POOCHES ARE PUT IN THE PICTURE
Forget ‘ruff ’ seas, a keen photographer is putting dogs in the frame by snapping them down on the beach.
Michael Johnson has decided to put his hobby of photography to good use and take snaps of happy pooches enjoying the seaside.
To make the most of his shots, Michael has set up an Instagram account dedicated to the water-loving canines and its popularity is growing.
The 22-year-old, who lives in Whitburn, says he is surprised how much interest his page – Dogs of Seaburn – has attracted.
Michael said his passion for photography started when he was about 12, but was put on the back burner a bit when he was studying for his degree at Sunderland University. Now a video editor at a Newcastle-based company, Michael decided to once again go out and about with his camera.
He explained: “The beach is only a ten-minute walk from where I live, so I decided to go down there and take some photos of dogs. I like the beach and I like dogs, so it seemed a good idea.
“I just decided to do it as a hobby really and people seem to be loving the photos. I really enjoy it, it is relaxing and very therapeutic.
“So far, I’ve photographed 100 dogs and I aim to share a photo a day.”
Michael, who has his own eight-year-old Chihuahua called Paco, said the Instagram and Facebook pages have only been running for just over a month and he has had a lot of very positive feedback from the dogs’ owners and from people visiting the site.
He said one dog lover was particularly thrilled that Michael managed to take photos of his beloved pet just days before it had to have an eye removed and they plan to do some after surgery shots once the dog is well enough.
Michael, a former Whitburn Academy student, added: “My goal is to hopefully put all the photographs into a book. And, I would like to sell some prints.”
Michael says he goes along to the beach at Seaburn most weekends, especially if the weather is good for taking photographs.
Anyone who would like to follow Michael’s work can visit his Facebook page, Dogs of Seaburn, at https://www.facebook.com/dogsofseaburn/ or on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/https://www.instagram.com/dogsofseaburn/.