop.
We kept three pictures: a side view, a portrait and the funny moment with a leaf. They showed how the garment fitted and that the dog had interests of her own.
The story is invented, but the order is worth trying: walk, brief photographs, walk again. Clothing pictures benefit from accurate fit and natural proportions. A personal memory benefits from a moment that did not require prolonged persuasion to obtain.
Useful? Save it for your next walk.