Helpful Articles RSS

Action shots of dogs can be a real problem.   Often with teeth showing, the tongue lolling, and the eyes rolling dogs at a full run can look less than cute.  The best way to get the right emotion is to let the dog get tired so they slow down.  Before getting out the camera play with them until they tire and calm down a bit.  When they aren't straining and running at full speed it is easier to get them in focus and they will have more appealing features.

While an interesting perspective creates interest and grabs initial attention it's the eyes that make a pet portrait memorable.  The feeling of a picture changes dramatically if the subject is engaged with the camera or focused on something off-camera.  Looking at the camera the subject engages us directly but, if they are looking away, they create interest by making us guess at what is just off-camera that is engaging them.

The character of light changes the feel of a picture.  This picture taken late in the evening has a warm glow that would be impossible to get in bright sunshine.  Shadows are more muted creating a softer look. Keep in mind the type of picture that you want to create and plan for the time of day and weather conditions that give you the look that you want.

Backlight is created by taking pictures of your pet with the strongest light behind them.  It is a powerful way to frame and highlight your pet but can easily go wrong.  It is important to expose for the face at the risk of causing the backlighted areas to blow out.  You can prevent the picture from becoming heavily overexposed by placing your subject against a dark background.  This makes exposure easier and will add prominence to the highlighted halo of fur around your pets face and body.  

A compelling photograph keeps your attention by making you ask questions.  Sometimes, as in the above picture, it is about the subject but it can also be about the surroundings. What is the headlight part of and why is it in the middle of the forest?