Dog Photography at Atlanta’s Georgia Tech Campus
The campus at Georgia Tech right in the heart of Atlanta, GA was a gorgeous backdrop for Willie Wonka’s session with his mom earlier this summer. Willie’s mom was completing her Masters program and wanted to celebrate with a photo shoot on the campus where she had spent so much time.
Of course, a college campus is often busy with students and faculty moving around, so we planned our session for sunrise when we could have the place to ourselves.
UGA might have "Uga", but Georgia Tech had Sideways
Sideways, The Dog
• A white terrier with black patches on her face
• She came to Tech in March 1945, when she was eight months old, from the home of Mrs. Schofield, a kindly boardinghouse owner on North Avenue. Mrs. Schofield took the dog in as a young puppy after she was severely injured from a fall from a car window at the Varsity.
• The dog was named Sideways because she had an on-the-bias walk as the result of an operation.
• She was a popular figure on the campus, attending classes, marching with the drill teams and often leading the football team onto the field.
Photographing with Georgia Tech’s Public Art Sculptures
The Atlanta campus of Georgia Tech is full of unique art sculptures and the moment I saw them, I knew there were several that would make epic backdrops for Willie Wonka.
We started with the Big Red Tumpkin, a sculpture by Verina Baxter. The bold red lines against soft green grass set off Willie’s fluffy white fur. You can even spot the red Coca Cola logo on the building in the backdrop and you can’t get more Atlanta than a Coke.
At nearly 40 feet tall, we also couldn’t miss the Koan sculpture by John Portman. I think these are some of my favorites of Willie - he looks like he should be on an album cover! The Koan sculpture also has some great views of the Atlanta skyline in the distance.
Finding Natural Areas in Urban Atlanta
Even in urban sessions, I love finding natural areas. In my head, I always see dogs doing dog things - playing in the grass, climbing rocks, frolicking in the flowers - and I always try to include dogs in nature in every dog photo session I do. Willie’s session in Atlanta was no different.
Willie hopped right up on this decorative boulder along the path and had a very “Lion King” moment being big & tall. Putting dogs up on something is a great trick to getting them to stay where you want them, but always be careful it’s not too high. This rock was perfect as Willie was comfortable jumping up and down on his own.
After the rock, we headed to the famous Tech Square to get some iconic Georgia Tech images to wrap up our session. The flower beds in the square were blooming beautifully and with the path running between the beds we were able to put Willie right in the middle of what looks like a huge flower field instead of just a small bed of flowers.
An Atlanta Dog Photography Location with Special Meaning
Willie’s session at the Georgia Tech Atlanta campus was so special to his alumna mom. The campus holds a lot of great memories for her and having these images of her & Willie is so special. Willie & mom moved to Indiana recently for her new job, and I know they will always have these photos to look back on commemorating their time in Atlanta.
Do you & your dog have a special place you love?
Would you want to be photographed there?
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