Long-coated German Shepherd · Volume One, page 148
Kai, the long-coated German Shepherd whose photo session was a blast
Not every family writes a long note. Rebekah wrote two lines, and between them they cover everything that matters.
The first is about the day. Simon, she wrote, "was so loverly and wonderful with Kai, the photo session was a blast". The second is about what came after: "The photos were stunning and the coffee book was amazing and great quality".
She finished both lines with two exclamation marks each. We will take that.
A blast, on the boards
The portrait at the top of this page is Kai, lying on a timber jetty, front paws stretched out and head tipped to one side, looking straight down the lens. Behind Kai, Rebekah sits on the boards and looks away, out past the railing. The two of them seem completely at ease, which is exactly what a good session should feel like.
It is in black and white, which suits a long-coated German Shepherd. Take the colour away and what is left is texture: the fluffy ruff around the neck, the soft feathering on the ears, the darker saddle across the back.
The pouncing bunny of page 148
The coffee book Rebekah mentions is German Shepherds of Australia, Volume One, and Kai has a page of it, written in Kai's own voice:
I'm Kai, and my mum says I'm the bestest pupper around.
Kai came home at a hard time. Rebekah had just lost her 12-year-old shepherd, Radar, and Kai's page says so plainly: "Seeing her sadness, I've worked hard to show her how much I love her." The method, by Kai's account, involves a lot of looking cute, and a signature move: "pouncing like a bunny before I drop or doing my signature excited half-run, half-bunny hop."
The page ends with a verdict that sits nicely beside Rebekah's. Kai reckons Rebekah is doing "a pretty great job", and sums it up: "my life is a blast".
Why the tilt works
German Shepherds tilt their heads when they are listening hard: a new sound, a word they half know, a rustle in a pocket that might be a treat. A tilted head in a portrait reads as curiosity, and curiosity reads as character. That is why a photographer will spend a session making small, odd noises from behind the camera.
More shepherds in their families' words
German Shepherds of Australia, Volume One holds more than 200 German Shepherds, each with a portrait and a few lines from their family. Meet Gordon and Daisy, who open the book, and Vegas, the Cuddle Bug.