Sisters Pet Pics’ Blog

The following excerpt is taken from a talk I gave about pet photography, for those who have asked me about my set-up. Refer to the diagram at the right for further explanation.  No secrets here .

I only use the two backdrop lights for shooting on white to avoid shadows and greying. Otherwise I push them to the side to allow for more room for animals and people to move about. I really don’t worry much about the equipment. Perhaps I should, but I’ve found that as long as my stands are spread wide at the base they have never tipped over, even with the wildest of the largest breeds. I do worry for the people, though. I warn everyone to be cognizant of the equipment for their own safety. I also make a crack about OSHA and my wish that they don’t report me. Shhhh. The only one who has tripped over the equipment is me, and the only thing I hurt was my pride. I do watch my camera pretty keenly. Although the tripod is set very low, about 2.5 feet, with a low center of gravity and wide base I have worried about the head tipping over and crashing the lens against the tripod so I often remove it.

I use a grid over the hair light which I find indispensable to light hair. For dogs and cats it’s all about hair. I use Alien Bees equipment. But it’s not about the brand to me. Any brand will do. My key light is an AB 1600 with a 47 inch Octobox. Diffusion is the word. We may lament under or over exposure but no one, to my knowledge has ever said the words, “Oh, there is just too much diffusion.” But hey, I am still learning every day. Perhaps tomorrow someone will say those words to me.

My primary camera setup is a NIKKOR 17-55mm lens on a Nikon D200 body. I’m not an equipment geek and don’t know a lot about other gear. Although I’d love to add a D3, it’s not much about the gear. It’s more about settings and placement.

You’ll notice to the left of my camera within arm’s reach is a small basket with my noises. This is your bread and butter. Each toy has a different squeaker in it. Some “Moo”, some “Boing”, some “Tweet” and many “Squeek” at different pitches. When I go into a store I’m always mindful of noises and if I see a toy I always check the sound it makes. It really doesn’t have to be dog-safe because I don’t let them play with the fragile ones. I spend a lot of time researching toy sounds and add new ones all the time. As I grab a toy and squeak behind my back I watch for expression and get the shot. Dogs are not stupid; once they realize what it is, they’re on to looking at something else. I may move the toy from behind my back to just above the lens and squeak again. I’ll try this with all toys in my arsenal. As they become accustomed to each sound I move on. I keep a whistle on a lanyard around my neck. This is what I may use with a hearing challenged dog, or if I really need a snap of attention. I’ll warn the room “Big noise coming”, then blow the whistle. It can be startling, but it can provide the just right trick to get that intense expression.

Cat and kitten noises are great for both species. I’ve been working on mine for years. The toys double as focus objects. If the subject is no longer looking at the noise, I have to move the noise. That’s when I begin to throw things. If I want them to look directly at me I’ll throw the toy up just above and to the left of the camera. They will look up and follow it as it falls. Just as the toy passes to the left of the lens I shoot. The image will appear to have a dog in it who is intently looking directly into the lens. How do I do that, you ask? How can I possibly throw the item exactly where I want? Well, I’m a photographer, not a ball player, and I miss all the time. However, even if they are *not* looking directly into the lens, sometimes the wistful expression of looking off to the side is a really nice touch.