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In the four years since Terry Scheller and I have been operating our pet portraiture business called Sisters Pet Pics, we have accrued many tips and tricks to capturing what we think are compelling studio pet portraits. It is my intent to post many of those tips right here and hopefully you’ll post some of yours. We hope many of you join us in the conversation.
If you are considering an appointment to have your pet photographed in our studio, use the drop-down menu under Categories, in the left side-bar, to sort for available backdrops.
Continue reading Hello Fellow Pet Photographers And Enthusiasts
Although you can enjoy whatever there is to enjoy here at Sisters Pet Pics Blog without doing anything but visit and read, you can get the most by participating in discussions about your photos and your pet. How can you do that you ask? Easy. You can begin by commenting on photos I have posted. Give me your opinion…I’m thick skinned about critique, so don’t worry. I have learned sooo much from others’ critiques and you will learn too as you critique another photograph. Continue reading How This Works
 Plenty of Halloween Love Here! (Click to enlarge) Although props may be used to enhance a theme, the best shots are those captured while your subjects are relaxed.
 Tallulah & Abby The Adorable Pugs (Click to enlarge) Well, school’s back in session. Summer’s over. Vacation’s have been taken and photos have been processed. Did you get the shots you wanted? Are the results of your shutter trips what you had in mind?
If any of the above answers are ‘No’, then you’ve not been listening. There are two documents which I would never leave home without. The absorption of the information in each is absolutely necessary to taking really good photographs consistently.
First – YOUR MANUAL. Your manual is not expendable. Even if you came to me with your camera and wanted help, the first thing I would ask is, where is your manual. I would have to read it in order to help you with your problem.
Second – Bryan Peterson’s Exposure. I’ve mentioned this book many times since I began this blog. In my opinion, it is the best, most succinct document ever written about the basics of photography. If you understand every page, you could use your camera not only to capture snap-shots to document your vacation or trip, but to make artistic creations that are suitable for any wall display. Something you can be proud of.
Tallulah & Abby don’t have to worry about such things. All they have to do is watch with those engaging eyes and ”Voila’! Sweet portrait.
 Toby the Labradoodle finding a ball at the "beach"  Image available on shirts, mugs, puzzles, mouse pads and much more. If you’ve been following Sisters Pet Pics over the years, you will have noticed our growth and changes along the way. Here we go again!
As we’ve added products and services, we’ve also expanded our focus to include many other styles, subjects and locations. Although our specialty will always be pet & family photography, we have been adding to our portfolio for quite some time.
This growth called for the biggest change yet…a new business name. Sisters Studios was born! Here’s what WON’T change: our love for animals and the people who share our love, our studio location, 3979 HWY 190, Covington, LA. and our dedication to providing our customers with high quality depictions of their vision.
Here’s what did change: our web site for one! Check it out, Sisters Studios. You’ll notice all manner of things to enjoy. All new galleries – see if you or your pet is featured! And we have a store!
We’ve been working on our on-line store for quite some time and we’re proud to announce that it’s ready for viewing. You’ll see the link on the new web page, Sisters Studios Image Store. There are several galleries, including Wildlife, New Orleans, and a few of our digital paintings.
All images are available as prints, but some are also available on other substrates such as T-Shirts, mugs, puzzles, tote bags and my personal favorite, stamps (!). We will be adding images weekly. If you don’t see what you want at first viewing, check back soon. There will be more. As always, the strike-thorough watermarks will not appear on any print or item purchased.
Okay, that’s enough change for one day, huh? I hope you enjoy what we’ve become and appreciate the journey we’re on. We’ve enjoyed being on it with you!
 Maggie May knows the Saints won the Super Bowl - then pigs have flown! (Click to enlarge) I’m still here and kickin’. I haven’t posted in a while because we are about to make some really big and exciting changes to Sisters Pet Pics and I’ve been working on the new web site to reflect those changes. Keep checking back…you’ll be the first to know!
In the mean time, here’s a reminder to Louisiana readers. The Saints have opened more than twenty (yes 20!) practice sessions to the public. The first two are on July 30th, in case you want to see our guys shake off the rust. I for one would like to see some of the new kids on the block. Perhaps I’ll see you there!
 Retro photo technique - Rachel & Sister (Click to enlarge) Oh yes, you’ve seen one of our favorite visitors, Sister, several times before (just type her name in the handy-dandy search feature on the upper right), but you’ve never seen her with her mom. Aren’t they just stunning!
When trying to give a photo that retro or vintage feel, there is a range of digital techniques you can use which will accomplish this. If you are processing your black and white photography in a darkroom, you will be seeking a sepia tone to your image. This will be accomplished by giving it a warmer tone and converting from a metallic silver to a sulphide compound. Not doing that? Most of us are using digital cameras now and our post processing techniques are accomplished in a computer program.
