How a Dog Photographer Helps Rescues
Dog Photography can help shelters in so many ways. Renown photographer and rescuer Mindy Dutka describes some of the ways she uses taking beautiful pictures of shelter dogs to raise funds for shelters. She takes dogs who have been in the shelter for a very long time and need some glamor to find a home. Dutka pairs pet brands that need promotion with dogs who need homes. These photos have a life on social media, so the word gets out to rescue these special pups and seniors. Many of these dogs have been adopted because she captures the soul essence in the dog’s eyes. Learn some tips about how to take better photos of your dogs from this expert to make these images irresistible. Dutka also helps community spay and neuter programs in Mexico that do 400 animals a day working with both homeless dogs and families who can’t afford veterinary care.
Listen to Episode #34 Now:
BIO:
Mindy is a commercial pet photographer with over 20 years of corporate experience in marketing leadership, event planning, fundraising, and sales.
Through her company, Dogs I Meet, she helps businesses and animal rescue organizations tell their stories through compelling, captivating photography. The heart of her work is visual storytelling to connect your stories to your audience in a way that will inspire action.
She believes , "Every dog has a tale" and she is on a mission to tell them through the lens of her camera."
Transcript:
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Announcer: This is Pet Life Radio.
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Announcer: Let's talk pets.
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Announcer: Welcome to The Human-Animal Connection show, where we believe we can communicate with all animals.
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Announcer: Join us as we explore the 33 principles and healing methods of The Human-Animal Connection.
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Announcer: As animal lovers, we know that you share our commitment to making the world a kinder place for all creatures.
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Announcer: Together, let's embrace the transformative healing power of The Human-Animal Connection.
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Genie Joseph: Hello, and welcome to The Human-Animal Connection show.
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Genie Joseph: So glad you're with us.
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Genie Joseph: And I have a wonderful guest with me today.
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Genie Joseph: I have Mindy Dutka, and she's done so much good stuff for dogs through her art and photography.
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Genie Joseph: And over 20 years with corporate experience, marketing leadership, event planning, fundraising and sales.
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Genie Joseph: So she helps businesses and animal rescue organizations tell their stories through compelling photography.
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Genie Joseph: And she's the founder of Dogs I Meet, and her goal is to bridge dog advocacy and brand marketing through story-driven dog photography.
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Genie Joseph: So aloha, Mindy.
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Genie Joseph: Thank you for being here.
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Mindy Dutka: Thank you for having me.
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Genie Joseph: Yeah, it's great to have you.
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Genie Joseph: So tell me, how do you use storytelling and photography to bridge this gap of animal advocacy?
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Genie Joseph: I know you do some wonderful work with a rescue organization in Mexico.
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Genie Joseph: So tell us about your work.
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Mindy Dutka: So lots of different aspects, but I've kind of married all of my loves and my passions.
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Mindy Dutka: And as we all know, the pet global pet market, it's just exploding.
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Mindy Dutka: I think it's $260-something billion globally right now.
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Mindy Dutka: So there's a lot of money that goes into marketing and a lot of money and a lot of interest, new products and new foods, all kinds of things are coming out all the time, new technology, changes in veterinary practices.
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Mindy Dutka: And I feel like all that money and all that advertising and all that marketing, that dogs who are animals that are the star of the show, they're driving that gravy train, and there's not often a direct flow of any of that money to helping with rescues, shelters, and dogs in need.
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Mindy Dutka: And it's a perfect match for collaborations and so forth.
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Mindy Dutka: So one simple example is that I photographed for brands, and all brands, actually, when you add in dogs, it adds a great component.
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Mindy Dutka: But I have a program where instead of using dog models, the dog models are actually rescue dogs from shelters that I'm using as the models.
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Mindy Dutka: So there's a collaboration between the rescue, the brand that I'm working for, and then I'm doing photographs that are telling the story of the brand.
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Mindy Dutka: And for whatever compiling reason is behind the campaign that I'm doing, I work out all of the details and figure out my shot list and so forth.
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Mindy Dutka: But there's so many benefits to using a dog from a shelter.
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Mindy Dutka: And part of the package is that the brand that's paying part of my fee, is a portion of it, goes directly to the shelter for the use of the dog.
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Mindy Dutka: And because I need some cooperation, the shelter has to be on board also to do their part, whether it's having a volunteer bring the dog to where I need to do the shoot.
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Mindy Dutka: And then there's an understanding between all parties that the photos that I take through social media or content will be shared throughout everybody's social channels.
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Mindy Dutka: So it's great for the brands.
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Mindy Dutka: They're going to get more exposure.
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Mindy Dutka: It's a rich story that they're telling.
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Mindy Dutka: It's the story of their brand, but it's a story that they really care.
