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Awards
Contest Finalist in Animal Faces Photo Contest
Contest Finalist in My Favorite Pet Photo Contest
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People's Choice in Expressive Animals Photo Challenge
Contest Finalist in Pet Friendly Photo Contest
People's Choice in Petography Photo Challenge
Contest Finalist in Monthly Pro Vol 11 Photo Contest
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BrianpSlade
March 24, 2015
A wonderful capture Kevin...very pleasing to the eye!
Well done and congrats....Brian
Well done and congrats....Brian
texaaronpueschel
April 11, 2015
This one gets the Handsome Dog Award. Voted. Feel free to view Cleopatra in my gallery.
Alanamous
August 08, 2015
This is the sort of image I aspire to be able to achieve with my pups. Makes you fall in love just looking.
joycealicesmith
October 05, 2015
Beautifully done! Makes me want to reach in and pet him! Congratulations on Peoples Choice Animal Expressions!
erinolivera
April 21, 2016
I keep coming back to this photo. I cannot stop looking at it, it's just so stunning.
Kazelzs
March 12, 2017
Love him! Thank you for highlighting this breed so perfectly! Wish I could do the same with my gal!!!
SaraMadeArtStudio
September 28, 2017
Handsome dog, I love pittbull type, so much emotion in their eyes
cpilz83
January 06, 2018
Beautiful shot!! I have two pit mixes and just love their expressions they make...great job
Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
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Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was actually taken in my own home. I tend to find the best photos of pets comes from when they are not being directed. That is how I tend to base my pet portrait sessions as well. I don't really give a timed limit on a session, but rather just chill with the pets and capture them as they go into their own routines. Their true personalities come out. So photographing them where they are the most comfortable or the place that they love to play seems to give the most epic images. This one loves his couch, therefore if I wait I get to get him in the coolest poses.Time
The time of day is in the morning. I tend to have my camera ready on the weekend mornings because of how the morning light comes through our windows. It brings such a warm and soft light upon this room where the couch is located. Later on in the day that light goes away and I do not get such warmth or beautiful light that there is now. The contrast would go away and the image would be more of a flattened image without the light depth that it has now.Lighting
Lighting in this photo is really all explained in the time of day it is taken. These photos where located have to be taken in the morning or the light would not come through the windows and light up my subject and the couch in the way that it does. If I waited later on these photos would not be lit half as nice as they are now. I believe that I would not even use photos from later on in the day. Lighting is everything in this photo. It adds the light depth and the contrast which brings this image to life.Equipment
The camera I used is My canon 1DX. It has such good ISO capabilities and in the morning light in this room I do need to boost my ISO up a little bit. Not really pushing it, but having the camera that can handle high ISO, ISO 2000 is nothing for it. I believe I shot this with my 50mm 1.4 lens at f/2, as one can tell by the the depth of field. I shot it fast enough (1/160th) so that way there was plenty of wiggle room in case the dog moved, so I wouldn't get any motion blur.Inspiration
Pet photography is a huge part of my photo career. My own pets actually are the ones who really inspired me to get into pet photography. As of this photo is actually of my own dog, Opie. So he was my inspiration to take this photo. It is such a joy just to sit there with my camera and wait for them to take on the cutest poses possible. Light also is a factor in this image. I would not be waiting around for them if the lighting wasn't half as good as it is at this morning time. So the complete inspiration for taking this photo comes from my own two dogs and the lighting. Us photographers always get excited about "good" light!Editing
I did very little post processing to this image. I like to capture the image as much as possible in the frame that I took it in, including cropping. I believe if you are able to frame and know your crop in camera it will just make you that much better of a photographer. I still have a long way to go. I know I did the basic light levels in this image to make sure I did not have any blown out whites or to black of blacks.In my camera bag
My bag is full of great prime goodies! 35mm 1.5, 50mm 1.4, 85mm 1.2, and now added is the 135mm f/2. I try to shoot primes when I can especially when it is images like these. You have time to anticipate the shot, set up the image in your head, position yourself for framing, and BAM! A nice sharp image is created from it. I do have my trusty 24-70mm f2.8 in my bag though for faster moving things like weddings. Shooting with primes though I believe will help me become a better photographer. I have to think more about my positioning and how I am going to frame the shot. And I have said before, but I will say again ... If I can get the frame how I want it in camera so I don't have to post crop ... all the better!Feedback
I have some very good advice to capture a similar image like this ... and that is PATIENCE! This type of photo can't be rushed. You need to plan out the time of day or the type of lighting you want to shoot your subject in. Then just disappear and let the pets ignore you. Eventually they will go back to what they want to do and forget that you even exist. Then you will eventually get the shot that you want or even a shot that is better than what you expected. I tend to spend a few hours on shoots like these where I just follow (or hang back) where the pet is. Getting the pet to ignore you is one of the best way to get chill shots like this. Then a little squeek from you where bring the pets attention up towards you. That is how I get them to look at me. You must be subtle about it or they were jump off and go to check it out. Just a quick short noise to get them to glance up to where it came from and then "click"! Capture that moment.