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Jun, 2016Views
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Behind The Lens
Location
I shot this image of Boo Boo Humphrey at my home in Las Vegas.Time
This was one of my "puppy photo sessions" shot during the afternoon inside from the beating sun of Las Vegas, Nevada. I had purchased an adorable little red velvet chair that Boo Boo loved to sit in. So many photos of him in the red chair so to change it up, I worked with him covering the chair with the black mat material used in show business. Boo Boo ultimately loved the treats I provided, so he didn't care what the chair was covered with.Lighting
My lighting of this particular image was just my camera with my detachable hotshoe flash and my diffuser.Equipment
I used my Canon 60D, supported by my tripod and I also used my Gary Fong diffuser on my ancient flash that attaches to the hotshoe (I need to update my flash). I also like to use the handheld shutter release and special doggie treats.Inspiration
So I'd have to say what really inspired me to take this photo of Boo Boo is that smile of his. We would just say "cheese doggie" and there's those pearly whites. So then I found the cutest little red chair that I purchased just for baby or pups photo shoots. When I first brought the chair in the dogs were very interested in it, sniffing and going all over it. Then I attempted to put one of the dogs in the chair, and the fight began of which dog would be first, or rather who'd get that special treat first, that I use for photographing them. Our 2 dogs just have to sit in it. I was tired of all the red chair shoots, so Boo Boo and I tried covering the chair with a black drape.Editing
I took a class from a great photographer guest speaker at the College of Southern Nevada. Everything about his technique resonated with me. Take a great photo from the start and you won't need any post-processing. I only cropped this image. I do like Photoshop and Lightroom and feel I'm always going to refer to myself as a photography student because I'm always learning. I have access to the Adobe Creative Cloud where I am always up-to-date on my apps and they have great learning tutorials that I take and practice.In my camera bag
At home I have an office with all my equipment everywhere. No matter how much I try to organize my equipment, I just come back from a shoot so excited to view my images, that I tend to just leave everything right there on the kitchen counter while grabbing my SD cards to go view. Honestly, since it takes me usually too much time trying to organize my bag, I definitely need to work on that aspect of my photo journeys. While traveling, such as road trips, I take everything just in case. Especially my camera's rain covering. I take both of my Canon 50D and 60D so I can be ready for a long distance shot or the other camera has zoom lens, ready for either camera I see what I want to shoot. I switch back and forth between the 2 cameras. I always have my tripod with me. I have several lens that I take: a Canon EF-S 17-55 mm; Canon EF-S 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 standard Zoom lens and 1 Tamron lens 24-70mm. My lens hoods are handy too. I make sure I have extra SD cards, my business cards, a note pad and pencil or some times I document my exposure and other settings by snapping a photo with my phone camera. I also carry all my lens and lens wipes. I utilize a Hoodman to view my screen image when it's too bright. I must have a headband type of bandana because of sweat running into my eyes and then of course on my glasses. I also carry my Gary Fong diffuser, a car battery charger for my cameras and their battery charging station. I make sure I take along extra batteries for my flash. I have sunscreen, chapstick, and always plenty of water and snacks. I personally do not make a habit of going shooting alone. Personal safety is necessary these days especially when you're so focused on your subject the surroundings can change in an instant.Feedback
Have patience with pets and children especially because they see this big camera coming too close for comfort. They scare easily, so letting my pup see the camera on the floor before we begin helps. Using a tripod with a remote shutter release is also the best way I've gotten some great shots by not standing behind the camera but interacting with my subject with the shutter release in my hand. Most importantly is have a special treat that your pet only gets when they're having their "photo session."
