Photographing Greyhounds: A Visit to SOS Galgos

Los Galgos means “greyhounds” in Spanish, and SOS Galgos is a rescue and advocacy organisation founded by Anna Clement. She runs it out of the veterinary practice she manages for her husband, just outside Barcelona. The work they do is vital—because what happens to greyhounds after a couple of years of racing is grim. Most are abandoned or euthanised. If you want the full, heartbreaking picture, I suggest visiting their website.

Trams, Dogs, and New Gear

This was my first shoot after returning from Christmas in the UK and a gear-binge in New York. Among my new acquisitions: a ring flash I hadn’t properly tested yet. Naturally, I brought it along to use on a shoot involving hyperactive rescue dogs and very limited time. Flawless planning.

The shoot location was near the edge of the city, and I got there by tram along Avinguda Diagonal—a scenic, calm way to travel. The contrast between my peaceful journey and the chaos of photographing multiple rescued greyhounds was… noticeable.

Lessons in Light and Dogs Who Won’t Sit Still

I paired the ring flash with a main flash and umbrella, shooting everything manually with a rough guess on exposure. I barely checked the images on-site, because wrangling dogs with abandonment trauma doesn’t leave much time for chimping.

To my surprise, once I got the photos into post-production, the results were solid—some even portfolio-worthy. There’s something about working under pressure (and around tails that won’t stay still) that sharpens your instincts.

Looking Ahead

This session reminded me that nearly every shoot has the potential to become part of a bigger project. I’d like to revisit SOS Galgos soon and develop the work into something more extensive—maybe even pitch it to a magazine. It’s not just a feel-good story, it’s a necessary one.