If you use a processing program other than Photoshop, you probably have a button you can select that will single-filter the photo with a sepia tone. I’ve used Photoshop to adjust the tone by converting to black and white, then using the Photo Filter adjustment to lay a sepia tone on it as I’ve done in How To Convert Your Color Image To Black & White or Sepia.
There’s another way to play with tones in Photoshop. Find Image/Adjustments/Black & White. There’s so much you can do with tinting using Hue and Saturation. Sliding the Hue slider to the left about 16° or so with not too much saturation, about 12%, will result in an image like Rachel and Sister. This gives the portrait an ageless and vintage feel that I quite like. Try it.
 St Tammany Humane Society's Woofstock 2010, Covington LA  Easter Bunny & Poodles! Last weekend we had the pleasure of attending Woofstock 2010, which is a major fundraiser for our St. Tammany Humane Society. Although the weather was brutal – 40° and very windy – spirits were high and the entertainment was superb. If you get a chance, seek out Four Unplugged and Ghost Town. Both groups put on a super show under difficult conditions. They donated their time and totally rocked out. The hardy souls who got to hear them felt very lucky indeed. Of course we were there and we brought our number one bunny friend! We have the humane, environmentally friendly, real live Easter Bunny!
I want to remind those who are tempted to partake in live rabbit sales or promotions, rabbits grow, become hormonal at 4-6 months, and will not remain the cute bunny you first met for very long. They can bite and scratch and are not suitable pets for very young children. If you truly wish to be friends with a rabbit, there are organizations which rescue the discarded rabbits who desperately need homes.
 Finn The Jack Russell Terrier (Click to enlarge) When the excitement has passed it’s time to look at what brought us here. Photography. Though I’ve written many times that this is not rocket science, one must have a certain desire. What most of you are looking for are images of your pets and family which reflect the mood and tenor of the moment. If you lack the desire to capture this, you will fail.
What do I mean by desire? When a once-in-a-lifetime event occurs, you want to be ready for it. If you don’t want to be shooting during it…well then, that’s why you hire a pro. Perhaps I’ve led you to believe that professional photographers aren’t worth their fees. If you’re willing to invest thousands in equipment, and if you’re willing to study and practice for years to achieve consistent results, then perhaps a pro wouldn’t be worth it for you. However, notice I said ‘perhaps‘. If you’re shooting, you’re not playing. You’re working.
Still…if you’re willing – desirous – you can get good snap-shot results and still enjoy your day. Get ready. First thing to do is check your equipment and supplies. Gather enough film/discs, batteries, lenses, filters, etc. to take you through your event. Camera malfunction? That’s why pros have back-up cameras. You can achieve good results, but not if your equipment fails.
Here comes the most important thing. I’ve said and written it so many times the words come out on their own when I sneeze. Read your manual. You need to know how your camera works. Before you pack your equipment and supplies you need to know how to operate your camera. During a once-in-a-lifetime event is not the time to learn it. I’m not saying that you can’t learn something new during the event; I’m saying that your fingers need to know where they’re going and what they’re doing on your photographic tool. The more you know the better your images will be.
Of late I’ve seen some astounding amateur photographs of the many events that occur in this part of the world in the first two months of the year. Really admirable captures. Some images I’ve seen improved by those who read this blog…and you know that makes me feel good! But let’s not make this luck. Practice good photographic techniques and follow basic rules, and you’ll be able to document your adventures with stunning images which will last for lifetimes.
 Backyard Tortoise (Click to enlarge) First I want to draw your attention to this guy on the left. Click the image and you can see her larger, the way I intended the photo to look. Organic. Dark. Other-worldly. Just as they have lived for thousands of years. What if I picked her up from my backyard, put her in a box and decided to keep her? Would it matter how I kept her? In an aquarium? How about in a protected sanctuary complete with room to roam? How about enough room which would equal what she would need in the wild?
I pose these questions today because I’ve been thinking of their answers after reading a horrible story which happened in Orlando yesterday. An Orca trainer at the Sea World park was dragged into the pool by the largest Killer Whale in captivity. He jumped from the pool, grabbed her by the waist and thrashed her back and forth. She was pronounced dead on the scene.
Dawn Brancheau, 40, was an experienced trainer at the tourist attraction. I have no doubt that she had Tillikum’s best interest at heart. He is a 12,000 pound mammal living in the park since 1992. Ms. Brancheau had worked with Tillikum for 16 of the 18 years he spent in Sea World’s confinement. He was born in 1981 and spent two years with his mother. Most males spend their lifetimes with their mothers and the rest of the pod. In 1983 he was abducted and sent to live at Sealand in Victoria, Canada where he performed and lived with two other females who picked on him constantly. This arrangement lasted for 9 years before Tillikum’s first incident (sic). Trainer Keltie Lee Byrne fell into a tank holding Tillikum and two other whales. They pulled the trainer under water until she drowned. Tillikum was then sold to Sea World.
