Ken Drake is the director and Master Photographer at Zoo Studio, the proud Dad of two dogs, several cats and a clutch of chickens. Ken has been recognised for his beautiful animal portraits all over the worlds, has been published on at least three continents and has won major international photography competitions. He is passionate about animals, being a keen advocate for animal welfare in all its guises and a proud supporter of animal welfare charities including the RSPCA Queensland and GSDs (German Shepherd Dogs) in Need. He has been celebrating the lives of dogs over the years, and Pawtraits (New Holland Publishers, 2017) celebrates all things canine as seen through his lens.
The Shaker: Sonic, a Bearded Collie. © Ken Drake / Pawtraits.
This photo of Sonic the Bearded Collie is one of my all time favourites, for a start it was my first ever Gold Award at the Australian Professional Photography Awards, its got huge impact, and its one of those rare times a plan works first time! Water and electricity don’t mix well, so we had to plan this session carefully, but my main worry was that we wouldn’t see Sonic’s eyes from behind all that flying fur. This shot was one of the very first from the session and as soon as I hit the shutter I knew I had something special.
Woola (Staffy X), has a tremendous willingness to play, and she is photographed here doing a Play Bow, I was playing with her as I took photos. She has come through a rescue charity here in Queensland, her whole litter was abandoned, but her adopted Dad says that even now she is 4 years old Woola still plays like a puppy. You just can’t mistake that glint in her eye as anything other than playful. © Ken Drake / Pawtraits
Junior (Jack Russell), has had an ‘interesting’ life; he was born with a bad leg that had to be amputated, be was attacked by two big dogs as a puppy and almost died, he has had multiple cancers, but whatever life throws at him, Junior greets it with bravery and a sense of fun. Nothing ever, ever gets him down, and I find that hugely inspirational. We photographed him in his ‘smoking jacket’ which I think gives him gravitas, he looks like Hugh Heffnor. © Ken Drake / Pawtraits
3 Tips for capturing a unique Pawtrait
1. Get down on the same level as your pup, most photos are taken from Human height but if you get down to their level you enter their world and that is where the best Pawtraits come from.
2. Be patient with your pup, they don’t understand that you are trying to take a photo. Use the right motivation (food, toys, cuddles) to get them where you want them, then get your photos while your pup is having a good time. If they stop having fun, stop the session, you can always try another day. You don’t want to hassle your dog so that the next time the camera comes out, they run away!
3. Find a spot to take photos with nice light (indirect sunlight near a window is perfect) and no distractions (Tidy up! Dirty laundry in the background does not help make a great Pawtrait).
3 Things Dogs have taught me about Life
1. Have love and compassion for your fellows. Dogs don’t judge us (they don’t care if we are having a bad hair day, get fat or have an old car) they just take us as they find us
2. Never look back and regret, only look forwards with enthusiasm. Dogs don’t ‘do’ regret, if something goes wrong they just pick themselves up and get on with enjoying life. Some of the happiest dogs I have photographed are disabled, blind, or have suffered terrible abuse, but if they have a ball and some chicken and a warm bed they are just content!
3. You get out of life what you put in. Dogs have so much enthusiasm and zest for life, they don’t hang around talking about someday what they are going to do, they just do it.
Never EVER leave home without chicken treats!
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Help us go beyond the page
BEJournal understands that stories are a gateway to peoples hearts and minds and we want to empower our readers to use this inspiration to make a difference. Please take a moment to visit Ken Drake and learn about Paws & Reflect, a limited-edition coffee table book featuring past and present Zoo Studio fur-babies and wildlife affected by the current bushfires. Best of all: 100% of proceeds from every Paws & Reflect book sold will be donated directly to WIRES to help fight for the survival of our country’s native creatures.
