Matilda
Aug, 2015Views
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Behind The Lens
Location
I was asked by my client to photograph all 5 of her dogs. Going out on location wouldn't be feasible, so I did this shoot at her home in Tennessee. With this many animals in a single session, I felt being in their home and not taking them out of their environment would be best. So this image was shot in the backyard of her home.Time
I gave myself plenty of time to photograph all 5 dogs, enough time to photograph them individually and all together. We planned the shoot a little over 2 hours before sunset. This image was taken around 6:00pmLighting
I like to use the sun to my advantage to help light an animal's face and especially their eyes versus using a flash.Equipment
I used Nikon D700 and a Nikon 24-70 f/2.8 to shoot this imageInspiration
I absolutely love photographing animals, dogs especially. When I meet each dog I photograph, I get a sense of their personality and hope to reflect that in their image.Editing
Yes, I open the images in Lightroom to adjust white balance, exposure, contrast. I do any further editing/post processing in Photoshop. This image in particular, I used Alien Skin in Photoshop to give it the tone and texture.In my camera bag
I carry a Nikon D4 body and D700 backup body. My lenses include Nikon 24-70 f/2.8, Nikon 70-200 f/2.8, Sigma 85 f/1.4Feedback
I definitely recommend approaching the shoot with a calm demeanor as animals can sense your energy and it will make a difference in how they feel around you throughout the shoot. Before beginning the shoot, let the pet smell your equipment as you offer treats, which will make it seem like your equipment is a good thing and not something to be scared of. When photographing dark dogs, use the sun to your advantage to help light their eyes. Also, patience is certainly needed! Shooting dogs can at times be like photographing a toddler, if you can be patient with an animal to let some moments unfold, where they are just being themselves, it will be worth the wait. Their comfort is important, so give them little breaks from time to time. Use the owner to help with some of the shots. If you want expression, have the owner stand beside you to say some of the pets favorite words (if they have any) like "walk, treat, squirrel, etc..." or you can make funny sounds that might get their attention.
