The ones that got away…Hundreds of great photos go unedited and unseen.

Early on in Bounders’ history I decided to make the client the priority when it came to choosing images from their photo Experience. My job, as I see it, is not to choose for them but to advise and guide them to choose for themselves. After all, it’s not my dog, and it won’t be my wall the portraits are displayed on. So they get to see EVERYTHING I shoot. That includes every blurry or out of focus test shot, warts n’ all. I’ve also discovered that my clients actually enjoy seeing these terrible, often funny photos almost as much as the good ones, as it reminds them of the fun we all had during the photo Experience.

Often, a client’s favourite image is not the most technically perfect, but one I may have glossed over. This is because there is something special in that particular photo that they can see that I can’t. Something that captures their dog’s personality perfectly.

The downside to this philosophy is that many great photographs escape the editing process, never to be seen again. However, on rare occasions, they’re just too good to let go and I have to edit them for myself. Here’s one (top) from a recent photo session of Gigi and Layla which didn’t quite make the client’s final cut. And perhaps it’s not the best photograph in the world, but there’s something about it I love.

Client's choice which worked perfectly in their triple frame with two other individual portraits, both wackier than my choice of the pair together!

Here's the client's choice for their frame. There is no right or wrong here. Sometimes it's about how they fit with other portraits in the selection. Both are perfectly suitable and beautiful portraits, but which would you choose?