One valued member of any dog show is the official show photographer. Photographers are hired by the show committee well ahead of time and their name and address appear in the premium list for the show. They are the only photographers allowed into the show ring.
Winning exhibitors frequently want to have pictures taken of their wins. The wins most frequently photographed are those where championship points have been awarded (Winners or Best of Winners) and for Best of Breed, a Variety Group placement (first through fourth place), or Best in Show. At national specialty shows, it is common for class dogs placing first through fourth and the Reserve Winners to get a picture. Because she's a campaigned special, we don't have pictures taken of Lacey unless it's a group placement, though we'll do it for provisional judges on their first assignment.
These pictures are either mementoes for the exhibitor or used in advertisements, about which more later. They can also serve as proof of a win. Judges mark their books incorrectly, the show superintendent can get armband numbers mixed up, or the AKC can make a mistake when publishing their Awards. A show picture can be the only way an exhibitor can say to the AKC, "See? We won that day."
Pictures are taken at breaks in the judge's schedule or after their Variety Group assignment. Pictures are taken in the show ring but in the case of pictures for group placements a special area, usually with a backdrop and low stand, is used. At the break, the steward will ask the exhibitors at ringside if anyone wants a picture taken, then call for the photographer.
The photographer brings his gear into the ring and sets up about 10-12 feet away from the subjects. In almost all show pictures, the judge stands near the dog's head holding the ribbons, the dog is shown in profile with its show side to the camera and the handler stands behind the dog. The photographer will let the handler know if the dog is set up properly, then toss a toy toward the front of the dog and well away to focus its attention forward and give a pleasing profile. The picture is taken in that split second. The photographer then takes the armband number of the exhibitor and goes on his way.
A picture should feature only the judge, the handler, and the dog. That's it. If it's a group win or specialty win, a member of the show committee or specialty club holding the trophy might also be in the picture. Any more than this and the dog ceases to be the center of attention in the picture.
About two weeks after the show, you receive the picture as an 8 x 10 and the bill, unless you've paid in advance. Rarely is it wholly satisfactory. Of the billion or so show pictures of Lacey, there's only two or three that really show all her qualities. In the others, she's too straight in front, or her back end isn't set quite right, or her head's at a bad angle. There's not much you can do about it either. Photographers ought not to retouch pictures except to remove the most egregious problems, like a dog drooling or the handler's hand on the dog's back.
It would be nice as well if judges composed themselves properly. Some, like Sam Draper, always look as though they're just delighted to have given this win. Others, like Robert Berndt, always look like crabapples, even though Dr. Berndt is actually a kindly, soft-spoken, witty, and very intelligent judge.
The best show pictures are usually taken at outdoor shows. Ambient sunlight shows the dog to best advantage. Indoor show sites are frequently dark enough that the camera flash leads to a washed-out appearance to the picture of the dog. If the judge or exhibitor are wearing dark clothes as well, they tend to blend into the background.
Show pictures form a major part of advertising of a campaigned special in the major dog publications. The arduous and extremely expensive art of campaigning a dog to a nationally ranked position I will take up in a future installment.