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Mindy Dutka: It gives them authenticity and that they're really walking their talk.
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Mindy Dutka: So it's a win-win for everybody.
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Mindy Dutka: That's one type of program that I can put together.
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Mindy Dutka: I actually did a, I worked with Virgin Hotels in New York and a wonderful pet treat company called Shameless Pets.
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Mindy Dutka: That does lots of great things.
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Mindy Dutka: And we decided, I asked them, let me get two rescue dogs that have been in the system for over a year, trying to be adopted.
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Mindy Dutka: And let's make them the stars of this photo shoot.
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Mindy Dutka: And for that, I worked with two different rescues.
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Mindy Dutka: Each of the dogs came from a different rescue.
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Mindy Dutka: And I photographed them in different locations.
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Mindy Dutka: It was a, Virgin is a pet-friendly hospital, hotel.
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Mindy Dutka: And they have a collaboration with Shameless Pets.
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Mindy Dutka: So when you check in with a dog, you also get Shameless Pets treats.
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Mindy Dutka: So this was a collaboration between all of these different companies and the shelters.
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Mindy Dutka: And the two dogs were, one of them, actually, the Virgin Hotels has a gorgeous red, beautiful staircase.
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Mindy Dutka: So I did a shoot with one of them.
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Mindy Dutka: Both of the dogs were male.
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Mindy Dutka: I did one with one of the dogs, and I called it the Cinderfellas shoot.
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Mindy Dutka: He had the two on, and there was a shoe on the step, and the treats, and it was him running down, looking for his prince home, or whatever you want to call it.
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Mindy Dutka: So anyway, there are a lot of wonderful pictures.
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Mindy Dutka: Everybody pushed out on their social channels this campaign, so there was a lot of exposure.
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Mindy Dutka: And ultimately, both of the dogs got adopted, which was wonderful.
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Mindy Dutka: And I will say, as you so well know, it takes a village.
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Mindy Dutka: So it was a piece of what helped them.
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Mindy Dutka: They got exposure, the rescues were doing it, what they do.
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Mindy Dutka: There was a lot of different things going on.
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Mindy Dutka: But the dog that I just mentioned on the stairs wound up getting exposure on Suzy Seniors, which is an organization that focuses on senior dogs helping them get exposure.
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Mindy Dutka: And that's when I found that first dog, and he still didn't get adopted.
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Mindy Dutka: So Suzy Seniors did another go-round, another promotion, and they talked about the story of how a photographer saw the first post and invited the dog to be part of this shoot, and they used the photos that I took.
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Mindy Dutka: And that one, his future adopter or future home said there was something about the photo that she just came back with.
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Mindy Dutka: And, you know, he was adopted.
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Mindy Dutka: So they've both been adopted, and it's a wonderful story and a way for everybody, you know, and it just, to me, makes so much sense.
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Genie Joseph: Yes, yes.
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Genie Joseph: Now, are you doing still photos only or also video, or what do you do?
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Mindy Dutka: I focus on still photos only.
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Mindy Dutka: But for something like that shoot, I do have somebody that works with me and does some videos, so because now the content is real, so it depends on the package, you know, to get the behind the scenes.
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Genie Joseph: Right, right.
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Genie Joseph: That's excellent.
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Genie Joseph: Well, I definitely have seen that with sometimes at the shelters.
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Genie Joseph: The photos are not that great.
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Genie Joseph: They're getting better, but they're not that great.
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Genie Joseph: And when I go and take some really loving photos that show the eyes and show the connection and all that, it's kind of irresistible.
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Genie Joseph: So tell us what you think, what makes an irresistible dog photo?
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Mindy Dutka: I feel like it's a connection of seeing the dog and the photographer and the dog.
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Mindy Dutka: There is a connection.
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Mindy Dutka: And I always like to, I meet the dog where it's at.
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Mindy Dutka: You know, one thing that dog photographers do, and it's a tip to people, is get down on the dog's level.
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Genie Joseph: Yes.
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Mindy Dutka: When you are eye level with the dog, it's a photo that shows the dog's world versus what we call it in owner's view.
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Mindy Dutka: You have to get down at the dog in a photograph.
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Mindy Dutka: So, you know, there is a connection.
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Mindy Dutka: The eyes, as you mentioned, are definitely the focus.
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Mindy Dutka: And the dog needs to be comfortable.
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Mindy Dutka: You know, the dog is giving you these non-verbal, you know.
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Mindy Dutka: If you look at a dog that's scared, and doesn't know what's happening, and their tail's down, and their ears are down, I don't photograph that.
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Mindy Dutka: You know, you gotta wait, and you have to be super patient.
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Mindy Dutka: You know, to be...
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Mindy Dutka: You can't expect a dog to just rush in.