You can find much information about the life and times of this creature. Then multiply it by the thousands of captive whales sometimes kept in enclosures which to them are no larger than a bathtub. Is it our right to capture and own exotic wild animals? I dream of visiting different oceans and taking the tours to view these creatures with my camera. I know I will experience the majesty which is in their nature. I have seen video of breaching and playing behavior. I see their dorsal fin as it’s meant to be – erect and magnificent, not flopped as are those in captivity. Should that not tell us something?
Which brings us back to this lovely terrapin. Is it our right to pluck her/him from her/his environment? We can, but is it our right? We can even rationalize our capture with the idea that we are protecting it. But have we interfered with the possible reproduction of more of them? Are there any among us who have not kept lightning bugs in a jar…perhaps until their deaths? I know I have partaken in such experiences myself…but I can’t help but notice that there don’t seem to be as many of them as there used to be.
If you think that I’m a little preachy today, reconsider. I am owned by an exotic bird. She was not wild-caught. She was bred and hand-fed in Louisiana. But is that right? I just pose the questions as I try to figure it out for myself. It is not possible to return her to the wild, as she has imprinted humans and she is now 16 years old. But what of those animals ripped from their wild flocks, prides, herds, pods, colonies or troops (apes)?
I know the answer for me. When we know better we do better. Perhaps it is time for us to look at these experiences we deemed harmless and teach our children to enjoy the wildlife as they live – wild. The only capture necessary to learn of these glorious creatures is photographic.
 Budweiser Dalmatian (Click to enlarge)  Budweiser Clydesdales (Click to enlarge) Our New Orleans Saints won Super Bowl XLIV. To those of us in southern Louisiana it didn’t seem like winning a game. It seemed like something more. A symbol of hope or even a reminder that anything is possible.
The city of New Orleans put on the biggest parade anyone has ever seen here. Some estimates had the crowds at 800,000. I was one of those. It was a sight to behold. My experience can be viewed at Sisters Pet Pics Goes to the Saints Victory Parade.
One thing about having a good camera with a good telephoto lens is that you are privy to visual information that the casual observer may not notice. Any photograph gives you one opportunity to capture more information than the naked eye; a telephoto lens gives you another. Both give you needed time to process what you’ve seen.
After the beads have been thrown, after the stars have passed, I get to process again what I saw. Yes, I saw talented athletes, brilliant coaches, and even kind and generous citizens. Do you sense a ‘but’ coming? There is.
If you view the slide show you will probably see the photos quickly. It will give you the feeling of having the floats pass before you. You will also see the images not cropped. You will see happy people riding behind the animals celebrating as we do in New Orleans – by throwing trinkets to the masses. But at my computer I saw something else that disturbed me. The men in green are not smiling in any of the shots I saw of them that entire day by many other photographers. The Dalmatian is doing her/his job but somehow s/he doesn’t seem too happy about it either.
Come on, you may say. Get a grip. Perhaps. But Dalmatians are horse dogs. They like to hang with them. It has been written that they prefer the company of horses. They feel the horses. Then I looked at all the photos I had of the Clydesdales, and I cropped them close. This is what I saw. The bridles are too tight. Even with loose reins the bits are digging into their mouths. I also noticed that the harnesses are so tight across their backs that they appear to lift their tails even at rest.
At one point I saw one of the middle horses throwing his head with his mouth open and his tongue out. The insiders – the men in green, the Dalmatian, the Clydesdales – are not happy for good reason. This was not a celebration for them. They are being unduly and unfairly burdened.
I had always wanted to see the famous Budweiser Clydesdales. This was my first opportunity. I will be watching for them again. And I won’t let my emotion cloud my judgment.
 Lily The Delightful Rat Terrier (Click to enlarge) This sweet little girl has never had issues with aggression because she has never been abused or neglected. Terry and I work with many dogs of all different breeds and all different histories and behaviors. We think we know what we’re doing and have a process whereby we ask human companions if their dogs will be alright with us touching them. But even a professional can make a mistake.
I usually say I have only one rule in my studio. No one should get hurt having their picture taken…ahhh but if a naughty photog doesn’t use good common sense the blood flowing won’t be the subject’s. Here’s a reminder for all those dog lovers who come in contact with many dogs they don’t know. Always, ALWAYS ask the human companion (the only one in the relationship who speaks English) if the dog you’re approaching will be all right being touched BEFORE you touch her/him.
Yup. Terry got tagged today. She was distracted and didn’t follow our own rules. She offered her hand to an aggressive dog AS she was asking about the dog. This rescued dog has issues because of being abused in his former life. Uh uh. Nope. Not smart to offer him a bite. This is a lesson to all those with children as well. Teach them NOT to extend their hands to ANY dog they haven’t asked about.
We want to tell those involved that we realize our part in the mishap. It was a lesson learned by all. Communication is the key.
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