Behind every picture, there is a photographer with a story. This time, we would like to overview both Elke’s beautifulportraits of dogsand her journey, which resulted in her becoming a photographer.In an interview withBored Panda, Elke shared: “I live in Germany with my husband and two dogs. When my husband fell seriously ill, I used photography as a means to try to get my mind off things and to cope with the stressful time. As I also had to take care of my mother-in-law, who suffered from dementia, as well as my own mother, my only “me” time was when I walked the dogs. I often took my camera with me. I even started a one-picture-a-day project as a creative outlet.“What started as a short escape from a stressful life has now flourished into a creative career, offering us a unique, intimate look at dogs.More info:Instagram|elkevogelsang.comThis post may includeaffiliate links.
Behind every picture, there is a photographer with a story. This time, we would like to overview both Elke’s beautifulportraits of dogsand her journey, which resulted in her becoming a photographer.
In an interview withBored Panda, Elke shared: “I live in Germany with my husband and two dogs. When my husband fell seriously ill, I used photography as a means to try to get my mind off things and to cope with the stressful time. As I also had to take care of my mother-in-law, who suffered from dementia, as well as my own mother, my only “me” time was when I walked the dogs. I often took my camera with me. I even started a one-picture-a-day project as a creative outlet.”
What started as a short escape from a stressful life has now flourished into a creative career, offering us a unique, intimate look at dogs.
More info:Instagram|elkevogelsang.com
This post may includeaffiliate links.
We wanted to know what inspired Elke to move from taking personal photos to becoming a professional photographer.
We also asked how she manages to capture the unique personalities of each dog.Elke responded: “First of all, I have met hundreds if not thousands of dogs along the years. Every dog is unique. Every dog has their very own personality. With every dog I learn a new trick. I make sure the dogs have fun and are always enthusiastically waiting for the next reward, whether it’s a play, friendly words or treats. The secret lies in lots of patience, lots of fun and lots of bribes.”
We also asked how she manages to capture the unique personalities of each dog.
Elke responded: “First of all, I have met hundreds if not thousands of dogs along the years. Every dog is unique. Every dog has their very own personality. With every dog I learn a new trick. I make sure the dogs have fun and are always enthusiastically waiting for the next reward, whether it’s a play, friendly words or treats. The secret lies in lots of patience, lots of fun and lots of bribes.”
Elke’s photos often have a mix of humor and heartwarming moments. We were wondering how she achieves this balance.“I play a bit with humanization. Some dogs can look very skeptical in some image. But that’s just our interpretation of what’s going on. Maybe I threw a treat and the treat landed somewhere else and the dog is just eagerly looking back at me to see if there’s another treat already flying? I love to show all kind of emotions. These expressions appear in fractions of seconds and might not even be visible with our eyes. The camera can freeze the moment for us,” explained Elke.
Elke’s photos often have a mix of humor and heartwarming moments. We were wondering how she achieves this balance.
“I play a bit with humanization. Some dogs can look very skeptical in some image. But that’s just our interpretation of what’s going on. Maybe I threw a treat and the treat landed somewhere else and the dog is just eagerly looking back at me to see if there’s another treat already flying? I love to show all kind of emotions. These expressions appear in fractions of seconds and might not even be visible with our eyes. The camera can freeze the moment for us,” explained Elke.
“Photography is such an endless playground for being creative. There are endless ways to photograph a subject. Explore as many as possible. Shoot as often as possible. Have fun. Make sure your model has fun. I’m not a major talent in any creative field, but I kept on taking pictures, every day. And even during a busy day with other challenges and occupations, I still made sure I take these few minutes for myself and shoot an image,” wrote Elke.
And lastly, the artist added: “There are still a few stereotypes and misconceptions about shelter dogs. Mention shelter dogs and lots of people assume something must be wrong with a dog for it to land in a shelter. But animals are abandoned for a variety of reasons, for example the owner has died; they descend from an unwanted litter; the animal has had to be removed from a harmful environment because of a neglectful or abusive owner; the owners had no idea about the responsibility that comes with it; they had to move flats and were not allowed to take pets with them; the dogs were used as useful animals and due to injury or age were not able anymore to perform as expected, etc.Even massively abused dogs usually have a remarkable ability to recover. With patience and love they are often able to trust human beings again. Well-led shelters will give interested people the chance to get to know the potential new family member and discuss whether the pet is suitable for the proposed environment and situation. There are lovable dogs of many breeds and their mixes in shelters looking for homes, even puppies and purebreds. I’m sure you can find your next canine friend and family member in your local shelter or via a rescue organization. I surely did.”
And lastly, the artist added: “There are still a few stereotypes and misconceptions about shelter dogs. Mention shelter dogs and lots of people assume something must be wrong with a dog for it to land in a shelter. But animals are abandoned for a variety of reasons, for example the owner has died; they descend from an unwanted litter; the animal has had to be removed from a harmful environment because of a neglectful or abusive owner; the owners had no idea about the responsibility that comes with it; they had to move flats and were not allowed to take pets with them; the dogs were used as useful animals and due to injury or age were not able anymore to perform as expected, etc.
Even massively abused dogs usually have a remarkable ability to recover. With patience and love they are often able to trust human beings again. Well-led shelters will give interested people the chance to get to know the potential new family member and discuss whether the pet is suitable for the proposed environment and situation. There are lovable dogs of many breeds and their mixes in shelters looking for homes, even puppies and purebreds. I’m sure you can find your next canine friend and family member in your local shelter or via a rescue organization. I surely did.”
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