More Than Just Black: Doggy Fun
Photographing black dogs is always a challenge. The real problem is that black is not a colour. It’s the absence of colour. So, seeing the shape and the details in the black coat is tricky. It’s the combination of light, angle, and background to make it right or black dogs (or black cats for that matter) just become a big black blob.
Photographing black dogs is always a challenge. The real problem is that black is not a colour. It’s the absence of colour. So, seeing the shape and the details in the black coat is tricky. It’s the combination of light, angle, and background to make it right or black dogs (or black cats for that matter) just become a big black blob.
I usually try to use contrast. I’ll position the dog against a lighter background – foliage, sand, anything that will give some contrast. Then, it’s about showing carefully opening up the shadows to reveal some detail without destroying everything else. The goal? To show the texture of their fur. It’s all about finding the balance to make the dog look good.
Take this Labrador, for instance. He was full of energy. Running, leaping, tail wagging like mad. I wanted to capture that joy, that exuberance. I waited for the moment he was running towards me, and then…click. A little bit of light, a little bit of shadow, and a whole lot of fun and joy.
It makes me wonder why. We see it in films and stories, don’t we? Think back to Sherlock Holmes and the case of the Hound of the Baskervilles. The villain always seems to have a big, imposing black dog by their side. Hollywood still carries it on, often darkening a dog’s coat in post-production to make it look much more menacing. Black, sadly, also gets linked with evil or bad luck, you never see Dracula wearing light and flowery shirts…
It’s a funny thing, but black dogs often get overlooked. Recently, I read that black dogs take longer to find homes than lighter-coloured pups – a three to one ratio, apparently. It’s heartbreaking, really.
Also, I’ve noticed this firsthand. When people browse through photos, they often gravitate towards the golden Labs, the chocolate ones, and even the lighter shades of yellow.
Camera: Canon 7DMkII ISO 1250 and 1/250
Lens: Canon 70-200L/f4 @200mm and f/5.6
Processed with Darktable: https://www.darktable.org/