It’s a dog’s life!

Having previously covered the opening of the Dewsbury Vets 4 Pets I was delighted to be asked to spend a ‘day in the life’ of the Vets 4 Pets team in Barnsley.

I was asked to spend half a day in their practise taking photos of the staff in action.  I couldn’t wait, especially to see their new hydrotherapy center which uses warm, clean water to support and massage whilst the treadmill controls the exercise accurately.

The team wanted a few staged portraits but really wanted me to be a ‘fly on the wall’ from reception, consultation to procedures so yes, I had to scrub up!  I was asked to don a PPE gown, hair net (not sure why for me!), foot protection and face mask so I could access all areas of the practise and even watch a first time surgical procedure.

I was asked to photograph a Doberman who was undergoing an endoscopic surgical procedure – the first to be performed at this practice, it was to correct a twisted stomach and remove her ovaries. (nice....)

Testimonial:-

‘Mark was fantastic when we asked him to spend half a day at our veterinary hospital in Barnsley. He perfectly captured the balance of clinical imagery along with making the surgery feel a welcome and caring environment. He effortlessly shot in very trick situations from surgery to portraiture and put people and pets at ease.

His costs were reasonable and he was quick at turning around the photographs at the other end.

We’d certainly recommend him for future jobs – a pleasure to work with’

I really enjoyed the challenge this project brought to me, the very busy practise meant that a shot was there one minute and gone the next as the nurses and vets ran around attending to their patience.

I had to work with the lighting as it was impossible to set up equipment for a specific frame due to the speed I had to work.

The challenges of not only putting the staff at ease but also the animals and their owners made it a very enjoyable day. 

I really feel I have captured the warm environment for their marketing and website needs as well as the possibility of my surgical shots being used for a medical journal.