Is this acceptable???
#33032
12/25/10 04:10 PM
12/25/10 04:10 PM
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Joined: Feb 2007
Long Island, NY
Diane
OP
Journeyman
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OP
Journeyman
Joined: Feb 2007
Long Island, NY
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Hello all. I've been a member of this forum for some time, but have not posted since ..... well, a long time. However, I've recently agreed to photograph some dogs for MONEY!!! In fact, I am now breaking into the photography business, wherein my day job is a landscape architect for the National Park Service (retiring as soon as I can) ..... anyway..... The photo..... I was asked to shoot in her house, as I do not have a studio. I took this shot, which I think is quite good of the dogs, but the door, furniture, and blue storage tub were unacceptable additions. And, these dogs were so poorly trained, that every shot was a grab shot. There was no posing going on here. The image can be found here, along with a few others: http://www.dustydogdigital.com/Pets/Pets/4194759_wG8Ax#1134961203_SMzXp-A-LBSo, I masked out everything but the dogs, and put them onto a layer of blended nothing. I think it looks decent, and the customer loves it. But, is it acceptable in the big, wide world of professional pet photography? Do others here do this? Your thoughts and advice would be wonderful. Thanks! p.s. I am going to continue to do this as long as my customer base wants it. Ideally, I'm looking for a studio to rent or share. That's coming soon....
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Re: Is this acceptable???
[Re: Diane]
#33033
12/25/10 10:28 PM
12/25/10 10:28 PM
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Joined: Jul 2009
Connecticut
Sunstruck
Old hand
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Old hand
Joined: Jul 2009
Connecticut
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The photo is nice Diane. I would suggest that you invest in some muslin backdrops, blankets, or table cloths to use as a background. You don't need to invest in a lot of equipment. A backdrop stand, a couple of backdrops, and if you are going for the studio look, some strobes.
I do what you are starting to. I go to peoples' homes and take portraits of their dogs and cats. If you don't have room to set up the stands, just throw the backdrop over a couch, chair, etc. I found a bed works great, throw the backdrop over the headboard, or even set the backdrop stands on either side of the bed.
Lots of luck, your photos are nice.
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Re: Is this acceptable???
[Re: Julie]
#33036
12/26/10 10:52 AM
12/26/10 10:52 AM
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Joined: Feb 2007
Long Island, NY
Diane
OP
Journeyman
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OP
Journeyman
Joined: Feb 2007
Long Island, NY
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Yeah, that's the problem. Digital backgrounds look like digital backgrounds, even if the dogs look good. I've found that when some people don't know better, they think it's great. But, cashing in on that seems rather cheesy. I will invest in some backdrops when I get back from Uganda (another story...). I've seen what some people post, and they make all the difference in the world. Is there a listing of what goes into a traveling studio on this site? I'd imagine backdrops and lighting would be the basics. But, money will be key, and right now, I think I may have to stick with a flash.
Thanks so much. You're all great, and now that I'm actually taking this leap towards professionalism, you'll likely see me around here a lot more. :-)
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Re: Is this acceptable???
[Re: Diane]
#33037
12/26/10 10:58 AM
12/26/10 10:58 AM
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Joined: Feb 2007
Long Island, NY
Diane
OP
Journeyman
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OP
Journeyman
Joined: Feb 2007
Long Island, NY
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In addition, as for dealing with untrained dogs, any tricks. I brought along some treats, but my last customer wanted shots of the dogs with their mouths open and "smiling". I told her that as long as treats are around, and they're in smelling mode, their mouths will be closed, so withhold the treats. But, of course, the dogs then went kind of nuts. There were six of them, and pack mentality prevailed. We separated them, but for goddess' sake, it was insane....
Shooting dogs professionally is really a challenge. Fact is, I love dogs. They are amazing animals.
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Re: Is this acceptable???
[Re: Diane]
#33039
12/26/10 11:45 AM
12/26/10 11:45 AM
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Joined: Mar 2005
Florida
Jim Garvie
Addict
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Addict
Joined: Mar 2005
Florida
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Diane, I think the final image is very nice. You can do a lot of "fixing" in post-processing but the objective is to minimize the amount you HAVE to do. Which means bringing enough stuff with you to build a backdrop on location.
With pets, we have always found that going to the owners' homes works out better than bringing the pets into our studio. The exception being -- for us -- if the pets are puppies we've bred because when we have litters, we set up the whelping box in the studio and that's where they spend the first 8 weeks of their lives.
Because I shoot dog shows, my setup has been put together for maximum portability. Whether I'm setting it up at a Fairgrounds or in someone's living room, it really doesn't matter. A light-weight backdrop stand, a 12-foot pole and lots of muslin backdrops along with 2 AB 400's and I'm good whether it's here in the studio or anywhere else in the country. So, like Penny and James, I suggest you invest the in the backdrop stand and find a couple of basic backdrops. Over time, you can just shop the fabric bins at Michaels or JoAnne's to find stuff that works equally well.
As I said, having studio space is fine but for pets, going on location is usually better in my experience. Lots depends on how well-trained the pets are but generally-speaking, they will be more comfortable in their own environment.
Jim
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Re: Is this acceptable???
[Re: Julie]
#33041
12/26/10 02:09 PM
12/26/10 02:09 PM
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Joined: Mar 2005
Florida
Jim Garvie
Addict
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Addict
Joined: Mar 2005
Florida
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Quote:
If I was going to go to people's homes, I'd use a very shallow dof and use a more lifestyle approach vs posed portraits.
I think that depends on what the client expects. If they have a great location, then lifestyle is fine. But here in Orlando -- and I'm sure with James in NYC -- you often find yourself in an apartment with not much ambiance. So, I bring my portrait stuff and can do whatever is going to work at that particular location.
The key to me is that I've set up my entire business to be mobile so it's not a hassel for me to pack it up and unpack it. That approach works great for pet portraits or corporate portraits which I do a fair amount of. You set up in the Board room and you can get the officers when they have a free moment or two instead of having to drag them down to my studio and waste their time in traveling to and from.
I love doing studio shoots because of the control factor. It's just that my "studio" can be wherever I set it up.
Jim
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