In the book, Outliers, by Malcolm Gladwell he introduces the 10,000 hour rule. The rule goes like this: it takes 10,000 hours of intensive, deliberate practice to achieve mastery of complex skills in a field. I’m not there yet, as this requires practicing a specific task, such as photography, for 20 hours of work a week for 10 years.
In the meantime, I keep studying my craft and working to be the most proficient pet and equine photographer available for my clients. Attending workshops, such as the Dogs in Action 4.0 workshop held recently in Missouri with the phenomenal high-action dog photographer, Claudio Piccoli, pushes me forward and toward my goal. For several days, I was challenged and encouraged and simply made much more passionate about the art of high-action dog photography! These animals are incredible athletes and their trainers are fantastic. The event was organized by Sarah Brueske, a professional dog trainer and dog sport photographer. She worked hard to bring together a wide variety of dog breeds and skill levels for the attendees to practice on, and provided a beautifully orchestrated couple of days. The event was hosted by Purina Mills Farms, which gave the attendees lovely grounds to enjoy, food on site, a pool for dock diving, a course for photographing agility, and even deep woods for photographing dogs in action leaping over logs.
What an opportunity to grow as a photographer while having a blast!
Disc dog, also known as Frisbee Dog, is a dog sport in which dogs and their humans compete in events such as distance catching and somewhat choreographed freestyle catching.
