The Nature, Wildlife and Pet Photography Forum - Fine Art Landscape Photography

Need suggestions on candid dog photography

Posted By: Moshe

Need suggestions on candid dog photography - 07/07/06 05:11 PM

I'm trying to improve the results of my candid dog photography.

Some current efforts are posted at http://www.photo.net/photodb/folder?folder_id=600414

It's clear that these are "grab-shots" taken on various public outings when it's seemed to me not possible to pose the animal, arrange backgrounds, compensate for poor lighting (except to use fill-flash), etc.

For the most part, I've hopefully relied on having the right camera settings and getting a reasonable composition.

Any suggestions on how I could improve these kinds of pics would be much appreciated.

Posted By: PossumCorner

Re: Need suggestions on candid dog photography - 07/07/06 06:07 PM

Moshe it depends on their purpose, and you've said it is not possible on the day to arrange backgrounds. That would be worth the effort - even waiting to capture the dog against all-pavement or all-grass would be better than the bisecting lines. It is a fine line between a candid and a portrait. Are any of the dogs your own? If not - yes it can be difficult sometimes to take charge when you are shooting another person's dog.

It is probably better to put a couple of shots into the thread rather than just give a link to them, makes it easier for people to take the time to really look at them.

Posted By: Moshe

Re: Need suggestions on candid dog photography - 07/07/06 08:18 PM

Thanks for the reply.

I should have made it clear in my post that the dogs are NOT mine, just those I happen to meet (with their owners) when out walking in the neighborhood, a local park, at the neach, etc.

More often than not, the people I meet are doing something, going somewhere, or otherwise occupied, so they're often not receptive to stopping their activity to follow any directions I might want to give them. Occasionally, however, there are exceptions. But in most cases I haven't found a way to exercise some real photographic control in the situation.

You're absolutely right about including shots into the thread instead of giving a link to them. Sad to say, I haven't been able to figure out how to get the correct link from my pics that are on Photo.net. In the past when I copied the image location, such as http://gallery.photo.net/photo/4608028-lg.jpg, it didn't seem to work--but maybe it will now.

Posted By: Julie

Re: Need suggestions on candid dog photography - 07/08/06 12:33 AM

Moshe, my suggestion would be to use a very large aperture to get a shallow depth of field. I have taken quite a few grab shots at dog parks, even one that was well received at a photography contest

Make sure you get all of the ears in and watch your composition.

Here are a few I grabbed at the dog park. None were posed. All were using a longer lens(50-200 which equals a 100-400 in 35mm terms) with a 2.8-3.5 aperture

The feet bug me in this one. I could always clone them out though

The first one I blurred the background further in PS and also warped it a bit so it made the cars unrecognizable. Minor issues with backgrounds can be fixed with PS. In focus ones are more difficult

Posted By: Julie

Re: Need suggestions on candid dog photography - 07/08/06 12:45 AM

And one more way to get the backgrounds you want is cropping later

The one with the dog between the legs is really cute. Lots of wasted space though.

I did a pretty extreme crop on it, but it really shows the dog off

Posted By: Moshe

Re: Need suggestions on candid dog photography - 07/08/06 01:37 AM

Julie,

Thanks for the reply and suggestions.

You're absolutely right, of course, that cropping would help most of these pics a good deal. I didn't do any withese these because I wanted to get some feedback without introducing any PP.

Posted By: James Morrissey

Re: Need suggestions on candid dog photography - 07/08/06 05:10 PM

Hi Moshe,

Welcome aboard. I am going to address two different things in this post.

The first is about embedding images. I tried - several times - to figure out a way to embed your images into a post. For whatever reason, photo.net does not seem to allow it to happen. Typically images are posted in this fashion:

(Make sure you add the front bracket...I did this only so that the wording would show).

image]http://www.YourWebDomain.com/path/FileName.jpg[/image]

Do you have hosting through photo.net? Or are these just images embedded in an already existing post?

Part II:

About backgrounds - you are right...this is extremely difficult to do. 90% of my work that I do in pet photography is done 'on location.' I prefer the control of lights and backgrounds because of this.

I do very little in parks or other open places. I agree that Julie's use of crop is a very valuable tool. The difficulty is when you want to blow up images to large sizes.

I think that the other alternative is to use lenses with long reach. The idea being that if you cannot always crop later to do it in advance. Specifically, I am talking about reducing the elements in a scene that you are photographing.

If you are doing work with people, and they are aware that you are doing photographic work, then getting them to pose with you a bit is also helpful. In this case, using buildings or other such materials as backdrops may be valuable.
Cheers
James

Posted By: JeffDinPA

Re: Need suggestions on candid dog photography - 07/09/06 01:53 AM

Moshe, along with James's suggestion of a long lens is a wide open one. I was going to suggest a long lens and f4 or less to get you blurred backgrounds. They may be cluttered, but if they are completely out of focus they�re better.

Posted By: Moshe

Re: Need suggestions on candid dog photography - 07/09/06 01:03 PM

Quote:

Hi Moshe,

Welcome aboard. I am going to address two different things in this post.

The first is about embedding images. I tried - several times - to figure out a way to embed your images into a post. For whatever reason, photo.net does not seem to allow it to happen. Typically images are posted in this fashion:

(Make sure you add the front bracket...I did this only so that the wording would show).

image]http://www.YourWebDomain.com/path/FileName.jpg[/image]

Do you have hosting through photo.net? Or are these just images embedded in an already existing post?

