A Need To Make Photographs

Why do I feel a need to make photographs? I always have. And it’s hard to put it into words. It feels so important to me . . . to preserve the essence of something happening now in a way that thrills, to spark our memories later, to show future generations who we are, what and who we love. This week, a tragic fire struck a family that I know from having photographed their dog Santiago (above), for The Unexpected Pit Bull 2014 Calendar. The fire took the lives of six of their precious dogs. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kara & Erich train dogs, perform with the dogs, and foster dogs in need. Kara’s sister set up a YouCaring page to help raise money to get them back on their feet. http://www.youcaring.com/help-a-neighbor/help-kara-and-erich-get-back-on-their-feet/111258 

 

She wrote:

“Kara and Erich are, to say the least, animal lovers. I have never met two people so dedicated to helping out the furry friends of the world. They teach classes, they put on shows, they honestly LOVE what they do. With that, they also foster dogs in need. Quite often, they end up not only being foster “parents” but adoptive parents. Last night their family went from 2 people and 16 dogs to 2 people and hopefully 10 dogs.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Erich & Santiago

 

 

 

The day before Thanksgiving, I went down to Millbrook to help look for their dog Betty who had been missing since the fire– 2 nights and a day. Thank goodness she showed around 1pm, right at the house. You can see more from this session by clicking any photo, or the link below http://www.bdocktorphotography.com/Client-Access/Animal-Portraits/Santiago
My heart goes out to Erich & Kara–such a devastating loss.

Your comments are welcome.

Award-winning pet photographer B. Docktor photographs pets in the Hudson Valley, Berkshires, NY, and NJ. Call me to capture the love, the action, the beauty and humor of your pets and animals: There is a need to make photographs. 518-329-6239.

This weekend September 28 & 29, 2013 from 10-4 is a wonderful time for an outing to Open Farm Days in Chatham, NY. I will be selling prints and cards of farm animals at Spruce Ridge Farm, where I photographed their beautiful alpacas this year. Spruce Ridge is at 434 Route 13 at Highland Road. Jeff Lick & Steve McCarthy raise alpacas, pigs, chickens and cattle and it’s a beautiful place. They will have lots going on: in addition to the great array of animals, they’ll have vendors, demonstrations of spinning, weaving and knitting, and you can have lunch there.

There are nine farms on the tour which is hosted by The Chatham Agricultural Partnership. I wish I could be in two places at once and drive around to visit all the farms. Chatham is a gorgeous area, and the leaves are starting to turn. I highly recommend getting out there, and I hope you’ll come visit me at Spruce Ridge! Here are a few of the images I made of these gorgeous alpacas. I have cards of these to sell and I can print these at any size. I made three of them at 20×30 and they look fabulous hanging next to each other–I can attest that they make great company in my home.

Do you have something or someone you’d love to have photographed in a way that thrills you? That’s what I love to do!

To see more, click any image.

$100 from every session pet session will be donated to the new building fund for the CGHS.

I felt compelled to make some photographs of John Boy last night. I’m getting ready to do lots of pet portraits in Columbia County, Dutchess County, and Greene County. The idea is to create beautiful portraits of your pets for your walls, and also contribute to the Columbia-Greene Humane Shelter | SPCA new building fund. I want to be the dog photographer in your life!

$100 from every session pet session will be donated to the new building fund for the CGHS.

Sessions can be indoors or outdoors. Please call me to book your session and we will figure out the best way to create beautiful art that shows the beauty, action, humor, and love of your pet.

I have always loved being the dog photographer in my family and for my clients and friends. I hit upon the idea that I could have the joy of photographing dogs, create beautiful pet portraits for local folks, and help the Columbia-Greene Humane Society |SPCA (CGHS) all at the same time. How can a photo session help CGHS|SPCA? Here’s how. The CGHS|SPCA is breaking ground for a state-of-the-art new shelter this year. To contribute to the building fund, I am offering pet photo portraits and donating $100 of each session’s fee to help to build  a new shelter. Won’t you help me too?

Columbia County photographer B. Docktor is helping raise funds for new pet shelter building at Columbia-Greene Humane Society in Hudson.

Be creative! Your private photo session doesn’t have to be inside. Just because it’s winter, doesn’t mean we couldn’t have some fun outside capturing your dog’s playful and adventurous side! Yesterday I was out with my John Boy and this is an example of the kind of photos I love to make. 