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Mindy Dutka: You know, like a student, you know, when they do the school photos, and they push them in, and smile, and move on.
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Mindy Dutka: It doesn't work like that.
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Mindy Dutka: You know, you gotta give the dog a little bit of time to...
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Mindy Dutka: Especially if you're photographing shelter dogs.
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Genie Joseph: They're terrible.
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Mindy Dutka: You really have to spend some time giving them some treats, and making sure that they're a little bit...
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Mindy Dutka: That they're relaxed, and you want to catch them at a moment where they're feeling good, and you can see that versus that scared feeling.
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Genie Joseph: Right.
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Genie Joseph: Scared, yeah.
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Mindy Dutka: Yeah.
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Mindy Dutka: So I think that's a big part of it.
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Mindy Dutka: And whether I'm photographing for brands, whether I'm photographing for families that have dogs, or I'm photographing for shelter dogs, it's really read the dogs' cues and go with that.
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Mindy Dutka: And they need a break, they need a rest, they need some water.
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Mindy Dutka: Actually, modeling is very hard work for them.
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Mindy Dutka: There's a lot of...
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Genie Joseph: Yeah, there's a lot of undogs' behaviors that they have to do.
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Mindy Dutka: Right, right.
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Mindy Dutka: And especially if I come at them with my big camera, they don't see my face.
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Genie Joseph: They just see scary things.
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Mindy Dutka: So I spend time deconditioning them, and I'll sit with them, and I just put the camera to the side and click, and click, and give them a treat.
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Mindy Dutka: So then they connect, oh, the camera's not such a bad thing.
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Genie Joseph: Right, right.
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Genie Joseph: It's a treat device.
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Mindy Dutka: Right, exactly.
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Mindy Dutka: Exactly.
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Mindy Dutka: So really, the biggest thing is patience and really understanding dogs and following their cues.
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Genie Joseph: Yeah.
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Genie Joseph: Now, when you go to the shelter, are you often the one picking the dogs, or they pick the dogs, or it's a joint decision?
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Mindy Dutka: It's usually a joint decision.
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Mindy Dutka: I'll let them know.
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Mindy Dutka: If, for example, one time I was doing a photo shoot for a dog toy brand, and I knew I needed a dog that liked toys, and it's going to respond if I threw a toy.
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Mindy Dutka: So I would, who do you have that is going to be excited to play with toys kind of thing?
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Mindy Dutka: So they know their dogs better than I do.
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Mindy Dutka: So it's definitely a bit of a joint decision.
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Genie Joseph: Right.
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Mindy Dutka: So, yeah, it's selected.
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Genie Joseph: Yeah, well, I imagine you've gotten pretty good at kind of reading the dogs and seeing what stress level they're at or creating that bond and connection, making them feel that you're a safe person quickly.
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Genie Joseph: I imagine you've gotten some good habits going.
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Genie Joseph: And those of you watching on video, that was Bailey walking through the frame.
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Genie Joseph: Yeah.
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Genie Joseph: Well, that's really great.
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Genie Joseph: They know if a person is good or a person is safe.
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Mindy Dutka: They really do.
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Mindy Dutka: And they just seem to understand, you know.
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Mindy Dutka: And I think, honestly, I think that my love of dogs is key.
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Genie Joseph: Yeah, they feel it.
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Mindy Dutka: Getting the photos that I get.
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Mindy Dutka: And you'll see, you know, each dog doesn't look the same.
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Mindy Dutka: So, like, it has its own little personalities and capturing that in film or digital, whatever you want to call it these days.
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Genie Joseph: Yeah.
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Mindy Dutka: You know, it is important.
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Mindy Dutka: And that's really, you know, you want to get the spirit and the essence of the dogs.
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Genie Joseph: Yeah.
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Mindy Dutka: They're so expressive in different ways.
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Genie Joseph: They really are.
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Genie Joseph: I mean, it's, you know, every dog is unique.
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Genie Joseph: Every dog has a different story, but every dog has a different personality.
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Genie Joseph: And, you know, can you tell us a story of maybe a dog that was a little shy at first and how you won them over?
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Genie Joseph: Really?
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Mindy Dutka: It's very helpful when they are food motivated.
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Genie Joseph: Yes, it really helps a lot.
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Mindy Dutka: They're not all food motivated.
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Mindy Dutka: And sometimes the best shots, you know, it's, I'll plan for what I think that I want, but that needs to be open because it's the old story of a dog.
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Mindy Dutka: You know, how like a moment and like when I least expect it, the dog is doing something that I didn't expect that makes the best shot.
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Mindy Dutka: Like I've captured something, you know, that I didn't anticipate, but I was open to, you know, so that's an important factor.
