Charlotte
This is Duchess Charlotte Wigglebritches. She's an Australian Shepherd. She's relaxing in this photo, and really would have rather been sleeping inste...
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This is Duchess Charlotte Wigglebritches. She's an Australian Shepherd. She's relaxing in this photo, and really would have rather been sleeping instead of posing.
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Jun, 2016Views
547
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Awards
Action Award
Zenith Award
Top Shot Award 22
People's Choice in Puppy Love Photo Challenge
Member Selection Award
Outstanding
Outstanding Creativity
Peer Award
Top Choice
Absolute Masterpiece
Superb Composition
All Star
Top Ranks
Top 30 rankTop 30 rank week 1
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Top 10 rank
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Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
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Behind The Lens
Location
I took this photo at my home studio. I was doing some work and noticed Charlotte (only a couple months old at the time) flopped down on the floor in a patch of cool light from the window. one thing led to another, and this is the result.Time
It was later in the afternoon when I captured this image. The sun was on the verge of setting on the Western side of the house and the windows on the Northern side were letting in a cooler evening light with some shadow just starting to fill in around the edges.Lighting
I really wanted to use the ambient light from the windows on the North side of the house to capture Charlotte settling down for a nap. There was enough light there to clearly define her head and gradually fall of to softer darkness on her body and background. It was a great way to isolate her eyes in this shot, which was what was aiming for.Equipment
This image was captured using a Nikon D7000 and a 35mm Nikkor f/1.8 prime lens handheld (while laying on the floor in front of her).Inspiration
This is actually a cut shot from a set I took for another project, where the subject was "Peaceful". Over time, I've grown to like this pose more then the one I used for that project, because there's just a bit more life and tranquility in Charlotte's eyes in this shot.Editing
The post on this image was very minimal. Pushed the light levels a bit in Lightroom to get the mood I was looking for, a splash of noise reduction, a bit of crop to level her out more, and then some sharpening in Photoshop.In my camera bag
My Lowepro bag is always ready to go with my D7000, usually mounted with a Sigma 18-200 that is my main "walking around" lens. I also carry Nikkor 35 and 50mm primes for specific lighting situations. A Rokinon 16mm f/2 lens round out my normal kit, and I use that for landscape and astrophotography sessions. I also have the usual extra batteries, a coupe of Vivitar flashes and remote trigger kits, cleaning supplies, a small flashlight with a red colored beam (for astro sessions), a couple of refillable water bottles IR trigger, and spare body mounts for my tripod.Feedback
Taking photos of your pets is mostly about opportunity and timing. Since they ALWAYS seem to move when you start paying attention to them, you have to be somewhat sneaky to get them to stay composed in a way that is suitable for your shot. Keep your eyes open and your camera close, and work as quickly as you can. Don't be afraid to adjust things in post if you need to.
