Lisa Kirvan’s Run Free placed first in the Pets category for our annual photo contest, Focus on Maple Grove. Using a Nikon D3400 with a 55-200mm lens, she captured her adorable subject Kirby, a goldador (golden retriever/lab mix), who was 13 weeks old when the photo was taken.
What inspired you to take the photo?
Kirby became a part of our family about a month prior to this. He was growing so fast, and I wanted to capture his youth, energy and excitement with the kids. He was quite the stinker, so one of our favorite places to bring him was the baseball fields at Basswood. There he could run free with my kids within the confines of the baseball field.
Is there something about this photo you particularly like?
I like that it is a little out of focus, as it creates a feeling of the action and the playfulness of the moment.
Do you have advice for readers about how to take photos of their pets?
I am a big proponent of non-posed photographs. I feel when photos are taken in the midst of an action, it tells a story that can be interpreted many different ways. My advice is to just take as many photos of the moment/subject as quickly as you can. Out of 100 photos, you will always end up with a few great ones.
