It's no secret that I am highly motivated to provide something special in my client's portraits, excited when I am able to create an image that celebrates an interest, passion or talent, or simply put, tells a story that they will have, to enjoy for a long, long time. One of those special pieces in our lives, also members of our families, are our pets.
Here at the Studio, I often create an environment for the session where the image created is interactive and illustrates that special relationship that exists between us and our pets. When I do this, I set up the optimum situation with my lighting and the set that will guarantee success.
This, however, is a snapshot pic, using my phone because it's what I had in hand, of our dog Sammi. She and I were outside on this spectacular Fall day, tossing a tennis ball around - a favorite activity for one of us and I bet you can guess which one - and she's just so darned cute, that I can never resist trying to capture the essence of what I'm seeing in her during those times. You know it don't you - if you are a dog owner, you know that twinkle in their eyes, the mouth falling open in pure enjoyment, the tilt of the head and the cocked ears, as they keep drawing you in to play with them.
We love our animals. If there's any doubt, just look at the number of them on FaceBook and the shared animal story posts, right??!! I do it too. I've loved every dog and cat that I've ever shared a home with, and can identify with those pics and videos. They make me smile. As does this photo of Sammi.
If you've ever been frustrated in trying to get that great picture of YOUR pet, here are a few tips. It's not the camera you are using - as you can see by this picture using my phone. It doesn't allow me to do all those great manual adjustments that my cameras provide, so I have to plan a way around the challenges that these limitations will make even more difficult to work with.
First, if your pet is dark, they are going to need light directly shining on their fur, and hopefully especially, into their face. If your pet is like Sammi, very dark in some areas and very light in others, oh boy, the challenge is doubled. I like to find an area where she'll be stepping into sunlight, so the details in the fur on her face, and even harder, light in her eyes, is possible, yet there are some shadows that will fall upon her body to keep detail in the white areas of her fur. If your pet is light colored all over, it's a little more simple - you just need a good exposure for their coloring and you're good to go!
Second, keep your background simple. You don't need the distractions of too much stuff, or too many bright spots in the picture pulling your eye away from your pet's face. In my pic here, notice that I even planned for the direction of light coming from the top left at an angle towards Sammi... a composition decision, not just luck. That brighter area of grass serves as an arrow aiming right towards her face, and that is where your eyes are drawn to look. Love it.
Next, pre-focus and let your active pet walk/run into the spot, where you will be ready to hit the shutter and get the shot. Set things up so that they will be positioned exactly where you want them for the picture. You want their eyes to be in sharp focus, so as their nose enters that area, shoot! Yes, you might have to repeat this a few times to get exactly what you are looking for, but your dog won't mind - they can play all day long without wanting to quit. If you can get them to sit-stay, that's great, but keep in mind that when sitting in a command, they have a tendency to lose that lively expression. Click your tongue or make mewing/barking/squeaking sounds, or use the phrase "do you want to" to get their ears up and head tilted. This only works for a couple times, so be ready and grab the shot!
I talked about the lighting being in their faces, and there is one more thing to note about that. If you can use lighting coming in from off to the side a bit, instead of from directly behind you at camera and straight towards them, then you will get more texture, more detail in their fur. Look at Sammi's muzzle and up into the top of her head and the curls on her ears - so adorable! You feel that you could reach out and touch her, and that too, is what photographing our pets is all about. We love to cuddle our pets, and the appeal of that soft fur should come across in the pic.
Sometimes, having a white side of building or reflective surface nearby is helpful, for it can bring a nice amount of lighting into dark areas of fur. Just be sure to keep the wall or reflective surface out of the picture.
I'm a minimalist when it comes to portraits, so I don't add bows and am not really even a fan of collars or decorative bandannas, but that is a personal choice. I prefer to really look into the animal's eyes and don't wish to look at lots of stuff that pulls me away from them.
This might sound like I am talking only about dogs, but you can use these same tips for photographing your cat, hamster, bunny, lizard, tarantula, ferret, or what have you, using an indoor well naturally-lit location as well. Some of these creatures, you'd be striving to capture the texture of skin instead of fur, and using the direction of light as described here will work fantastically for that!
Lastly, don't get frustrated. Sometimes, it takes many, many attempts before you get that perfect one. Have fun with it... for me it is the level of challenge that gives me the most enjoyment in the process, for when I am successful, I know I've done something that even the smartest camera on the planet would not have been able to do. After all, it's just technology to make our lives easier, not to think for us.
Happy shooting, and I'd love to see YOUR pics! You can comment here so I'll know to look for them, and email them to me, bonnie@bstpierrestudio.com. I'll be pleased to offer you feedback and suggestions, or even just the "yeah for you!" if you're pleased and excited. Should you, or someone you know, appreciate the art that I can create in portraits for you or your family, to be treasured for generations, contact me to get that conversation going by email or phone, 603-883-2517.
Bonnie
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