Cookie, The Afghan Hound Nailed Her Mount Charleston Session
About the Breed
According to the American Kennel club, the Afghan Hound is possibly the oldest breed and is described as among the most eye-catching of all dog breeds, aloof and dignified, with an endearing streak of silliness and profound loyalty.
The beautiful silky coat originally served to protect them from the harsh climate in the mountainous regions where they worked. Afghan Hounds are powerful, agile and built for a long day's hunt, with huge paw-pads that act as shock absorbers.
That was AKC's review of the breed in general. I've never photographed or even met an Afghan Hound before, so I needed to look this up, because I don't know much about the breed.
Cookie
Photographing Cookie was such a treat! Even though she is quite young, she was SO good! She was quick to learn what she was supposed to do, has the most amazing coat, that must take hours every day to maintain and moves with the lightest, springiest, elegant trot.
Our session was at Mount Charleston. I thought the location would be perfect for her coloring and of course her regal appearance was a perfect fit for the mountains.
When we arrived, it was still sunny and there are no trees where we were shooting, so nothing to filter the light. So, we embraced the sun for a few minutes, and she gave me the best head tilts ever!
Once the sun was low enough, we found a few more spots where Cookie was the perfect model. The wind was a bit of a battle, because it insisted on blowing in the wrong direction, which made it hard to see Cookie's eyes at times. The wind seems to be my nemesis these days. I think we might have one day per year without wind.
I have a ton more images of Cookie, but they aren't all finished just yet. Maybe I'll do a part 2 . Our last image is the one at the top of this post. This is the shot we went for. I was hoping for a bit more color in the sky, but I'm still happy with all the images we got.
This blog post is part of a word wide blogging group, to see what breeds other photographers are sharing about this week, follow the blog circle, starting with Kelly from Kelly J. Russo Photography who shares why dachshunds hold a special place in her heart.
18 Comments
Mar 7, 2022, 10:52:48 AM
Nicole Hrustyk - Thank you, Tracy!
Mar 7, 2022, 10:52:16 AM
Nicole Hrustyk - Thank you, Jesi! So glad you like them!
Mar 7, 2022, 7:15:46 AM
Tracy Allard - Oh my goodness, super model! Stunning dog and equally stunning images!
Mar 7, 2022, 12:02:54 AM
Jesi Hilts - Wow! I absolutely love this!! Your eye and capture of her is beautiful!
Mar 5, 2022, 10:20:21 PM
Nicole Hrustyk - Thank you so much, Cheryl!
Mar 5, 2022, 8:52:30 PM
Cheryl Russell - Cookie is an absolute beauty. You did an amazing job with her.
Mar 5, 2022, 1:43:30 PM
Nicole Hrustyk - Thank you Darlene!
Mar 5, 2022, 1:19:33 PM
Darlene - Nicole,these are my absolute favorite images of yours! Epic! Stunning dog and you captured her perfectly!
Mar 4, 2022, 9:14:11 PM
Nicole Hrustyk - Definitely do it!
Mar 4, 2022, 8:02:42 PM
Angela Schneider - Damn dude, this makes me want to put out a model call for one of these dogs. Such epic shots!
Mar 4, 2022, 4:40:33 PM
Nicole Hrustyk - Thank you, Terri!
Mar 4, 2022, 3:10:07 PM
Terri Jankelow - All I can say is - what stunning photos of a beautiful dog!!
Mar 4, 2022, 2:06:13 PM
Nicole Hrustyk - I have serious hair envy! hahaha
Mar 4, 2022, 2:05:30 PM
Nicole Hrustyk - Awe, thank you so much, Kelly.
Mar 4, 2022, 2:05:04 PM
Nicole Hrustyk - Thank you, Cahlean!
Mar 4, 2022, 1:58:55 PM
Carol - Omgoodness. These photos are just FAB and HAIR ENVY! I love afghan's and am dying to do a full on Farrah Fawcett glamor shoot with one! Nice work.
Mar 4, 2022, 11:31:07 AM
Kelly - Oh my gosh Nicole! Your images are stunning!
Mar 4, 2022, 11:12:38 AM
Cahlean - Very cool to get to photograph an Afghan Hound! I've only met one in person! Stunning images too!