Photographing Dogs – extra!

Extra! Breaking the rules.

I figured I’d add one last post to this short “Photographing Dogs” series. Today what I want to talk about, is breaking the rules! Breaking the rules in photography is fun, and there is definitely a time and a place for it. For example, what’s the fun in always taking pictures at the dog’s level? It gets boring after a while. Sometimes it’s fun to shake it up!

Tucker

One of my favorite ways to break the rules is to take pictures from above the dog. This can be a bit difficult as dogs don’t seem to like looking up, unless you’re holding a treat. I always forget to bring treats to my photoshoots(forgetful me!) so I have to improvise. I usually just make funny sounds to get their attention, and snap a picture as soon as they look up at me. It usually takes a few tries to get it right, but once I do I love the results. Now, if you’re like me and you always forget to bring treats to your photoshoots, you may have a hard time doing this, especially with untrained dogs! But if you can remember to bring treats, well it should be a fairly easy picture to take.

Nelly in Wildflowers

Another fun way to break the rules is to put your white balance(the overall color of the picture) off a bit. If the picture was taken in a scene where there’s snow on the ground, the picture might actually look better with a very slight blue tint to it, as it gives it a cool feel. If the picture was taken with an orange sunset in the background, try adding a bit of a red tint to the picture and see how it looks. You’d be surprised what a little extra color can do for a picture! It can also be fun to use some filters or presets on your pictures. I have enjoyed many of the free presets that I have found at PresetPond.

Have fun, break the rules. Be a rebel!

Photographing Dogs – pt. 2

If you missed “Part 1”, you can see it HERE.

Part 2 – lighting, background, editing

Maybe just as important as your subject, is your background and lighting. Who wants to see a picture taken in harsh sunlight with trash littered all over the place?

Tucker at sunset. If you look closely you can see that there is a leaf on his head!

The picture’s lighting is very important. Try to avoid taking pictures in direct sunlight, as this creates harsh shadows, causes the subject to squint, etc. Taking pictures in shade can work, but often your background will be overexposed. If you do take pictures in the shade, make sure it is solid shade and does not have little spots of light shining through. The absolute best times to take pictures are at sunset, and when it is overcast outside. In both of these scenarios, it is plenty light out so your pictures will be well lit, but there are no harsh shadows. The light is usually very soft and even, which makes for great pictures.

Molly, a Great Pyrenees puppy, wades in the river.

Your pictures background is just as important as the lighting. I try to choose a photoshoot area that has a very natural feel to it. The river park by my house is great as there’s a lot of trees, and some dogs like to wade in the river, which makes for adorable pictures! If there is any trash left by other people, I clean it up. It’s not good for the environment and it certainly isn’t going to look good in my pictures! I do sometimes enjoy taking pictures in a city setting, however I don’t get to do this often as I live out in the country. Aim for a background that you find beautiful, and chances are the pictures will have a nice feel to them! Avoid having light poles, cars, etc. in the background of your pictures.

Stella – Before&After

What you do with your pictures after you take them is crucial. In my experience, pictures straight out of the camera often have a blue tint to them, sometimes it’s severe and sometimes it’s just mild. On the left you’ll see a before & after of a picture of Stella. The color of the picture was off, so I corrected it in Lightroom. It only takes a minute or two to get the correct color balanace. I also upped the contrast, vibrance, and clarity. I took down the highlights, and the exposure by 0.5 points.

Photographing Dogs

People often ask me for tips for photographing their dogs and foster dogs, so I thought I would share what I do to get the pictures that I do. This will be a 2-part post. Part two is coming on Sunday!

Part 1 – the dog.

Stella

This is, of course, the most important part of your picture. Your subject, the dog.

When I’m taking pictures of foster dogs, my goal is to take pictures that people connect with. I want them to feel drawn towards the dog, I want them to see my pictures and think, “I want this dog.” One of the best ways to do this is to implement a little psychology into the pictures. Studies show that the first thing a person looks at in a picture is the subjects eye. When they see a picture, their brain automatically starts searching for what should be the focal point – the eyes. Because of this, the focal point of my pictures is almost always the eyes.

Riley strikes a pose

It’s also important to take the rest of the dog’s body into account. You don’t want a picture where they are standing awkwardly, right? I often have to lure foster dogs into the position I want, then slowly back away and hope they stay in that position. Or, I wait for them to move and hope they move into a good position. A lot of it can be just waiting for the dog to strike a cute pose. In the picture above, I had Riley leashed to a tree on the river bank. He wanted to follow me into the river but hit the end of his leash, so he simply stood there watching me. He put his paw up on the rock which was the perfect touch to this picture.

 

Clint, a very terrified dog, was leashed to the tree in this picture. He was later adopted by one of my Instagram followers.

Leashing your dog can be a good way to get them to stay in the area that you want. You can either take pictures so that the leash isn’t visible, or edit the leash out in Photoshop. I am a big fan of Photoshop Lightroom 5, I use it for editing every picture. You can take leashes out with the “clone” and “heal” tools. It takes a bit of practice but once you’ve got it down, it’s easy and nobody can tell that your dog was leashed.

A little bit of a head tilt from Tucker.

And, last but not least, is you. How and where you stand&act is going to affect what the dog looks like in the pictures. I almost always try to take pictures from the dogs eye level. Not above, not slightly above, not below, not slightly below, but at their level. It’s also important to get their ears perked forward! I usually do this by embarrassing myself – making funny noises that the dog is interested in. I have found that meowing and whining are what dogs are usually most curious about, and if I’m lucky they’ll do more than just put their ears forward, they’ll tilt their head!

It takes a lot of practice to be able to capture all of this in one picture, but once you’ve got it down it comes naturally.

People? What are those?

My friend Jazzy being “attacked” by Nelly.

I was recently diagnosed with IBS, after having struggled with it for over a year. Unfortunately, there is no cure or approved treatment for IBS. There are things you can do that are supposed to help, but so far, nothing has helped me. I’ve taken supplements, fiber, probiotics, vitamins, etc. I am already on a vegan diet due to other health issues(and to save the animals!) so we know it’s not a dairy allergy. The next step is to try different types of diets – FODMAP, gluten-free, you name it I’m going to try it. Depending on the severity, IBS can make your life a living hell. I know it has for me – I had to leave school and do independent study, I can’t leave the house without first taking medication, and I now have anxiety related to leaving the house. But, I persevere. I don’t get to go out that often, most of my days are spent cooped up in my little house, meaning I don’t get to see people or friends very much.

My brother and my wet dog at the lake on a colder winter day.

But when I do, my camera is glued to my face. I LOVE to photograph people when I get the chance, though often my Nelly girl manages to sneak into the pictures. Okay, more than “often”. She ends up in several pictures in every photoshoot. I love taking pictures of her and she loves being in front of the camera, and people usually enjoy having their picture taken with the pretty dog! This, of course, only goes for the close friends and family that are allowed around her. (See the post “A Difficult Decision”) She and my brother both have beautiful eyes, so it’s fun to get the two of them in a picture together. And the way they interact is so sweet – she absolutely adores him and he adores her, too.

One of my favorite things about photographing people is that, unlike dogs, when you tell them to sit still they’re usually going to listen! Photographing dogs can be frustrating at times when you’re working with untrained, hyper ones. People are generally more willing to take instruction…without needing food motivation! Don’t get me wrong, I do love photographing dogs. I love photographing dogs even more than I love photographing people. But sometimes it’s nice to have a change from what I normally do. I don’t photograph people very often, but when I do I’m always really excited to get home and edit the pictures.