April is a time of transition…we are between engagement season and wedding season, the fresh projects started in the new year have come and gone but the trees are still bare, and every day is a roll of the weather dice. That makes it a perfect time to work on personal projects. Spinning the wheel of photography, I decided I wanted to use studio lighting to freeze some motion. In need of something fast and interesting I reached out to Lori Bielawa of Waggles in Williston, Vermont. In addition to standard obedience training, Waggles also has agility training. Doggie obstacle courses! 

Today's goal was to freeze the dogs mid air using only the strobes, while dropping the background to black. My main concerns were, in order of importance, the dogs safety, the owners safety, and then my gear. I know the strobes are harmless but I had worries they might be disorienting for the animals and of course they are physical objects to be bumped. We started with a single light and worked our way up to a three light setup with a paper backdrop. As it tuns out the dogs (and owners) were so focused and so well trained it was as if the the lights weren't there at all.

If you are a dog owner and living in the Burlington, Vermont area DEFINITELY check out Lori and the team at Waggles! They know their stuff and have a great facility.

Big thanks to the models Ellie, Sipa, Cubby, Ritz & Gilles (and their awesome owners too)!