The details

How does a Dog Day Photo Marathon work?

It’s kind of like fine art portraiture meets speed dating. The object of the event is to produce— under somewhat comical duress and speed—a fine art portrait of you and your dog. Note I said “you” and “your dog.” Without both parts there’s no story. This is all about creating a long- lasting, tangible piece of art in an otherwise iPhone world. Something to hang in your home, not on your smart phone.

Also...when I say fine art I don’t mean the kind of prints spit out at a shopping mall meet-and-greet with Santa. Not by a long shot. These are museum grade, signed-and-dated prints meant to be framed by a framer. We’ll have plenty of framed prints on hand to show you the day of the event.

Even though there is no fee to participate on the day of a Photo Marathon, this is not a free event. We create gorgeous portraits and our prints are priced accordingly.

What should I wear?

Dress as casually as possible. Don’t laugh, but the aesthetic guide I usually use in my head is “outside circus tent, Nebraska, 1930.” Leave the blazers at home, forget the Adidas and Under Armor t-shirts in the drawer. Jeans, boots, something cool. That’s all you need. Avoid checkered shirts and busy patterns. Basically, dress like you would if I told you you’ll be sitting on some vintage wood crates and boxes.

Also, it's helpful to have a minimal collar and harness for this session. If possible, please be ready to swap a bulky neon harness for a simple leash and collar for the duration of the shoot.

How long are sessions?

For PHOTO MARATHONS, each time slot is fifteen minutes.

Can you photograph just my dog without me?

I can but it's not exactly what I like to do. As I said before, my work is about the relationship between you and your dog. Between your dog and your family. It needs a canine AND human element to work. It’s a photograph of love.

Are the pictures always in black and white?

Nope. All images are also available in color, but we are black and white specialists. When we meet at our Old Town studio or do a Zoom session, we can discuss what looks best. Go look at the photos on the website to get a feel for what we do.

What are the costs?

For PHOTO MARATHONS, we waive our $250 session fee. So there is no cost to take part. However, the purpose of this event is for you to hang a signed print on your wall. Print prices start at $345 for a signed 13” x 19” image. That includes the digital file. We will have price sheets on the day of. Extra file prices are $195. We also offer collections that allow you to purchase all the images and offer savings.

For CUSTOM PORTRAITS, we charge $300 for the shoot with a $50 credit towards your print purchase. This shoot is conducted in our studio or on location by appointment.

Tell us about yourself...

I've been a photographer for--gasp--45 years now. I worked on staff at United Press International and USA Today for twenty years, covering pro sports, the White House, the occasional war, and one-on-one celebrity portraits. Those things were all fun but photographing people and their dogs is wayyyyyy more fun!