Sometimes we forget about what our photographers go through in order to capture those precious moments of our dogs doing what they love. Photographers spend countless hours and travel endless miles to capture our memories in action. When we go to lunch or take a moment to breathe, they are still out by the pool or the ring. They are moving from one spot to another, sometimes trying to capture shots in a very harsh environment.

With so many great cameras, cell phones and digital editing available to us, are we supporting the efforts of these wonderful professionals or are we simply sharing their watermarked photos on social media and moving on? Everyone loves a candid shot; they capture the spirit of the dog. What a candid amateur photo cannot do is capture a dog and handler at the moment they are connected or freeze the motion needed for that great jump off the dock.  

The use of a watermarked photo posted on social media is a complete disregard for the photographer. Unfortunately, most social media sites do not prevent the person from sharing the image online. Therefore, we must hold ourselves accountable; we must delay satisfaction just a bit. While it is exciting when you see a great image of your dog, and the urge to share is strong, it is important to wait on purchasing the digital file. If you have purchased a photo and want to share, ask the photographer if it is okay to share the watermarked image and give them credit in the post. The respect shown in a simple sentence such as “Watermarked image shared with permission of…” goes a long way.

I am not saying that everyone who posts a watermarked photo with the statement “Photos will be purchased” is not speaking truthfully. I am sure that in most cases this is true. But in full disclosure, I have posted a photo and forgotten to go back to purchase it. This was not with ill intent. In some cases, I have simply moved on to the next moment in life, in others I may have selected a different photo to purchase. In some cases, I decided that we didn’t really need a photo from that show. In all cases I should have purchased before posting.

We pay our groomer for grooming our pet, we pay our dock diving fees, and we pay for the hotels we stay in. We need to show the same respect to our photographers before posting. This is their passion and their profession. Let’s work together to respect and appreciate their work and compensate them for their efforts. It’s the only way to keep those gorgeous photos coming.