Agility Trial Photography: Loyalhanna Agility Club (Pittsburgh, PA)

To purchase photos from the Loyalhanna Agility Club trial on March 22-24, 2024, please visit my gallery page. Photos will be available until March 31, 2025.

Finally, my first agility trial! For a few months now, I’ve been wanting to photograph an agility trial. As much as I love Fast CAT, keeping things novel and fresh is important for me to maintain enthusiasm and passion. Dock diving and agility have been high on my list of dog sports to photograph in 2024!

I reached out to the Loyalhanna Agility Club near Pittsburg, PA shortly after moving back to the Northeast. To my delight, they said yes, I could come photograph their March agility trial!

I don’t know much about agility. My sister competed in agility with her first Cavalier years ago, and dabbled in it with her English Springer Spaniel and second Cavalier, but aside from joining her at a few classes and trials, I don’t have much experience. I know that dogs run through an obstacle course, and that it requires excellent communication between the dog and handler, but that’s about it.

I learned a lot just by watching the Loyalhanna Agility Club trial. I learned the different run styles of various breeds and I saw just how nuanced that communication between dog and handler can be. I learned about small training moments when a dog messed up on weaves or missed a contact on the A-frame.

I saw some dogs move slowly but who were still clearly enjoying their runs, and I saw some dogs absolutely fly through the course.

As a dog sports photographer, I learned best practices for shooting agility. Keep your lens wide open and shutter speed fast, of course, and don’t be afraid of the inevitable grain on your photos. It’s a vibe…maybe not my usual vibe since I generally prefer sharp, crisp photos, but agility is a vibe of its own. The photos feel a little more photojournalistic to me, and despite being out of my comfort zone, I’m really happy with the way they turned out.

I learned to pick one or two obstacles rather than trying to shoot a dog’s entire run, and I learned to shoot just a little bit before the dog goes over the jump because if you don’t, you’ll miss the jump entirely.

Best of all, I learned how to look for the relationship shots. You know I’m a huge advocate of taking more photos with your dog, so relationship photos are some of my favorites. They might be a little less flashy, but they are the most meaningful. Luckily, agility photography gives you many opportunities for relationship photos of you and your dog playing the game together!

I am so grateful for the opportunity and I hope there are more agility events in my dog sports photography journey. Thank you, Loyalhanna Agility Club, for having me!