If you answered YES to those three questions (we’ll even take one yes and some maybe’s) then we have the perfect competition for you!

All you need to do is tell us what you love about Houndstooth Studio and why you think you’re our biggest fan by posting your message at the bottom of this blog. Simple!

You have just over a week to post and on Saturday 3rd Nov at 5pm WST, two esteemed judges (so myself and Debora) will choose our favourite response, and a PlayStation 3 will be on its way to that lucky person.

We will cover postage anywhere, so overseas fans can participate too! And you can enter more than once, so feel free to send in different answers!

Prize is valued at $330 including postage and is charcoal black in colour.

Photo by IGN

Me thinks it makes for a great read, haha! Check it out here! 

Inside the magazine you can read all about my animal photography beginnings, and how and why I do what I do. The article stretches over 7 pages and features a selection of my studio images too.

Photo Review Australia also have a detailed website on all things photography, which you can view here. http://www.photoreview.com.au/

The event will run from the Canine Association grounds (Dogs West), corner Warton & Ranford Road in Southern River, WA from 9am until around 3pm both days. Spectators are absolutely welcome, as are their dogs (they just have to be on leads and under control – the dogs that is!).   We will be in the Houndstooth Studio marquee both days, located on the veranda! So if you are looking for a fun day out with your pooch, in lovely pre-summer weather, come along and support the event! There are some puppy categories which sound absolutely adorable, as well as lots of other interesting dogs to see in the ring!

Here’s the low down on how the All Breeds Shows work:

Dogs West (the Canine Association of WA) is the controlling body for WA.  There is one of these in each state and then there is the ANKC (Australian National Kennel Council) who oversees all of the states.

There are a 7 All Breeds Dogs clubs, with the Hills Kennel Club being one of them!  Each club has to be affiliated with the Canine Association.  There are lots of other breed or group specific clubs too, but the The All Breed Clubs are the biggest.

There are 7 groups in an All Breeds Dog Show:

Group 1                Toys
Group 2                Terriers
Group 3                Gundogs
Group 4                Hounds
Group 5                Working dogs
Group 6                Utility
Group 7                Non Sporting Dogs

The first step is to for dogs of the same breed to compete against each other. The winner at this level is deemed Best of Breed, so the judge picks the best Boxer there on the day, for example, and they do this for every breed.  

Once this has happened for all the breeds within that specific group, the Best of Breed winners compete again each other to win Best in Group.  

There are also age classes that then compete in categories like Best Baby in Group (can’t wait for these ones!!) and there are 8 Classes in Group to be won.  

If you win Best in Group you then have to go into the General Specials which is all the Best in Group winners competing for Best in Show.  Then all the Class in Group winners go in to complete for Class in Show. Simple, haha!

Here’s a pic of Charli who will be competing in the Boxer breed!

The AIPP is the largest organisation in Australia representing the interests of professional photographers and strives to promote and maintain the highest standards of professional competence and business ethics in the industry. (Info courtesy of AIPP website)

At Houndstooth Studio we pride ourselves in our knowledge of animals – their behaviours, nuances, and movements. This knowledge can only be acquired through the dedicated use of correct animal handling techniques, and a strong understanding of animals developed over a long period of time.  Studio lighting set-ups for animals, and the concept and execution of a pet photo session, differs entirely from the way a photographer approaches portrait photography for people. Our skills enable us to capture our subjects in the very best light (pardon the studio pun!). 

So if you are in the market for stunning studio pet portraits captured by an expert, call Houndstooth Studio – Perth’s animal photography specialists.