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Mindy Dutka: It's interesting because even I've done photographing, I do a lot of rescue work and I do some work in Mexico.
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Mindy Dutka: I've worked in Cartagena.
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Mindy Dutka: I've been to Puerto Rico after hurricane.
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Mindy Dutka: I think that was Hurricane Maria, because again, photos tell stories and people don't know what's happening.
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Mindy Dutka: So it's a great way to create awareness and raise funds.
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Mindy Dutka: But it's interesting because a lot of these dogs, they just, I almost don't even have to win them over.
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Mindy Dutka: I don't know.
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Mindy Dutka: They're like, I'm so surprised at how loving they are and how open they are.
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Mindy Dutka: They get a sense.
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Mindy Dutka: The dogs know that I'm their friend.
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Genie Joseph: Well, I guess, especially the street dogs, the ones that learned humans can be helpful.
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Genie Joseph: What do I need to do to get a good connection going on?
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Genie Joseph: So tell us about the work in Mexico.
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Genie Joseph: That's really fascinating.
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Mindy Dutka: So I've been working.
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Mindy Dutka: My most recent project is I've been working with a group of rescues in Playa del Carmen.
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Mindy Dutka: Their goal is a five-year goal.
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Mindy Dutka: They're on the end of year two now to do monthly spay-neuter clinics for the community.
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Mindy Dutka: So it's free to the community, but they're not free.
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Mindy Dutka: So I've been helping them fundraise.
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Mindy Dutka: And their goal is 400 dogs per clinic, and they do a three-day clinic every month.
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Mindy Dutka: So they've started this at the beginning of 2022.
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Mindy Dutka: And I think they are at about 8,000 dogs and cats that they spayed and neutered.
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Mindy Dutka: So if you follow it through and they're able to get enough funds and do this till the end of the five years, that will make a significant difference in the landscape of the amount of dogs.
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Mindy Dutka: Homeless dogs and even dogs, because the culture is different.
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Mindy Dutka: So dogs that belong to families, they tend to live outside because they live in very small houses and have the family.
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Mindy Dutka: And they care for the dog and they love their dogs, but they are roaming the streets.
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Mindy Dutka: So it's a mix of stray dogs and dogs that have a home that are creating all of these huge populations.
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Mindy Dutka: But once they can get that under management, then they can focus more on a core amount of dogs and cats and helping give them proper care.
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Mindy Dutka: But these clinics that they're doing are mostly people who have their dogs and cats, and they're taking them to these clinics, and they're so grateful.
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Mindy Dutka: And that's the story.
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Mindy Dutka: I was down there in May, and that was the story that I wanted to tell, is that they're people that love their animals, and they're doing the best that they can.
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Mindy Dutka: And they can't afford to have them spay neutered, but they want to do that.
00:16:30.680 --> 00:16:38.220
Mindy Dutka: So they wait online for hours, an eight-hour process to bring your pet to one of these things.
00:16:38.240 --> 00:16:45.020
Mindy Dutka: You have to wait online to be one of the 400 that they can take.
00:16:45.380 --> 00:16:48.960
Mindy Dutka: You get registered, then you wait until you're called for the spay neuter.
00:16:49.480 --> 00:16:57.220
Mindy Dutka: And then they are actually the people, the owners are the people that sit with the dogs and the cats while they are coming out of their anesthesia.
00:17:00.140 --> 00:17:04.280
Mindy Dutka: And the love, and it's such a valuable thing.
00:17:04.300 --> 00:17:05.760
Mindy Dutka: I can't even put it into words.
00:17:05.960 --> 00:17:07.660
Mindy Dutka: There's so many lessons.
00:17:07.980 --> 00:17:10.400
Mindy Dutka: It's educational, which is the key.
00:17:10.420 --> 00:17:12.560
Mindy Dutka: There's young children that are there.
00:17:12.660 --> 00:17:14.240
Mindy Dutka: Everybody is well-behaved.
00:17:14.660 --> 00:17:22.060
Mindy Dutka: Everybody is grateful that they have the opportunity to take care of their pets through this community, you know, community-helping community.
00:17:22.400 --> 00:17:22.720
Genie Joseph: Right.
00:17:23.320 --> 00:17:31.840
Mindy Dutka: And the photos that I have, I'll send you some so you can disperse it, but you can see these are animals that are cared for, that are loved.
00:17:33.040 --> 00:17:42.200
Mindy Dutka: They just need someone to give them a break and, you know, and take care of, you know, so they can get a rabies vaccination and they get spay neutered at these clinics.
00:17:42.540 --> 00:17:44.080
Mindy Dutka: And you just see the connection.
00:17:44.480 --> 00:17:45.360
Genie Joseph: Oh, it's beautiful.
