Worst Session Ever !!

Sandra Ferguson Photography
Dec 18, 2022
4 min read

I am often bragging about the fastest session ever. It had nothing to do with me and everything to do with the dog! Jager a Doberman held the title for several years.

As of 2022, a black lab named

Larey gained first place. It really took 20 mins for his session.

But, back up a little bit. What is the WORST session ever?

Some of you think your sessions are bad!!!???!!! Some of you leave thinking, I can't believe my dog did that. Some of you think, that was the worse photo session ever.

NO. Absolutely not.

The worst photo session ever, WAS MY OWN DOGS. Yep, mine. The pet photographers very own dogs. Sela, Ziggy and Baxter. We were grieving the loss of our goldendoodle Daisy. Taking a Christmas photo without her was heartbreaking.

I recruited help, my husband and 2 friends. My husband would hold 2 dogs, my friend would hold one dog and my other friend would guard my by big strobe light and modifier.

Then, we would go off to a secluded park. It is normally not crowded at this park. It is also a hefty walk up and down a hill. Well, I say hefty, I am speaking for me.

We haul ourselves and 3 big dogs to the secluded non-crowded park. I have oversized Christmas ornaments on ribbons to hang in the tree. I have a vision of this photo session. Outdoors, by the lake, Christmas ornaments, friends helping, my husband helping. Its a breeze, right? Wrong.

There were people around. Not overly crowded but people were there. People were watching. One of my dogs, Sela, does not like most people until she gets to know you. She also does not like hyper energy or fast movements. My little rescue mutt, Baxter knows her very well. If he picks up on her energy, he does not want to be around her.

Let me just mention right here. Previously, I have been injured with retractable leashes. They hurt and they are dangerous. My knee was slashed by our golden retriever and the little rescue dog injured my hand. I hate them. My husband loved the retractable leash. Saw no problem. Loved them!! I don't know anything... I am just the photographer & dog mom.

Well, I get my decorations hung and I immediately have problems getting my dogs attention. Especially, Sela. I also see my husband and friend with those retractable leads. Dogs moving and people moving. Sela will not look at me &when she does her ears are slicked back. Baxter doesn't want to be near Sela and my ever faithful Ziggy, looking but panting. This is all stress!

I see a woman and her cell phone taking photos of my Christmas decorations. How can people be so rude. She clearly sees we are having a photo session and she clearly sees big dogs moving around with people.

The humans got the dogs rearranged. And if you know anything about dog body language, look at Sela. I don't have to tell you which one is Sela. She is stiff necked and ears are back listening. She is not listening to me.

We left the Christmas decorations hanging in the tree and moved over to another spot by the lake. On the very edge of the lake. Ziggy, ever faithful best dog ever. Baxter has a smirk on his face like he knows what it about to happen and he glad he is not near Sela. And then there is Sela. Ears slicked back. If you could see her forehead under the the dog hair... it would be a scrunched up forehead.

I am trying to get the dogs attention. Sela is clearly zoned into other events happening. A woman with her cell phone taking photos of my Christmas decorations and she had a screaming child running around. RUNNING and SCREAMING. Toward big dogs!!!

Would you let your screaming child run TOWARDS big barking loud dogs?

We do not have kids or grandkids. My dogs have not been around little people. Especially, little screaming people running towards them. And all the big dogs start barking! BIG DOGS BARK LOUD!

In the photo below, Sela is looking like, "What the BARK??" That is putting it nicely, because she actually curses. The boys look like they are singing "Santa Paws is coming to town". In reality they are singing, "Lets Get it Started In Here" by the Black Eyed Peas.

Putting it nicely, hell broke loose. Baxter said nope, he was out of here! Sela is now thinking "what the eff, why is that little human running and screaming right toward me". Ziggy is barking and don't know why.

That was the last photo.

My dogs went nuts, barking and pulling. All of them. My husbands hand was slashed by the retractable lead. The humans almost went into the lake. My dogs were barking their heads off. The little person kept running and screaming toward my dogs and the mother... THE MOTHER...kept on taking cell phone shots of the Christmas decorations.

My husband was done and finished. We all were.

Out of the entire ordeal, I got this one photo. ONE! I used it for Christmas cards that year and I have a print hanging year round in our home. I do not know how I got it. It was close to the end of the sequence.

This is why I take many photos. This is why we hold the worst session EVER. This is why my own dogs will never go to the park for a photo session.

Until someone falls into the lake - The Ferguson Dogs are the worst photo session ever !