Behind the book · German Shepherds of Australia, Volume One
Kaden and Kaitlin: what it is like to be photographed for the book
Every page in German Shepherds of Australia began the same way: an owner who said yes. Before there was a portrait, a title and a few lines in the book, there was a registration, a meeting and a morning in front of the camera.
Kaitlin H. was one of those owners, with her dog Kaden. She wrote about it afterwards, and her words are on the book's page in our store:
Took up an amazing opportunity to participate in the book German Shepherds of Australia and raise money for German Shepherd Rescue Victoria. From the model interview right through to the photo shoot Simon and his team were a pleasure to work with, both Kaden and I had lots of fun during the photo shoot. The photos are absolutely stunning and I am looking forward to seeing the finished product of the book. Thank You
The model interview
The "model interview" Kaitlin mentions has a proper name now: the Fur-Model Audition. It is not a test. It is a relaxed meeting where the studio gets to know the dog, shows the family past work and the idea for the book, and makes sure it is a good fit for everyone, the dog most of all.
Then comes the portrait session, which runs calm and entirely on the dog's terms. After that, the portrait reveal, and then the selection for the book.
Looking forward to the finished book
Kaitlin wrote her words before the book existed. That is how these books work: the dogs are photographed over years, and the families wait. Volume One took over four years to make. When it was finished it held more than 200 German Shepherds, each with their family's story, and it had raised over $22,000 for German Shepherd Rescue Victoria.
Every owner who takes part makes a $100 donation, delivered in full to the rescue. That is the "raise money" in the first line of Kaitlin's note.
Your turn, if you have a shepherd
Volume Two is being photographed now, for the final quarter of 2027. If you have a German Shepherd and would like a page of your own, you can register at germanshepherdsofaustralia.com.au. And if you would like to see what Kaitlin was waiting for, Volume One is here in the store.