Coonhound & Foxhound Companions
  • Home
  • About
    • Meet the Team
  • Programs
    • Long Ears Alive! Fund
    • Success Stories
  • Resources
    • Why Adopt Coonhounds & Foxhounds
    • Adopting Senior Coonhounds & Foxhounds
    • Long Ears Blog
    • Poster Downloads
    • Long Ear League
    • Promotional Kit
    • Links >
      • Rescue Organizations
      • Hound Activities
      • Useful Links
  • Contact Us
  • Donate
  • Shop

Picturing Honeybug

2/26/2019

3 Comments

 
Picture
You’ve undoubtedly noticed this precious TWC on coonhound facebook pages; and Honeybug with ears flying recently commanded the cover of the 2019 Coonhound Companions Calendar. We asked her owner, Sandy Decker (Sandra Ann), to share her secrets and experiences in photographing her coonie.
​

Coonhound Companions (CC): First, how did Honeybug come into your life?
Sandra Ann (SA): I actually was looking at another hound at a rescue in Virginia; but when I inquired, that hound had been adopted. I then gave Bawf Rescue the type of hound I was looking for: shy, timid, scared, and a failed hunting dog. This describes the previous three I have had, and I know they are difficult to adopt out. They almost immediately found one at a local shelter and pulled her for me. Living in an apartment, I have always adopted the shy and gentle hounds because they tend to be less vocal. In fact, 2 out of the 4 I’ve had never barked in the years I had them. And Honeybug, like the others, rarely bays except for a minute of excitement when I get home.

Picture
CC: When did you first realize that Honeybug has star quality?
SA: I believe all coonhounds or foxhounds have star quality if treated well and with patience. A photo of my lost foxhound Daiseybug went viral. I later stumbled across a painting, jewelry, and t-shirts of her on the Internet created from the photo I posted years back. At that point I even made her a facebook page: Daiseybug American Foxhound, which now has posts of my beautiful Honeybug.

CC: I’ve seen great action shots of Honeybug as well as lovely portraits. What camera set-ups and settings do you use to photograph Honeybug?
SA: Nearly all photos are taken on my Galaxy smartphone.
​

CC: How much image editing do you do in terms of cropping, adjusting exposures, tweaking colors, etc?
SA: I rarely edit any coloring or exposures. I try and wait for the right time of day or night. However, on occasion I do have fun with the Prisma app that makes a photo look more like a painting.
Picture
CC: Some hounds are impatient if not averse to having their pictures taken. How do you coax Honeybug’s cooperation?
SA: Well, Honeybug is pretty cooperative and queen of the side eye. I just have to be patient and give her time and space, then snap several at a time. I do not really teach her any commands; instead, I focus on her responses to everyday noises, distractions, and nature. She was in a shelter for over two years and was scared of a leaf falling. Its been 3.5 years now, and I still see many things that she isn’t comfortable with; so I don’t push. I don’t want her to revert to being so scared and anxious.
​

CC: Honeybug’s face conveys a luminous sweetness in many of her pictures. How would you describe your coonhound’s temperament and personality, and how does this inform the images you capture?
SA: Honeybug is a very good girl. She is never destructive or loud. She is shy of humans but loves other animals and doesn’t have a mean bone in her body. She acts scared and puts her head down when a stranger tries to pet her but is completely harmless. Once she warms up to someone, she may even let them get a pet in. She’s a couch potato with very little to say. She is just so happy to be loved and cared for that she sticks by my side. She is pretty attached to just me. Even though my elderly parents have Honeybug every day when I am at work, she doesn’t come out of her shell until she hears me walk in to pick her up. Then she comes running out of her bed and jumps all over me.
Picture
CC: I’ve also seen pictures of Honeybug amazingly calm and collected close to other animals, such as deer and geese. Is this a learned behavior, or is it just who Honeybug is?
SA: She’s gentle with anyone and any animal she comes across. Honeybug has been nose to nose with deer, raccoons, opossums, cats, dogs, and even vultures. She simply sniffs them and walks away. They also must know she is a gentle soul, since they do not fear her either.
Picture
CC: Do you have any additional tips for fellow hound owners trying to capture the essence of their own beloved hounds?
SA: Patience, patience, patience. Let them be comfortable in whatever environment and take a candid shot. Forcing them in a position or environment they are not comfortable with will not benefit them or the photo.
​

CC: Has the time spent photographing Honeybug and focusing on her images influenced your understanding of and relationship with your hound?
Picture
SA: Well, I didn’t realize how much side eye she had until the photos (lol!). Overall, I think my experience with these shy and sensitive hounds helps me understand them pretty well going into the adoption. However, I find it pretty interesting how my photos touch so many dog owners and how the images actually allow them to read her personality. So many of the comments by strangers, just from the photos I post, are amazingly accurate with their descriptions of Honeybug’s nature.
​

CC: Thanks for sharing Honeybug with the hound community and contributing that engaging photo for the calendar cover. We’ll be tracking Honeybug on facebook.

The opinions expressed in this guest blog are those of the author(s) and are not necessarily endorsed by Coonhound and Foxhound Companions.
Picture
3 Comments

    The Coonie Team

    ​Marybeth Brown
    Charlotte Busch
    Jerry Dunham
    Mary Ann Emerson
    Kathy LaRoque
    Anna Nirva

    Jill Sicheneder
    Jean Stone


    Archives

    April 2021
    February 2021
    November 2020
    June 2019
    February 2019
    November 2018
    April 2018
    February 2018
    November 2017
    January 2017
    November 2016
    March 2016
    November 2015
    July 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    September 2014
    June 2014
    March 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011

    Categories

    All
    Black & Tan Coonhounds
    Bluetick Coonhounds
    Coonhound Advice
    Coonhound Companions
    Coonhound Events
    Coonhound History
    Coonhound Rescue & Adoption
    Coonhounds In Competition
    Coonhound Stories
    Coonhound Temperament
    Foxhounds
    Fun With Coonhounds
    In Memory Of Special Coonhounds
    Miscellaneous
    Redbone Coonhounds
    Senior Coonhounds
    Training Coonhounds
    Walker Coonhounds

    RSS Feed

Home
Our Story
Donate
Contact Us
to the