How my dogs transformed a certified homebody
by Ying Qi - @moguandcola
Ask anyone who knows me, and they will tell you that I’m a certified homebody. I can literally stay at home for weeks and leave only when necessary.
Alas, everything changed. Ever since my two beloved pooches came into my life, there’s not a day that passes without me leaving the house. I have to ensure they get their daily walks. My dogs even made me venture out on drawn-out expeditions during the weekends. Never thought I’d say this, but now I’ve become an ‘outdoorsy’ person.
Alpha 7C | FE 50mm F1.8 | 50 mm | 1/200 sec | F2 | ISO 200
Shake paws with my dogs
Let me introduce myself. My name is Ying Qi and I’m a proud pawrent of two dogs, Mogu and Cola. Mogu is a Japanese Spitz and Cola is a Singapore Special.
I’ve always wanted to have a dog since I was young. But it’s only later did my parents give the green light to add a furry member to the family. I first got Mogu, before Cola came along after a year. The story behind Cola’s adoption isn't a happy one. Her entire litter had to be put up for adoption when they were barely two weeks old, after her mum passed away. From the moment I brought Cola home, I took on the role of her real mum — taking care of her, protecting her and giving her all of my love.
Alpha 7C | FE 50mm F1.8 | 50 mm | 1/4000 sec | F1.8 | ISO 50
Mogu is pretty similar to me in terms of homebody-ness. She's really laid-back and can sleep the whole day away. When out, Mogu will take her time to acquaint herself with the surroundings. It can be a challenge to get her to run at times. She prefers humans to dogs to be honest. She picks and chooses the dogs that “meet her standards” before interacting with them.
Alpha 7C | FE 50mm F1.8 | 50 mm | 1/4000 sec | F1.8 | ISO 50
On the other hand, Cola is a ball of energy. She never rests if given the chance and it can be difficult getting her to stay still. She loves playing fetch and running around. Cola is afraid of strangers and can be overly pushy with dogs.
A proud overindulgent dog parent
Welcoming a dog to the family is a life-changing decision. I personally feel that it is my responsibility as a pet owner to prioritise them above everything else. Because without me, my dogs would not be able to feed or leave the house on their own. I also love spoiling them by splashing out on quality leashes, collars and tags for our frequent adventures. When it comes to exploring “the great outdoors”, we need all the durable accessories we can get!
During the early stage of dog ownership, Mogu had a health scare. She just started limping and it turned out to be a genetic condition called Luxating Patellar, which causes her kneecap to pop out of its socket, affecting her ability to walk. Although I was shattered upon hearing the news, I pulled myself together and quickly made lifestyle adjustments to accommodate Mogu’s lifelong condition.
Alpha 7C | FE 50mm F1.8 | 50 mm | 1/4000 sec | F1.8 | ISO 50
More than just your playmate
If Mogu’s health scare has taught me anything, it’s that adopting a dog is no walk in the park. You are responsible for the well-being of your beloved furkids. You have to dedicate lots of time and effort to nurture them with love. An issue I face is balancing work and spending time with Mogu and Cola. When I get busy, it can be a challenge as I would have to work the whole day and have little to no time with them. As such, I cherish every precious moment we spend together.
From heading out for daily walks to going on our frequent adventures, I want to be able to pause every second that I spend with them. Time passes very quickly for our furkids, and it’s so important to capture their growth in photos, so that you can cherish these treasured memories for a long time to come.
Turning canine moments into photos
From silly antics to funny expressions, I want to capture photos of my dogs to look back on. When revisiting these photos, I always feel this surge of warmth. Photography has always been an interest of mine, but Sony’s Alpha 7C is my first full-frame camera.
Alpha 7C | FE 50mm F1.8 | 50mm | 1/2500 sec | F1.8 | ISO 160
Just like their differing personalities, Mogu and Cola also sport different physical traits that capture well in photos. With her boba eyes and fluffy body, Mogu shines in still shots, where she wears this pensive stare as though staring into your soul. For the hyperactive Cola, I capture more action shots, such as running and jumping. You really can see her true state when she’s wild and free! The Alpha 7C enables me to take the pictures quickly before she gets restless. While Mogu can stay still for the most part, she still turns her head to look around quite often but the Alpha 7C’s fast shutter speed and Real-time Eye AF for Animals help capture clear and sharp images of them.
Even with all these fun moments, my favorite shot is of Mogu and Cola simply enjoying themselves together, relaxing, breathing in the fresh air and basking in the evening sun.
Alpha 7C | FE 50mm F1.8 | 50 mm | 1/200 sec | F2 | ISO 250
How to capture your dog’s natural action with ease
I always rely on the Alpha 7C to capture Mogu and Cola’s silly antics as it has an easy-to-use interface. I especially love how its lightweight and compact size allows me to run after them to get the best-composed images. It is also small enough to fit in a bag that’s filled to the brim with Mogu and Cola’s toys.
When it comes to capturing my dogs in action, the Alpha 7C packs a fast shutter speed and a large full frame sensor, which makes every action shot bright and clear. Choosing a F1.8 lens or opening the wide aperture also makes the images brighter and gives me a nice background blur. Being able to easily transfer my photos to my phone via the Imaging Edge app is a huge plus as I can readily share my photos on Instagram!
Above all, I am very pleased with the Alpha 7C being my trusty companion in documenting every moment of Mogu and Cola’s growth.
Learn more about Alpha 7C for Pawgraphy here.
Follow Mogu and Cola’s adventures on Instagram at @moguandcola
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