00:17:45.840 --> 00:17:46.680
Mindy Dutka: Through the photos.
00:17:46.700 --> 00:17:51.580
Mindy Dutka: So that in those photos, I'm more of just an invisible observer.
00:17:51.600 --> 00:17:52.720
Genie Joseph: A documentary.
00:17:52.760 --> 00:17:53.060
Genie Joseph: Yeah.
00:17:53.120 --> 00:17:53.600
Mindy Dutka: Yeah.
00:17:53.720 --> 00:17:56.940
Mindy Dutka: Documenting, you know, what was in front of me.
00:17:57.300 --> 00:17:59.900
Mindy Dutka: And you just look at the photos and you just.
00:18:00.260 --> 00:18:01.120
Genie Joseph: Yeah, I've seen some of them.
00:18:01.140 --> 00:18:01.660
Genie Joseph: They're beautiful.
00:18:01.840 --> 00:18:02.160
Genie Joseph: Yeah.
00:18:02.180 --> 00:18:02.540
Genie Joseph: Yeah.
00:18:03.320 --> 00:18:04.900
Mindy Dutka: You know, so it's really amazing.
00:18:04.920 --> 00:18:06.740
Mindy Dutka: And, you know, it's a wonderful thing.
00:18:07.560 --> 00:18:13.420
Mindy Dutka: And, you know, if we can help them continue to do this, then we should.
00:18:13.440 --> 00:18:15.100
Genie Joseph: Yeah, exactly right.
00:18:15.500 --> 00:18:16.540
Genie Joseph: Well, that's a wonderful story.
00:18:16.560 --> 00:18:18.140
Genie Joseph: We're going to take a really short break.
00:18:18.160 --> 00:18:19.920
Genie Joseph: We'll be right back in just a moment.
00:18:22.260 --> 00:18:26.680
Announcer: Hey friends, if you like what you're hearing and want to learn more, check out Dr.
00:18:26.700 --> 00:18:33.520
Announcer: Joseph's book The Human-Animal Connection, Deepening Relationships with Animals and Ourselves.
00:18:34.240 --> 00:18:40.880
Announcer: Or visit the website thehumananimalconnection.org to book an online consultation.
00:18:41.400 --> 00:18:43.260
Announcer: Thank you for loving animals.
00:18:43.800 --> 00:18:44.660
Announcer: Now back to the show.
00:18:46.760 --> 00:18:50.000
<v SPEAKER_4>Let's Talk Pets on petliferadio.com.
00:18:55.520 --> 00:19:11.460
Genie Joseph: Welcome back to The Human-Animal Connection, where we're speaking with Mindy Dutka and her wonderful work photographing dogs everywhere, shelter dogs, people's dogs that live with them at home, and helping down in Mexico with dogs that getting spayed and neutered.
00:19:12.940 --> 00:19:17.800
Genie Joseph: It's so wonderful, the work that you're doing, and I hope people will get a chance to take a look at your pictures.
00:19:18.080 --> 00:19:20.340
Genie Joseph: Let's just give them your website now while we're thinking about it.
00:19:20.360 --> 00:19:21.180
Genie Joseph: What's your website?
00:19:21.420 --> 00:19:21.740
Mindy Dutka: Great.
00:19:21.760 --> 00:19:30.200
Mindy Dutka: So it's dogsimeet.com, and my Instagram is at dogsimeet, and Facebook is...
00:19:30.220 --> 00:19:35.520
Mindy Dutka: I think if you type in dogsimeet, you'll get it, but I think it might be dogsimeet photography.
00:19:35.560 --> 00:19:42.800
Genie Joseph: Well, we know that a good photograph can really open people's hearts and touch them, and in a shelter, contact can change the course of a dog's life.
00:19:43.020 --> 00:19:50.600
Genie Joseph: That photo can make the difference between person really sensing that dog's spirit and saying, I gotta have that dog, gotta go get that dog today.
00:19:51.860 --> 00:19:58.800
Genie Joseph: Let's talk about some tips for people either who are volunteers in shelters or working with their own dogs about how to get the best photo.
00:19:58.820 --> 00:20:01.080
Genie Joseph: If you're not a professional like yourself, what can we do?
00:20:02.060 --> 00:20:22.200
Mindy Dutka: Well, first of all, I think it's also really understanding the need of how important a photograph is, because I know that shelters run on overwhelm, and it's kind of one crisis after another, and it's volunteers, and they don't often have time to make photography an important component.
00:20:22.620 --> 00:20:44.340
Mindy Dutka: But I urge them, it's very, very important, the photography piece of having that good photo, because often, it's an afterthought, the dogs come in, they do their intake, the dogs are dirty, the dogs are terrified, they put them off in a cinderblock, poorly lit cell, and that's the photo that they show.
