Serious or sad ..
Still a puppy and already looking like an adult. This image is part of a project I doing on Dogue de Bordeaux' characteristic face. Shadow de Bordeaux....
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Still a puppy and already looking like an adult. This image is part of a project I doing on Dogue de Bordeaux' characteristic face. Shadow de Bordeaux.
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Nov, 2017Views
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Behind The Lens
Location
At home in my living room. Living with dogs is like living with humans. You get to know their routines, moodes, expressions etc. Unlike humans you can't evoke that again in a studio with a dog. Except if you train them but then it's not really them! I planned ahead, leaving my light setup in place for 2 days, for a routine that he did at the time and waited for it to happen naturally.Time
Just past noon. Every day at the time he would go over to his bed, walk backwards on to the bed, lie down and end it with the same expression; Serious or Sad!Lighting
Knowing that I needed to emphasize the serious or sad expression, short lighting was the obvious choice. That also enhances the wrinkles which is a major part of the expression. But I also wanted some light to wrap around his head. I used a 25x90 cm ( ~10x35 inch ) strip box horizontally, placed roughly 135 degrees to the side, tilted downwards on a light stand about 1.5 meter ( 5-6 feets ) from his head.Equipment
My old Canon 60D with a Canon 50mm f/1.8II is small and light enough to get in close using one hand. I used a Godox QT600IIM flash for the strip box with the X1T-C trigger.Inspiration
Seeing that same expression over and over again inspired me to capture it. Not knowing whether or not it was possible I still needed to try. This is one of those moments that visitors never get to see except as a photograph.Editing
This was a simple image to post-process in Lightroom. Opened the shadows a bit, added some dehaze and vibrance, lowered the orange and yellow saturation a bit and enhanced the eyes slightly by increasing exposure and dropping the highlights.In my camera bag
My bag is always more or less fully packed. There is my Canon 7D Mark II with a Canon 70-200mm f/4, my old Canon 60D body, the Canon 50mm f/1.8II and a Sigma 17-70mm F2.8-4 DC Macro OS HSM. The latter is not especially good at one thing but okay for many things .. like a Swiss Army Knife. I have my tripod and a small bag with two 600EX II-RT and a Godox PB960 Power Pack if needed.Feedback
Capturing a dogs character is all about knowing how to read their small gestures. Sure, you can trick them using peanut butter and treats but then it's not who they are but how you want them to be. This image is based on me observing a repeated routine. Capturing something similar requires that the dog knows you and is comfortable with your presence, including whatever gear you have to use, and only then will it resume it's normal routines. If you keep calm so will the dog. And remember to test the dogs reaction to flashing light .. besides the dogs wellbeing you might end up with a lot of broken gear!
