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Rhett is one of the very first dogs that I photographed here in my studio in Austin, Texas, and I am so thrilled to have met him and his wonderful parents, Charlie and Susie. Rhett’s mom was concerned that he wouldn’t do well in a studio environment, so I suggested that she bring him in for a consultation. We spent a few minutes talking, letting Rhett sniff around and get used to the smooth texture of the background paper under his feet while snapping studio strobes at him. As long as he was getting treats, he didn’t seem to mind a thing! A few days later, Rhett came back in for the real deal and he did great!
He smiled for a shot.
He showed his serious side for another.
He looked right.
He looked left.
He jumped for treats — or maybe that was the cat toy his mom was dangling in front of him.
At one point, he suddenly stopped and walked toward me, as if to say, Hey, what are you doing here??
As the session was coming to an end, we thought it might be fun to put Rhett on a chair. I had visions of him sitting up on it, looking regal. Rhett had other ideas.
After getting all of these shots and then some, guess what image was his family’s favorite? The first one. It’s classic Rhett and shows a lot of detail in his face. Below is the original image, straight out of the camera. You can see that Rhett was a Velcro dog in the beginning. He did not want to be too far away from Susie.
With some cropping, we got the final image.
A few weeks after Rhett’s session, we delivered this canvas. Rhett approves.
You might notice the cushion on the couch behind Rhett. This is his perch. He insists on lying there. His parents probably purchase couches more often than they’d like. It’s all about the dog, right? Of course it is!
It’s hard to believe that Rhett is nine years old. He acted like a young pup in the studio. He enjoys going for short rides in the truck and sticks his long nose out the window. He loves people, especially his neighbor, Bruce. He’s a super-friendly guy to visitors. His parents are pretty sure that Rhett thinks that everyone who stops by their home is there just for him.
When his parents return from errands, Rhett comes out to greet them and does the classic zoomies around the yard because he’s so excited to see them. He probably thinks that he’s going to get his favorite treat — sweet potato fries!
Speaking of treats, Rhett lets his parents know when it’s time for food. He produces a range of unusual noises to get attention and he and his parents talk back and forth in this language.
Perhaps it sounds like this.
The story of how Rhett came to live with Charlie and Susie is so sweet. One day Charlie called Susie at work and told her he had found the perfect retirement gift for her. He wanted her to run to Lampasas on her lunch hour — only a 90 minute drive away! Susie prodded Charlie for more information before she was going to just jump in the car. Charlie told her he had found two litters of Whippets. They took the afternoon off, drove to Lampasas, and fell in love with Rhett, a fawn and white, who reminded them of a female they had had years earlier. They brought Rhett home to add to their mix of three other dogs. He was the perfect gift.
If you’re considering a Whippet for your home, please check out the links below to make sure this breed is the right fit for you.
http://dogtime.com/dog-breeds/whippet
http://www.whippet-rescue.com/whipfaq.html