00:20:44.700 --> 00:20:49.900
Mindy Dutka: And what that says to people, and it's such the wrong message, is that shelter dogs are broken.
00:20:49.900 --> 00:20:51.160
Mindy Dutka: Shelter dogs aren't broken.
00:20:51.400 --> 00:20:55.580
Mindy Dutka: Shelter dogs are just dogs that have been failed by humans.
00:20:57.400 --> 00:20:58.860
Mindy Dutka: And they wound up there.
00:20:59.080 --> 00:21:03.780
Mindy Dutka: They just haven't been given the opportunity to become the dog that they are.
00:21:03.840 --> 00:21:19.120
Mindy Dutka: So, if you kind of want to look at it in terms of, let's talk about real estate, more like you're selling a house or you're staying in a house, you want people to be able, not everybody has the ability to visualize, so they need things shown to them.
00:21:19.480 --> 00:21:24.660
Mindy Dutka: So you want people to be able to come into a house and visualize themselves living there.
00:21:24.960 --> 00:21:25.700
Mindy Dutka: Same thing.
00:21:25.720 --> 00:21:36.840
Mindy Dutka: You want people to be able to look at that dog or that cat and visualize that dog as your family dog, that dog playing with your children, that dog sitting on your couch.
00:21:37.400 --> 00:21:53.120
Mindy Dutka: So the more you can give the dog a little bit of a chance to decompress, you know, like understand this is part of how you're helping that dog to ultimately get adopted.
00:21:53.440 --> 00:21:58.640
Mindy Dutka: So it depends on the type of shelter you have and where it is.
00:22:00.000 --> 00:22:02.400
Mindy Dutka: You know, I've worked at shelters in New York City.
00:22:02.480 --> 00:22:07.120
Mindy Dutka: So those dogs are taken, you know, you got to find a place and make a little studio.
00:22:08.560 --> 00:22:26.260
Mindy Dutka: But I've also worked with many shelters, you know, up in New England, that happen to be on a beautiful grounds with woods and places that are very pretty if you can, you know, get the volunteer, get the person who's photographing and take the dogs to a lovely spot.
00:22:26.640 --> 00:22:28.780
Mindy Dutka: And that will make a big difference.
00:22:30.040 --> 00:22:40.160
Mindy Dutka: You know, so you want to think about where you're taking the dogs, and you really want to try to give it a little bit of time, not like, oh my god, I have, you know, five minutes for this dog, bring the next dog in.
00:22:40.980 --> 00:22:43.060
Mindy Dutka: Change your mindset.
00:22:44.140 --> 00:22:55.880
Mindy Dutka: And you know, whether you're using an iPhone, or whether somebody is using, you know, digital, expensive camera, either way, iPhones are great.
00:22:55.920 --> 00:23:10.240
Mindy Dutka: So a few different examples are number one, you're lighting, so particularly whether it's inside or outside, whether it's inside, you want to set up some kind of either use natural lighting is, for me, is always the best.
00:23:10.520 --> 00:23:13.200
Mindy Dutka: But you may have no windows, you may have no natural light.
00:23:13.620 --> 00:23:31.280
Mindy Dutka: So you, you know, want to set up some kind of lighting that that, you know, is going to be on the dog, you want to get down on the dog's level, if possible, depending on the different size of the dog, if it's a small dog, you want to have something that's comfortable for the dog to be on.
00:23:31.540 --> 00:23:36.360
Mindy Dutka: And you're generally always going to have somebody, you know, that dog's going to be on a leash.
00:23:37.760 --> 00:23:45.920
Mindy Dutka: And so you want someone to be like standing on to the side of the dog, holding the leash in a way it's not that difficult.
00:23:46.140 --> 00:23:53.720
Mindy Dutka: Now you can go on Canva, you can do all kinds of things and remove the leash and remove the person.
00:23:53.840 --> 00:23:59.940
Mindy Dutka: Or if that's not possible, then make it a sweet, loving shot with whoever is handling the dog.
00:24:00.140 --> 00:24:04.880
Mindy Dutka: So it's more of a human-animal interaction.
00:24:05.220 --> 00:24:12.440
Mindy Dutka: So either way, you know, and you want to do a few different photos of the dog so that people can get a sense of their size.
00:24:12.760 --> 00:24:17.800
Mindy Dutka: You want them sitting, you want them standing, you want them a little closer.
00:24:17.840 --> 00:24:27.740
Mindy Dutka: So you want to be a few different pictures to show, you know, so people can really get a sense of what the dog is, and maybe to scale if it needs to be.
00:24:27.760 --> 00:24:32.480
Mindy Dutka: So because sometimes you take a picture of a big dog, you don't realize it, or a small dog.
