It’s a beautiful Spring day in your neck of the world and
while you observe your regal canine striking a memorable pose,
you reach for your trusty camera and snap the shot. Days later,
as you eagerly tear open the print bag or insert your media card
into your PC the anticipation grows, hoping for that “Ultimate
Shot” of you baby. Your pulse quickens, your mouth is dry and
then..........your heart sinks when you view the (BBB) “Big
Black Blob” that was your proud Rottweiler. The image lacks
detail, definition and character. Bummer!
Has this ever happened to you? It has happened to me over the
years, that's for sure! :-)
In this article, I hope to share with you some simple tips that
I have learned over the years that should help increase your
chances of capturing that “one in a million photo” that you and
you family will remember and cherish long after your baby is
gone.
So let's get started shall we....
Where’s the light coming from?
This is probably the single biggest mistake made by Rottweiler
owners when taking photos of their dogs. All too often the sun
is behind or directly above (high noon) the subject you’re
shooting. With a black dog, this can be a huge problem. But, by
simply changing the angle of the sun by rotating your position
so that the sun is coming in over your shoulder, you can
increase your chances of getting something other then the "Big
Black Blob"
The best time to shoot you pet’s photo, or any photo for that
matter when out doors is what photographers call the “Golden
Hour”. This is the hour just before sun down and/or sun rise.
The golden color is much softer and better for minimizing cast
shadows across your subject. I like to place the sunset just
behind my right shoulder when possible, so that I get the
dramatic impact of the light without the risk of my blocking and
causing my own shadow to get in the photo. Kneeling down helps
too to bring the dog to "Eye Level", they will look far more
natural.
To Flash or not to Flash?
When does a built in flash “NOT” screw up the photo is more
the question. :-) I would say that if you are shooting in full
automatic mode on a “Point & Shoot” camera, you can guarantee
that you will get the “Red Eye” (humans) or the “Green Eye”
(most animals) anomaly when the subject is looking into the
lens. This is due to the fact that the flash is too
close to the lens of the camera. This anomaly is caused by the
flash reflecting off of the subject’s retina, back through the
cornea. Viola, screwed up photo. :-) Thank goodness for
software like Adobe Photoshop. This can be used to take a red
eye photo from average to exceptional in just a few clicks.
Another way to avoid the "Eye Shine" anomaly is to have your dog
look slightly away (not directly into the camera).
The best way I have found to get that special shot with a flash
is to use an “Off Camera” flash rig. This can be a "Hot Shoe"
extension cable or a wireless rig for the flash, both require
that you have the ability to use a separate flash on your camera
like in the case of most SLR (Single Lens Reflex) cameras.
If your add-on flash is the swivel type, that’s good too. You
can simply bounce the flash off a nearby wall or the ceiling to
avoid getting the “Red Eye” anomaly. You will need to compensate
your exposure slightly (if not shooting in "automatic" mode) for
the reduction of direct lighting. Trust you camera's meter! :-)
Natural Light, isn’t just a beer!
Using the sun’s light to give not only “Light” to your
portrait, but "Character" as well is the best of sources, that
is, if you don't' happen to have a studio laying around. For
example, if you going to shoot during "High Noon", place your dog
in a “Sit Stay” position under a tree, or some such place, in an
effort to capture the texture of the leave’s shadows on the
ground and on the dog, Be careful not to let it get too
“Contrasty” by letting very sharp shadows and highlights show
too much, less is more in this example.
As previously stated, the best lighting is either the hour of
sunrise, or sunset. If you are going to be taking your beloved
canine out for a photo shoot, you should have a handler along
with you to make the posing, looks, facial expressions, etc.
easier to obtain. This is made much easier if you work with you
dog regularly with training treats. This way, the animal will
respond "Naturally" but be patient, if you try to force a "Look"
from you dog, it will cease to be fun for them and you.
Digital vs Film, which is better?
This
is a subjective question relative to the shooter's needs. I
personally prefer Digital. My reasons are simple. I can shoot
all day long and not waste a dime on processing costs for a
print that looks awful. Being a "Photo Hobbyist" and semi-pro
due to my needs as I web designer, I have discovered a new
freedom of expression in the Digital Photographic realm that
really is a great deal of fun. This is due in no small part to
my ability to shoot anything and everything I want regardless of the
outcome....it's just plain fun!
My father is Pro Photographer who caters to the performing
arts. Shooting "Head Shots" for the actors in the area did not
intrigue me at all. But I gravitated to the "Artsy"
site of the hobby. Film has
it's pleasures too, don't get me wrong.
I can shoot 200-300 shots in a couple of hours and I might
only get 2-12 really good shots. But who cares? I didn't waste
any money to find out that the shots were mostly crap. But I did
learn what not to do and that is also of value to me.
Archiving Photos to CD
These days, most everyone has access to a CDRW drive, better
known as a "CD Burner". The combination of the low cost media
and the shear volume of disk space available (650-700mb) makes this the
ideal choice for the modern day photo hobbyist. I can store
something like 450-1000 high resolution photos on 1 CD. That's a far
cry from shoe boxes full of old photos and negatives in my book
:-)
Archival Prints, are their days numbered?
In the past, you might have dropped off your 2-3 rolls of film
at the drugstore for processing. A few days later you get your
photos and "oooh and ahhh" over them for a hour or so. Is this
the most economical way to remember the moments? I don't think
so. I would rather invest a couple of hundred dollars in a
"Photo Printer" such as an HP PhotoSmart Series, and simply
print those that you intend to frame, or give to friends and
relatives. Of course, the inks used in the "Ink Jet" style photo
printers for the $200. price range will not last forever. But,
if after a year or so the photo begins to fade simply print out
a new one from your CD. Your cost is about .15-.20 cents per
print making the choice a "No Brainer".
Framing your shot
The
action of "Framing the shot" is not the act of buying a wooden
frame and placing your prize photo into it. It refers to the act
of choosing the the right "Cropping" for the image. If you are
shooting with film, this process is done by the photo lab at
your request. If in digital format, this is achieved by simply
cropping the image in your favorite photo software ( l like
Adobe PhotoShop). Your can also adjust the image quality to suit
your feel. When taking the photo, be aware of surrounding and
background objects. For example, the photo at the top of this
article depicting Legend and my wife Deborah sitting beside each
other looks pretty good to the untrained eye. But there is a
light blue car in the background of the photo that detracts from
the over-all feeling of the photograph. This is the type of
thing that is very easily overlooked when framing the photo. I
have retouched the image to illustrate how you can "fix" a shot
with a little bit of skill and practice.
view un-retouched
version ^
Mark Payne - webmaster
