So I’m treading slowly into the DSLR depths here… Well, more like barely getting my toes wet, at this point. I’m still using the camera’s automatic/basic modes for now, and just getting a feel for schlepping this massive thing around. So far, I can say that it generally does a better job with fine and fast Basenji movement.
Photos taken 17 April 2011
Cheeky
But these dogs still move faster than this photographer.
I can tell a difference with shots like this:
Dual sniff
A thorough introduction…
But in general, I still need to hone my technique. I have to learn to scrutinize, because I don’t actually know what differences I should expect from the fancy camera if my methods are still the same!
April’s Basenji meetup was shifted to the middle of the month to avoid Easter Sunday. It was observed that nobody in the meetup group has kids (and we all know that Easter is basically Christmas Part I, with more chocolate and a pastel color scheme on all the stuff you’re supposed to buy for the children), so there’s a high likelihood that everyone will be out next Sunday, as well. But I thought this was interesting, especially thinking about how a Basenji would do as a family dog with young children. I have no experience with this, nor do I intend to test any of this out first-hand. It seems to me that Basenjis would make good family pets because they are great cuddlers, a good size, and thrive when they’re with their people, but they need to be properly socialized with children or they should be older, since they can play rough, like Shibas.
At any rate, there was a young girl who drifted into the pack at one point during the meetup. She kept wanting to get closer to the Basenjis while they were wrestling with her own rambunctious pup, which made me a little nervous.
She kept reaching out her hands to lightly brush the dogs on their backs and to pet their curly tails as they darted past. I think she had just the right kind of gentle touch that none of the dogs were bothered by the short one in their midst. She seemed genuinely curious about them, and kept moving closer despite her mother’s caution. In general, it’s a bad idea for any kid to put themselves in the midst of a pack of playing dogs. This one day, it was okay.
Waist deep among the curly tailed
