Puppy Dog Eyes
Jan, 2016Views
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Behind The Lens
Location
The photo was taken at our home in Alberta, Canada. Barney, the puppy, was a new addition to our family and was only 8 weeks old at the time of the photo. He was camera shy and was trying to hide under the sofa.Time
We had just come home from the school run and the children were so excited to see the puppy. Between the excitement and the camera Barney crawled under the sofa to get away, but was too curious to stay under there long so he popped out to say hi and be the centre of attention. He is now 60lbs and can no longer fit under the sofa but he still loves to be centre of attention.Lighting
This was a very natural, spur of the moment photo so there was no complicated lighting set up. It was a lovely winters, sunny day. We have a lot of natural light that filters in to the house via a wall of windows. I did use the pop up flash to brighten the image slightly but the catch lights you see in his eyes are from the sunlight filtering through the windows.Equipment
I had just bought my nifty 50mm and was desperate to try it out. Between the new puppy and the new lens it was a bit of a trial and error process, however I was so delighted with this shot, given that I only took 3 shots in total because Barney wouldn't stay still For long enough.Inspiration
I knew that Barney wouldn't stay small for very long. My eldest was terrified of dogs and wouldn't come near him initially so I wanted to make some memories for him so he could appreciate Barney when he was a puppy without being scared. My eldest now adores him and has completely overcome his fear of dogs. Barney is his best friend now.Editing
I am new to photography and post processing so I didn't do much to the photo as I didn't know what could be done. I tweaked the saturation a little to bring out the colour of the sofa a little more but otherwise I didn't do much at all. It was a very natural, spur of the moment photo.In my camera bag
Being new to photography I don't have a lot of equipment. I have a kit lens and my nifty 50mm which I wouldn't go anywhere without, I love it! I also have a sturdy tripod as the camera can get quite heavy with the kit zoom lens. The tripod is also great for getting super sharp images, especially if used with a remote shutter release. I also have a speed light but that's it. My bag is heavy enough meaning my bank account is safe for the time being, lol.Feedback
My advice is to not over think the shot. If you see something you like, take the picture. If it doesn't come out as you expected then take a moment to think about what you want to change and try again, maybe it's the depth of field, maybe it's the background, maybe you cut off an ear etc. Look at all corners of the frame before you take the photo and remove unecesary distractions from the frame. With animals you are very limited for time as they tend not to cooperate. Don't be upset if you don't get the shot the first time, just wait for the opportunity to present itself again. Try and use natural light so you don't need to worry too much about lighting your subject, which takes time you might not have. Look for catch lights in the eyes, if there are no catch lights try repositioning your subject or yourself, catch lights give the subject a more "alive" look and more personality. You can always use your pop up flash as a fill light to reduce shadows and add catch lights. Most of all, relax and enjoy the shot. If you are relaxed, your subject will be too.
