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.

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!

Weezy, Emma & Frisco Believe (Click to enlarge)

For those of you who are raising children and think you need to leave whimsy behind, take a look at this year’s Halloween composition from our very creative clients.  Every year they bring 12 year old Frisco (Peter Pan), 8 year old Weezy and 3 year old Emma into the studio to make their fantasy-themed Christmas card.  This is 2009’s version.  Take a look at 2008’s 1950 All Over Again.

It’s starts with the planning of fun.  Emma wanted to argue with Weezy about who was going to be Tinkerbell, but as soon as she saw Wendy’s costume, she let Weezy win the wings.  Frisco just thought it was another good place to rest awhile.  But Emma…she’s in her glory.  She believes.

Photography is a medium through which we express ourselves.  Perhaps you are the subject.  You can express whatever you wish just as any actor in front of a camera.  If you are behind the camera, you direct.  Either you direct your own vision or someone else’s, but you express yourself too.

These shoots are the most fun.  The collaboration makes everyone’s vision unfold.  So when someone else has a vision they would like you to capture, jump in, participate, enjoy…believe.

Boy & His Dogs (Click to enlarge)

When all else fails, it’s time to give in.  Everyone’s moving and squirming, and no one wants to look in the same direction.  What do you do?  Well, you just turn it over.

The child in this image was doing all he could to hold it together, and I thought he did a great job of giving us his cutest smile.  The dogs were great too; they were just tired.  Whatever the problem, the squirmy-wormy subjects looked great by adding the motion blur.  The Pug under the boy’s arm had some nerve damage to his mouth, so his tongue hung like that all the time.  What to do?  Why wait for all the dogs to loll their tongues, of course.  Uh huh, I meant to do that 

Frisco The Pug (Click to enlarge)

We’ve discussed depth of field (DOF) before, but it’s part of the Photographic Triangle, which is imperative to understand if you want to improve your pet photography.  The depth of field is controlled by adjusting the aperture.  My shooting plan included a shot of a…shall we say…robust Frisco, in as flattering a pose as is possible.  I didn’t care a lick about shutter speed because I knew we could anchor him easily.  See Anchoring My Buddy for more about this technique.  It’s not like Frisco was a jumpy puppy or anything.

This is an example of using aperture settings as a tool to give focus to an area of your image as a place for your eye to rest before drifting to the rest of the image.  Of course I always want the eyes to be in focus but the client wanted a shot of the whole dog, so I used an aperture setting of f2.8, which resulted in a sliver of DOF on his eyes and his pushed in nose.

I could have shot with an Aperture Priority setting, which would have let the camera pick the shutter speed, but I chose a manual setting of 1/500, f2.8, ISO 100.  As you can see, Frisco’s sweet face is accentuated.

Frisco, Emma & Weezy (Click to enlarge)

The parents of this incredible group inspire me every year.  They come with their creative ideas, we stage them in front of the lights and backdrops, and Voila!  Meet Frisco, in black leather jacket, Weezy, in her pink polka-dot dress, and of course Emma in her poodle skirt.  They come into Sisters Pet Pics’ studio every year in October with their Halloween themed costumes and they use the resulting image for their Christmas card.  They shouldn’t be surprised when Emma grows up to be an actress.  She’s a natural.  Every year it’s great, but in 2008 it was stupendous!

I decided to post this one today to inspire you as it inspires me.  I’ve mentioned before that I often feel as if I’m on the set of a very short movie.  A one frame movie.  But it is planned as if it was full length.  In my head the shot was with Emma and Weezy looking my way too, but my head was wrong…Emma and Weezy were right because this was the shot of the day.  So today’s tip is to take many, many captures.  The compelling nature of the images will be evident upon review on a larger screen.  Sometimes your subjects know best as is the case with this group.

So get inspired yourselves!  Stage your own mini movie and post your results here.  We’d love to see them.  Exif:  1/250,  f11, ISO 200.

Maggie May (Click to enlarge)

Yep, meet the real Maggie May.  Well, she thinks Rod Stewart wrote it for her anyway.  She’s been in our studio many times and each is better than the last.  Diva Maggie just brings it.  You may have a dog like that too.  One who will look at you and wonder, head tilt and all.  The only thing left to worry about is what color is your dog.  Black?  Uh oh.

Here’s what you need to know about shooting black animals. Either you decide in the beginning that what you are looking for is subtle drama and shoot with a dark saturated backdrop such as this red velvet or the high drama of shooting low key.  That is, black dog on a black ground, where the light provides the only definition.  Or you decide you want high contrast, in which case choose a white or light backdrop for your shot.  These decisions can be made in your studio or in the field.  Outdoors, that low contrast situation could be with dark green foliage as your ground.  You will have to refer to your basic photographic skills; you will find a reminder on our Skills page.

Although I often like the drama, there are situations where you may want a sharper contrast.  If you choose a light background and meter your subject you will get the definition you are seeking.

Exif:  1/250, f8, ISO 100.  Look at this beautiful girl.  I can’t do anything to improve her…I’m just the recorder.  Post your comments about trying to shoot your black or brown dog.