James:

Thanks for your reply.

I'm somewhat relieved to know that someone who has a lot more experience than me wasn't able to embed the photo.net images--although I'm disappointed that apparently it can't be done. I do, in fact, have hosting on photo.net.

Part II:

About backgrounds - you are right...this is extremely difficult to do. 90% of my work that I do in pet photography is done 'on location.' I prefer the control of lights and backgrounds because of this.

I do very little in parks or other open places. I agree that Julie's use of crop is a very valuable tool. The difficulty is when you want to blow up images to large sizes.

I'm glad you point out this problem. Since a lot of my pics are "grab-shots," virtually never with a tripod, I'm often reluctant to crop for exactly the reason you mention.

I think that the other alternative is to use lenses with long reach. The idea being that if you cannot always crop later to do it in advance. Specifically, I am talking about reducing the elements in a scene that you are photographing.

On my photography wish list is a 75-200, but it's probably not in the cards for quite some time.

If you are doing work with people, and they are aware that you are doing photographic work, then getting them to pose with you a bit is also helpful. In this case, using buildings or other such materials as backdrops may be valuable.

Absolutely. I realized after posting this request for suggestions that, more often than not, what I need is not technical camera advice but the benefit of how more experienced photogs handle the "relationship" challenges of directing their subjects. That part of the process seems to be coming to me VERY slowly.

Cheers
James

Posted By: Moshe

Re: Need suggestions on candid dog photography - 07/09/06 01:07 PM

Well, obviously, among other things I'm still learning how to do, I haven't quite mastered the "quote" function in this forum. Sorry about that.

Posted By: Karen

Re: Need suggestions on candid dog photography - 07/11/06 11:57 AM

I have a question . . . after you take photos of these dogs in dog parks, do you try to sell them to their owners?

Posted By: Julie

Re: Need suggestions on candid dog photography - 07/11/06 02:52 PM

I don't. Those are more for my pleasure of shooting. I think if you did such a thing, you might creep people out. I could be wrong though

To me, people buy if they are expecting that someone will be there as a photographer. If someone walked up and said "I took photos of your dog, here's my card" I might only be annoyed.

Posted By: Karen

Re: Need suggestions on candid dog photography - 07/11/06 03:33 PM

Yeah, that is kind of what I thought too. So, it is more for your enjoyment than for money.

Posted By: Julie

Re: Need suggestions on candid dog photography - 07/11/06 04:05 PM

Shooting different subjects in varying lights gets you accustomed to your gear, and how things will turn out in different lights

If someone calls for an outdoor portrait session, I know where, and when the light will make good photos. I am still on the steep side of the learning curve, so I take every chance I can get to shoot things

Horses and dogs are my favorite, and what I intend to specialize in. The old adage of shoot what you know is what I am going for.

Posted By: James Morrissey

Re: Need suggestions on candid dog photography - 07/12/06 12:35 AM

Quote:

I have a question . . . after you take photos of these dogs in dog parks, do you try to sell them to their owners?

Hi Karen,

This is an area I have been hesitant to get into. I always prefer it when people approach me for business - having seen my work somewhere else.

NYC is Dogland. There are billions and biiiillllions of them here. I imagine that it would not be difficult to start a business hanging around the various dog runs. It is just something, however, I am not comfortable with. I know I would not like it if some guy started photographing my pooch without my consent.

James

Posted By: PossumCorner

Re: Need suggestions on candid dog photography - 07/12/06 01:42 AM

Quote:

... I know I would not like it if some guy started photographing my pooch without my consent.

Exactly James, which is why that approach would be all the wrong way around. Sure it is a kind of "street photography" but it is not sneaky journalism. The opposite approach works fine, talk to the owner, say you like the look of their dog, that you'd like a couple of shots of the dog, and look here's my card, I usually put them on this website for a week so owners can have a look at them, is-that-okay?? They say either yes or no, I think it is more polite to ask first, otherwise it is as bad as taking a shot of a child without permission, - just not acceptable. With dogs I do not offer a model release to sign, I believe permission by word is okay.

For the selling of images - either tell them they are available and the basic price for a small print: or they can see that info on the website if and when they look at it. I think it is better to state price and availability.

James I know what you mean about stepping out of the comfort zone to "hang around" dog parks. But those of us at the starting end of a photography business can't get started unless we are proactive about it: if we don't work to create our business, there wil be no work to be seen and appreciated by someone else - whether we are starting by posting on dog-owner forums, or attending dogsports events, or pet photography as "street photography" or a combination of these, there has to be a starting point to progress from.

Posted By: Moshe

Re: Need suggestions on candid dog photography - 07/12/06 05:07 AM

In answer to the question, do I try to sell these pics to the owners?

I approach people, admire and ask about their dog, ask if it's okay to photograph the dog, give them my card, and offer to send them the (400 x 600 pixel) "snapshots" without any charge or obligation if they send me an email to let me know they're interested.

On the back of my card it says that I'll send them "snapshots" without any charge, but if they would like the original digital files to make enlargements, or if they would like those files post-processed, they're available for a very "modest" charge.

To date no one has taken offense, refused permission to take pictures, or otherwise reacted negatively to my approach. Several people have sent emails requesting the "snapshots," a couple have asked for the original digital files, and one person has asked that I come to take pictures of her and her dog (which I haven't been able to arrange to do yet).