00:24:32.720 --> 00:24:35.000
Mindy Dutka: So if you can do something like that.
00:24:35.740 --> 00:24:47.480
Mindy Dutka: When you're outside and you're photographing the dogs, again, you don't want to, if at all possible, earlier or later, so you're not in the harsh sun.
00:24:48.700 --> 00:24:51.360
Mindy Dutka: Maybe that's not possible, and it is the middle of the day.
00:24:51.640 --> 00:24:59.600
Mindy Dutka: In that case, look for a shaded spot that still has some nice light around it, but there's not harsh sunlight hitting the dog.
00:25:01.220 --> 00:25:07.480
Mindy Dutka: I use my top secret secret is one of the squeakers that come inside the dog.
00:25:07.500 --> 00:25:09.120
Mindy Dutka: You can actually buy them by the bag.
00:25:11.280 --> 00:25:12.940
Mindy Dutka: Use them.
00:25:13.500 --> 00:25:14.640
Mindy Dutka: Don't overuse them.
00:25:15.080 --> 00:25:22.380
Mindy Dutka: Wait until you're ready, and you're prepared, and you're ready to hit that shutter, whether it's a phone or a camera.
00:25:23.000 --> 00:25:23.580
Mindy Dutka: One squeak.
00:25:24.080 --> 00:25:24.380
Genie Joseph: Right.
00:25:25.500 --> 00:25:25.820
Mindy Dutka: Yeah.
00:25:25.880 --> 00:25:32.820
Mindy Dutka: If you do too much, the dog won't understand, and it's always possible you got to know the dog because you're working with scared dogs.
00:25:32.840 --> 00:25:38.280
Mindy Dutka: So that may be a dog that sounds scared of them, so get a sense of that.
00:25:38.300 --> 00:25:44.920
Mindy Dutka: But you want to do just one squeak, not squeak, squeak, squeak, squeak, because they'll desensitize, they won't pay attention to that.
00:25:44.940 --> 00:25:46.640
Genie Joseph: Doesn't have any meaning, right?
00:25:46.660 --> 00:25:48.100
Mindy Dutka: Your focus is on their eyes.
00:25:48.400 --> 00:25:48.740
Genie Joseph: Right.
00:25:49.600 --> 00:25:51.960
Mindy Dutka: And on an iPhone, like a few tips.
00:25:53.400 --> 00:25:54.860
Mindy Dutka: One, it's really easy.
00:25:54.880 --> 00:25:55.240
Mindy Dutka: Why not?
00:25:55.260 --> 00:25:56.020
Mindy Dutka: I got my phone here.
00:25:56.340 --> 00:25:57.100
Mindy Dutka: Clean your lens.
00:25:58.220 --> 00:26:04.780
Mindy Dutka: People never think to clean the lenses, but this is in your pocket, this is in your purse, this is wherever.
00:26:04.880 --> 00:26:08.880
Mindy Dutka: It's still functioning as a camera with a lens.
00:26:09.480 --> 00:26:11.460
Genie Joseph: Clean your lens.
00:26:11.480 --> 00:26:12.680
Genie Joseph: How do you clean a phone lens?
00:26:12.960 --> 00:26:20.060
Mindy Dutka: Any kind of, the same way you clean your eyeglasses, soft microfiber, and clean the lens.
00:26:20.380 --> 00:26:35.360
Mindy Dutka: And if you have your camera ready to go, and you focus on something, and you put your, you probably can't see it, but if you touch it lightly, because you don't want to move, you'll see a little box, the focus is on there.
00:26:35.820 --> 00:26:42.080
Mindy Dutka: So people rarely think to actually hit the focus button on your phone.
00:26:42.860 --> 00:26:46.480
Mindy Dutka: Be careful that you're not moving the phone, but you just lightly tap.
00:26:47.220 --> 00:26:51.600
Mindy Dutka: And so you got the eye and focus, and you're going to push the shutter.
00:26:51.880 --> 00:26:52.240
Genie Joseph: Yes.
00:26:53.480 --> 00:26:54.740
Mindy Dutka: So that's a few tips.
00:26:54.760 --> 00:27:09.500
Mindy Dutka: And again, on the dog's level, and if there's something, you know, a toy or something, the other thing is if you have an extra person behind you.
00:27:09.640 --> 00:27:12.780
Mindy Dutka: People always stand off to the side and call the dog's name.
00:27:12.800 --> 00:27:14.700
Mindy Dutka: That's the distraction.
00:27:15.020 --> 00:27:22.620
Mindy Dutka: You want that person to be right behind your head, so that dog is looking at you as you're taking a picture.
