Dottie The Miniature Dachshund (Click to enlarge)
Meet Dottie, a sweet black and tan Miniature Dachshund. She arrived in our studio with her red, long haired Dachshund house-sister, Scarlet. What a photogenic pair they were. I post Dottie today to illustrate another example of what may happen when you color outside the lines, so to speak. When Terry and I opened Sisters Pet Pics in 2005 we looked for examples and information from other pet photographers around the world to inspire us. The best information we received was, don’t shoot a black dog on a black ground. We stuck to that tenet for quite a while until I saw something that inspired me. I began shooting on a dark ground even if the animal was dark too. I’ve posted other black animals on this blog to illustrate some interesting visuals you may achieve if you try this, see Atticus Finch, but it won’t hurt to show this example again.
Dottie is not on a black ground but the deep forest green is dark enough to provide the drama I look for. Some may take issue with the differences in the ground cloth and the background. I do not. I like the textured green in the foreground fading to black. My customer is always right, however, therefore if there is no interest in this sort of thing, I will move on to something with a higher contrast. This technique works better with sleek black coats. Curly coated black animals such as poodles will absorb all the light in the universe. They will be more difficult to light in most conditions, however don’t stop trying to light them, but you may want to achieve success on a light backdrop first.
There is wonderful information about studio lighting all over the internet if you are interested in going into detail about lighting techniques. Studio Lighting is one, but for our purposes I suggest that you begin experimenting with your lights and throw it all around your subject. Before you invest in all kinds of studio lights, if you don’t already own them, you should probably familiarize yourself with Bryan Peterson’s Understanding Exposure. If you understand everything he teaches about ambient light, you can move on more easily to studio lighting.
In the mean time let’s just enjoy Dottie in her wistful pose. As always, I welcome your comments or suggestions. Post your own photos if you’d like. Tell us the story of your pet(s). Remember, to comment you must register; to receive our newsletter (and be eligible for 10% off on your next visit to Sisters Pet Pics) you must subscribe. The newsletter is delivered on Fridays. Both these options appear in the left sidebar.
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