Introduction
One of the many beauties of photography is its ability to stop moments in time so they can be savored as long as they’re able to last. Names can work much in the same fashion, as they can act as active or suspended associations with those they title. Because of it, many find naming their dogs to be a challenge, as they are hoping to find something both apt and meaningful. But also like great photographs, great names can take a lot of work and patience, only to repay those that choose them with years and years of timeless memories, all thanks to the one moment when they are finally committed to something tangible. Which is also why giving your dog a photography-inspired name is all the more appropriate, especially if you appreciate both with zeal, as they can both transcend time with grace and meaning.
Photography Inspired Dog Names in Pop Culture
There is little doubt that since we’ve brought dogs into our personal lives, they’ve stood as symbols of companionship and dedication. For proof, one needs to look no further than the heart-wrenching photograph of Terry Ford’s blanketed body, who was killed during the land-seizure initiative sparked by Zimbabwe president Robert Mugabe. By his side, is his dog Squeak, who lays next to his owner on the blanket covering his body, the image sparking international debate and bringing the raw truth of land-related violence into worldwide conversation.
But although dogs can make powerful dramatic statements, they can also bring humor, lightness, and even satire to photography as well. If there are two that have done exactly that, they are Man Ray and Fay Ray, a pair of Weimaraners owned by famed photographer William Wegman.
Man Ray was the first, adopted by Wegman in the 1970s. While most dogs have a hard time being stared at, let alone staying still, May Ray was an absolute pro at maintaining poses and providing dynamic emotions that ranged from involved to straight-up deadpan. Once Wegman began to use him regularly, Man Ray was so good at his job, Wegman is quoted as saying, “Some dogs don’t like being stared at. Man Ray required it.” Man Ray even helped Wegman evolve into color, largely unexplored territory even for the tenured photographer, by wearing nail polish and holding his paw above a bottle of it as Wegman snapped one of his many notable photos.
Unfortunately, Man Ray passed away in 1981, but it took only a few years before Wegman was finally able to break himself from being “nailed on the dog cross”, as he called it, and realized he would need another subject to continue his work, which appeared in the form of a six-month-old puppy from a breeder in Memphis. Afraid to step on the space that Man Ray had carved out in both the photo community and his own heart, Wegman tread lightly at first, but soon fell for his new subject, finding new ways to capture and present her, thus furthering his experimentation without compromising the integrity of Man Ray’s influence. She became so popular, Wegman was invited to do several segments on Sesame Street with her, which were considerably well-received, especially when she was joined by her three pups.
Instead of moving on from dogs after Fay Ray’s death, Wegman continued on with the remains of her lineage in the form of her great great grandpuppies and has now published numerous books in the process, while being featured in numerous galleries worldwide, cementing his dogs’ influence as the subjects of a new string of photography altogether.
Photography Inspired Dog Name Considerations
There is certainly a lot to consider when looking to pair your pooch up with a great photography-inspired name. First, you’ll have to consider whether your want to name them after a certain favorite photographer or something more general, like photo-specific jargon. Second, you’ll have to consider what makes your dog stand out most or best represents them on the whole, such as their looks or personalities. Once those ideas are isolated, you can begin exploring.
Looks can be a great place to start. For instance, if your dog happens to end up with lots of stray bits in their fur by the end of the day, maybe Arti would be a good fit, after the artifacts found in their coat. If they’re particularly long, such as a Dachshund, the names Pano and Bellow would be clever fits. If they have noticeable spots or dots, Dodge or Spot would work, as would Evie if they are particularly light or dark.
But often times personality works just as well. For example, if you have a dog that runs so often or so fast that they’re hard to see, Burst, Servo, Blur, Zoom, and Flash would all be appropriate choices. If it takes them several times to repeat and accomplish an act, Bracket would be great. If they’re picture perfect, maybe Sooc would work, implying they were as perfect as if they had just emerged from the camera themselves.