00:27:22.880 --> 00:27:29.720
Mindy Dutka: And then, you know, maybe they're holding up a tree, or maybe they're the ones that squeak if you have an extra person.
00:27:29.740 --> 00:27:38.280
Mindy Dutka: It depends on how many people you have, but you don't want someone standing to the side calling the dog's name or doing something like that, because that's distracting.
00:27:38.460 --> 00:27:39.600
Genie Joseph: Yeah, that's a good point.
00:27:39.860 --> 00:27:40.400
Genie Joseph: Good point.
00:27:40.640 --> 00:27:48.340
Genie Joseph: So, let's say when you're in a professional context, do you have an assistant, do you go by yourself, what do you take, what's your gear?
00:27:50.220 --> 00:27:56.100
Mindy Dutka: Well, usually, I occasionally have an assistant, but more often than that, I don't have an assistant.
00:27:56.120 --> 00:28:01.280
Mindy Dutka: So, the owner, if it's a private shoot, so I use the owner of the dog.
00:28:01.500 --> 00:28:09.200
Mindy Dutka: And if it's a brand shoot, then I do have, I bring a handler and an assistant with me.
00:28:10.460 --> 00:28:14.400
Mindy Dutka: So, because you're going to need safety first in whatever you're doing.
00:28:14.420 --> 00:28:21.160
Mindy Dutka: I never put a dog in a situation where you're just going for the shot and a dog's uncomfortable about something.
00:28:21.840 --> 00:28:27.760
Mindy Dutka: Most of the photos that I take, actually even, oh, she was running free.
00:28:27.940 --> 00:28:29.700
Mindy Dutka: But most of them, you can't see.
00:28:29.720 --> 00:28:32.540
Mindy Dutka: People are always like, my dog won't stand still, or where did you get that?
00:28:32.560 --> 00:28:38.940
Mindy Dutka: A lot of them do have a human and a leash that I have from the magic of Photoshop and removed.
00:28:40.680 --> 00:28:46.340
Mindy Dutka: So, that's often, but you want them to stand properly so they can easily remove them.
00:28:47.660 --> 00:28:49.620
Mindy Dutka: You know, you need them to sort of stand aside.
00:28:49.620 --> 00:28:56.980
Mindy Dutka: You don't want the leash pulled so that the collar is pulling, it has to look natural when you remove it.
00:28:58.100 --> 00:29:07.720
Mindy Dutka: And then I often will just do it myself with the squeaker, or if I have two people, I'll have the person behind me.
00:29:08.200 --> 00:29:21.440
Mindy Dutka: Sometimes the owners are more difficult to wrangle because no matter how much I tell them, they're calling their dog to the side, and again, like I said, I will give a lot of breaks.
00:29:22.020 --> 00:29:28.120
Mindy Dutka: And if it is a dog and I'm in a safe place, that can go without a leash, that's good.
00:29:28.160 --> 00:29:36.780
Mindy Dutka: Sometimes dogs, I'll put them on a leash even if because I can't control them, by the way, and get them to be in the spot that I want to be.
00:29:36.800 --> 00:29:39.220
Mindy Dutka: And I actually use a very thin leash.
00:29:39.240 --> 00:29:47.060
Mindy Dutka: I bring my own leashes to the shoot, so it's an easier leash for me to remove.
00:29:47.300 --> 00:29:47.740
Genie Joseph: Yeah.
00:29:48.720 --> 00:29:49.280
Genie Joseph: Well, great.
00:29:49.760 --> 00:30:02.640
Genie Joseph: Well, this has been so much fun talking with Mindy Dutka and she is a professional dog photographer that works with different pet brands and has a wonderful model of supporting the rescues, brands supporting the rescues and great photography.
00:30:02.660 --> 00:30:04.320
Genie Joseph: So give us your website one more time.
00:30:04.920 --> 00:30:07.800
Mindy Dutka: dogsimeet.com Great.
00:30:08.520 --> 00:30:09.760
Genie Joseph: Well, thank you so much, Mindy.
00:30:09.780 --> 00:30:10.560
Genie Joseph: Keep up the good work.
00:30:11.200 --> 00:30:11.780
Mindy Dutka: Thank you.
00:30:11.800 --> 00:30:13.080
Mindy Dutka: Thanks a lot for having me.
00:30:14.180 --> 00:30:15.640
Genie Joseph: And we will see you on the next show.
00:30:15.660 --> 00:30:18.620
Genie Joseph: Thank you for tuning in to The Human-Animal Connection.
00:30:22.940 --> 00:30:25.900
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00:30:26.240 --> 00:30:30.560
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00:30:30.960 --> 00:30:37.480
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00:30:37.820 --> 00:30:42.520
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00:30:49.260 --> 00:31:01.240
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00:31:04.480 --> 00:31:10.440
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