While your family is gathered together, wouldn’t you love to have natural family photographs that portray the love and joy of your time together? You don’t get too many chances to make family pictures of everyone together, and photos that have beauty, spontaneity and real feeling in them are very hard to make! You need a pro. I have a very limited number of “Home for the Holidays” sessions available. I come to your place, so you can relax and be yourselves, and let me reflect your lives back to you in pictures that you will treasure forever.

Call now 518-329-6239

to reserve a session and I will gift you a nicely framed 5×7 print from your portraits.

Sessions within 20 miles of Ancram: $200 for up to 1.5 hours. Print prices start at $50.

Travel fee applies to longer distances.

I love to photograph my wonderful nieces whenever we get together, and I’d like to do the same for your family!

Last month I photographed a beautiful and fun wedding at the home of Jason & Simon in Hillsdale, NY. Simon is from England and they had family and friends from all over the world, which made it really special. Plus a beautiful old home, dashing dalmations, a beautifully decorated tent designed by Jason and executed by Mezze & Wildflowers, flowers by Wildflowers of Great Barrington, food by Mezze Catering. One of those days where the weather threatened to make things difficult, and everything turned out great. Recently we did a session of the boys at home and got some beautiful, more intimate, natural portraits of this great couple and their pups. Whenever possible I love to do what is commonly called an engagement session (that word makes no sense for the gay couples I have been photographing who’ve been together for many years–we need to coin a new name). These sessions at home, or at a location that has meaning for the pair allow us to capture more intimate and relaxed portraits that make for a fuller story in their wedding album. And their pups! Obviously we couldn’t get shots like that on the wedding day. Fun!

Being a Hudson Valley Pet Photographer is challenging! Today I got knocked over by very enthusiastic golden labs. What I most love when I’m photographing anything is to capture an essential moment. I grew up with the great photojournalism of Life magazine, and was so inspired by Cartier-Bresson and that phrase “the decisive moment.” One of my favorite photographers is Elliot Erwitt, who is extremely versatile, and has made so many memorable and very funny doggie pictures. I am always hoping to catch a decisive moment that shows the character of the animal or person. And if it makes you smile, then I’m really happy!

Etta and Abby may look familiar to you because they are (and were–Abby is no longer with us) part of Joan Osofsky’s family and could often be found at the wonderful Hammertown Barn in Pine Plains, NY. When I displayed it in a show at Hammertown Rhinebeck last year, Joan asked me to make a large print on canvas in sepia tone, which she displays at the Barn. I recently made a set of color metallic prints to show at vets’ offices. There is no glass over these prints and they have a kind of inner glow that I love. I so love that there are no reflections when you view these. There is an immediacy that really makes you feel like you’re right out there in the field with the pups.

In reviewing my show at Hammertown last year, John Paul Keeler of the Hudson Register-Star wrote, “Docktor’s photographs of animals are superb and could hardly be surpassed by any contemporary photographers.”

I’m also happy to report that this photo just won a prize at Lady Audrey’s Gallery in Millerton, NY at the spring exhibit titled, “You Make My Heart Sing.”

It’s time to start making award-winning photographs of your pets and animals!

Hudson Valley pet photography video. This is my dog John Boy. I got him from Animal Farm Foundation in Dutchess County, NY whose mission is to secure equal treatment and opportunity for “pit bull” dogs. I hope you’ll enjoy seeing the antics of my photogenic little JB. He and his family of 7 pups were taken from a cruelty investigation in Ohio, and since there were 7, Animal Farm named them after the Waltons.

I wasn’t intending to get a puppy, but his cuteness won me over. The second time I met him, I brought my camera and as soon as I started to focus on him, he perked up and practically said, “I’ll pose!” I’ve been telling him all along he’s going to be my meal ticket, and in fact I did win a big contest with my photo lab, Simply Color, with a picture of John Boy and his pit bull friend Maya.

I love photographing the animals, the people, and the places you want to hold onto. There’s an urgency and importance in doing that. Our pets don’t live nearly long enough!

Elisabeth and her gorgeous horse Revere

Elisabeth and Revere at Cricket Hill Farm in Ancramdale

Beautiful horse, beautiful woman, beautiful farm–what more could I ask for? What fun to make natural portraits like these right here in my hometown. I met Elisabeth by chance walking in the woods with our dogs! What an interesting person, and what a sweet connection she has with her animals. In the Hudson Valley equine photography and images of interspecies love are some of my favorite subjects!