Photographing the Casa Grande Barn Hunt Trial
Barn Hunt was the first trial I ever photographed, and it could not have been a better start. I went in not knowing exactly what to expect, other than hay bales stacked high and a lot of dogs trying to figure out where the rats were hidden. It turned out to be even more fun to photograph than I imagined. Dogs had this intense look of determination one moment, then pure joy the next when they figured it out. Handlers were laughing, encouraging, sometimes even crawling around on the bales with their dogs. The whole thing had this community vibe where everyone cheered each other on, and I found myself grinning behind the camera the whole time.
There was such a variety of dogs — terriers, shepherds, even big goofy breeds you might not expect. Every single one of them had their own way of tackling the course. That was what I loved most about photographing it. Each run told a little story, and I got to capture the expressions, the teamwork, and the small victories that came with it.
Honestly, I left that trial hooked. Photographing dogs in action has a way of showing both their instinct and their joy, and Barn Hunt is the perfect example of that balance. It reminded me why I wanted to start covering dog sports in the first place.
