Otto
This little snausage of a boy lived to be 13 and was always the happiest, bestest tater tot you could ever meet.
This little snausage of a boy lived to be 13 and was always the happiest, bestest tater tot you could ever meet.
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Dec, 2018Views
555
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Awards
People's Choice in Black Backdrop Photography Photo Challenge
Peer Award
Absolute Masterpiece
Top Choice
Outstanding Creativity
All Star
Magnificent Capture
Virtuoso
Superb Composition
Emotions
Impressed
Happy
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Behind The Lens
Location
I used to rent a shared studio space - and this was shot there. I no longer rent the space, now that I know what I'm doing with my lights and backdrops I can set up virtually anywhere, as long as I have outlets.Time
This was in the evening, but as it was a studio that's pretty irrelevant.Lighting
Just one light, a soft box, about 60 degrees over the subject, with the subject looking into it. I wanted a largely profile photo, no key lights for the background or anything else.Equipment
Shot with my old workhorse D300 and old Nikon 50mm 1.4 - only set to F4. Again, I wanted the subject crisp and in profile with no details in the black background. Single Alien Bee with a soft box. I prefer to do portraits hand-held.Inspiration
There was a brief period when I wanted to photograph pets exclusively. This little tater-tot of a pug, Otto, was one of the first friends I made when I moved to Portland. I met his mom years ago on another photo platform, and when I moved west she and I became friends in person, too. I always loved her little dude. When I started building a pet portfolio, I knew he'd be an excellent subject.Editing
If you do studio shoots right, there's usually very little post processing. This was adjusted a hair for contrast, a little sharpening, and a crop.In my camera bag
Recently, it's been my D800, Sigma 50mm ART, Sigma 24mm ART, and my Nikon 80-400. ND filter, CPL, lens cloth, spare batteries, spare memory cards, chap stick, two SB900 flash units, a Nikon flash unit transponder (for off-camera firing), and a protein bar. And safety pins! Always safety pins.Feedback
Plan plan plan ahead, have everything you could possibly need at the ready. For pets, always be sure to have water and ample treats. And take a bazillion photos - and then cull out the terrible ones. Pets aren't dissimilar from shooting kids - you have to be quick, determined, and have lots of energy as they tend to not take direction too well. It's also harder in a studio space because it's a new place to them, they want to check it out. Be sure to build in play-time to your time estimate. I often found in a one-hour shoot, I really only worked for about 20 minutes. The rest was playtime with the dog, letting them explore and relax, and then trying to work up to taking the photos. Give yourself time!
