The dog days of summer hung around through the entire month of September – and so did the dogs.

Doxie Days, a celebration of all things dachshund, closed out the month. Miniature or standard size, smooth, long or wire-haired, they and their owners filled the Barnstable County Complex to strut their stuff. A gold mine of imagery for the wandering weekend photojournalist you might say. But there are many challenges.

First, photographing a huge crowd in high noon sunlight presents tough light. Taming it is difficult, especially when there is no shade in sight. The old “keep the sun at your back” takes the sun out of the photographer’s eyes, forcing the subject to squint. Best to flip the equation, break the rules and see what happens.

The next challenge, bringing order to chaos. Dogs wandering one direction, spectators in another, a big moving maze. Finding and isolating a subject is the key to success. Using a wide lens means getting in really close. A telephoto can give some distance and crop out a lot of unwanted scenery. A shallow field of focus in either case will blur out distracting backgrounds.

The hardest obstacle to overcome is perspective. Dogs that are only inches off the ground paired with their owners five feet or more above them. A scenario for a very vertical photograph. A good portrait photographer is mostly eye to eye with their subject. The eyes always tell the story. Many of the dogs at the event were held by their owners, an easy perspective fix.

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At some point, it becomes obvious what needs to happen. Get the camera lower. That could mean kneeling, which is a poor second choice. Choose your outfit carefully, throw decorum to the wind and just lay flat on the ground, finally eye-to-eye with the dachshunds. They are the subject after all. Their humans become just a collection of shoes and socks, playing a supporting role in the composition.

Most of the dogs will be entertained and give a good pose, some signal, “this guy is nuts,” and back away. At a dachshund festival, for photos, the best place to be is on your stomach, just make sure to have a clean spot before going down for a landing.

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