Male Photography Inspired Dog Names
Votes | Name | Vote |
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2 |
Shutter
The part of the camera that acts as a gate to external light, helps control exposure based on time
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2 |
Kelvin
The color temperature of a photo
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2 |
Focus
The amount of visual clarity a photo or subject has
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1 |
Dodge
A film-processing technique used to prevent specific areas of exposure
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0 |
Kertesz
After Andre Kertesz, a groundbreaking photographer who helped to re-shape traditional photographic concepts like composition
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0 |
Bracket
The process of capturing multiple duplicate exposures to compile a better-balanced photo
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0 |
Lens
The light-gathering part of a camera
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0 |
Prime
A fixed focal length lens
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0 |
Macro
A lens suitable for up-close subjects
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0 |
Raw
After the Raw image format, uncompressed images
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0 |
Flash
A timed bulb used to instantly brighten the subject
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0 |
Chimp
The process of looking at the back screen of a digital camera frequently, known as "chimping"
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0 |
Manual
Old-school, analog, hands-on-lens-ring focusing
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0 |
Bellow
The folded, extendable, accordion-like part of old cameras that helped adjust focal length
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0 |
Fixer
A mix of chemicals used as one of the final steps of film processing
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0 |
Leader
A length of film attached to the roll to help align it within the camera
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0 |
Hood
A device put on the end of a lens to prevent flaring
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0 |
Golden
After "the Golden Hour", also known as the two times a day just before the sun rises and after it sets that makes magic photos
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0 |
Spot
A type of light metering
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0 |
Pano
After panorama, a long, continuous photograph
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0 |
Splitzer
An object used in tomography to cover half the lens, allowing double exposure
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0 |
Sprocket
After sprocket hole photography, which exposes on the entire film space, including the sprocket holes used to align the film inside the camera
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0 |
Servo
A type of analysis and focusing on moving subjects (digital cameras)
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0 |
Arti
A play on artifacts, small, random, and often unexpected elements that crop up in photos
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0 |
Phillipe
After Philippe Halsman, famed American portrait photographer
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0 |
Manray
After Man Ray, American surrealist photographer based out of France
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0 |
Capa
After Robert Capa, Hungarian photographer and photojournalist
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0 |
Erwitt
After Elliott Erwitt, famous for his black and white candid shots of ironic or absurd scenes
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0 |
Karsh
After Yousuf Karsh, American-Canadian portrait photographer
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0 |
Duffy
After Brian Duffy, fashion and portrait photographer
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Female Photography Inspired Dog Names
Votes | Name | Vote |
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1 |
Evie
A play off the abbreviation EV, for exposure value
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1 |
Zoom
The ability of a lens to get in closer to the action by mechanical means
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1 |
Rollie
A play off a roll of film
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0 |
Foto
A play on Toto with photography
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0 |
Iso
After the abbreviation ISO, which describes the film's or sensor's sensitivity to light
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0 |
Key
After key lighting, specific types such as high or low used to achieve specific aesthetic affects
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0 |
Bokeh
The aesthetic quality of blur in a photograph
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0 |
Gobo
A screen used to shield a subject or camera from excess light
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0 |
Flare
What happens when the light hits a subject or the camera lens at a particular angle
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0 |
Sooc
A play off the abbreviation SOOC, which means straight out of the camera; unedited
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0 |
Burst
A camera setting in which the camera shoots a series of consecutive photos
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0 |
Blur
Areas of the photo without the clarity and focus of the subject
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0 |
Easel
A masking frame with adjustable marks for photo processing
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0 |
Grain
The amount of visual grit a photo has, largely based on ISO
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0 |
Slide
A type of film surrounded by slides that can be mounted in specific projectors for viewing
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0 |
Sunny
After the "Sunny 16" or f/16 rule, helps to assume lighting/exposure without a meter
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0 |
Lomo
After the term lomography, a style of pop photography based on the Austrian Lomo brand of cameras
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Meta
After meta data, data that holds intricate details that allow digital photos to be shared and understood by different software
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Vignette
After vignetting, the purposeful darkened edges of a photograph
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0 |
Buffer
The process of temporarily storing information before it is committed to a digital memory card
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0 |
Ansel
After Ansel Adams, famous environmentalist and landscape photographer
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0 |
Bresson
After Henri Cartier-Bresson, French humanist photographer
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Brassai
After Brassai, French-Hungarian black and white photographer
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Weegee
Also known as Arthur Fellig, black and white street photographer
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Gerda
After Gerda Taro, the first female photographer on the front lines of war, died there
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Taro
After Gerda Taro, companion to Robert Capa, famed female war photographer
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Lange
After Dorothea Lange, social realism photographer
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Leibovitz
After Annie Leibovitz, famed American portrait photographer
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0 |
Maisel
After Jay Maisel, award-winning American photographer
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Uels
After Jerry Uelsmann, American photomontage photographer
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