A couple of years ago a magazine needed a photograph of the Ft Myers Naples dog track for a piece they were doing. The photo is the result of several weeks shooting. Four photos were taken of the track with no dogs on it than stitched together, then I photographed the dogs when they broke away from the pack and picked out the best shot of each number and placed them in the pan in their proper sequence. The dogs are running at 40 mph and the best you can hope for is to keep them in the center of the frame. When the dogs have their front feet on the ground they look slow, but with their feet off the ground it gives them the look of speed. Standing eye level from them also is good to capture their speed and the expressions on their faces. These dogs sure love to run. No flashes were allowed so the only time to photograph them is during the 12:00 to 4:00 races and the light could be a bit challenging. The original print is 12"X 44" Rod
My Dad's favorite place in Bonita Springs, as he had a place only a couple of miles away. I hope they have a dog track in heaven for him. It brings back good memories thanks. Great Image
Very cool composite, Rod. A lot of work, but your well-designed and well-executed concept paid off.
Brings back fond memories for me too. though I've never been to a greyhound track. Several years ago my daughter had a Pharoah hound (a breed of sight hound with a similar build) which she often took to lure coursing events. The dogs are run 3 at a time, with the "bunny" (a white plastic trash bag) following an irregular course laid out over a large open field. The dogs are judged on both speed and "follow" - how well they stay with the bunny (no cuttng corners or wandering off-track). And they surely do love to run. Somewhere I have a shot of 3 dogs with all 12 feet off the ground.
Ft Myers Naples Dog Track
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