A date with Ben

As well all know 2020 has been wrought with challenge and we all have been adjusting to an ever changing new normal.

One of the changes for me during these times of COVID is that I unfortunately have not had as many opportunities to work with Rescues. I was however lucky enough to meet with and get some images of Buena (Ben).

Ben is an 8 year old Hound mix who is currently being fostered in the Oakville area. Ben is going to need to go to a special, loving and patient home. Ben does not trust easy but when he does, he does with his whole heart.

I am positive that the fine folks at Save Our Scruff Rehome and Rescue will locate the perfect forever home for Ben. If you are interested in Ben or any of the rescues available through Save Our Scruff be sure to visit their website here.

A simple tip for better pet photography

Let’s say that you want to take a photograph of your pet or the animal you have in foster, what is one thing you should do to make better photos?

If you are familiar with T-Pain and have heard his song “Apple Bottom Jeans,” then you would have heard him sing “Shawty got low, low, low, low, low, low, low.”

Well that my friends is a simple tip to improve your pet photography. Get down on their level. Get as low as you can and let subject fill your frame as much as possible. This is particularly key when shooting smaller dogs. I recently had the opportunity to shoot a bonded pair for Speaking of Dogs Rescue. Kodi a Pomeranian and Bella a Schnauzer/Yorkie  mix.

I spent the majority of my time on my belly. It was about as low as I could get, without digging a trench. There was a rock and I did attempt to photograph both dogs up on the rock. While Kodi was happy enough on the rock, as the king of all he surveyed. Bella had little interest in being up there, to be honest she had little interest in the session at all, as there were far too many things to see and smell.

There are many other tips I can share but I will start with this one today. Grab your cell phone, your fur baby and get down on his or her level and take your shot. Then compare it to older photos on your camera roll and see how much better it looks. Share those ‘low, low’ photos on social media and feel free to tag me (@inlinedesignphoto) so I can see them too.

The last thing I will ask today is for you to help me get the word out about Kodi and Bella. The more eyes we can get on this bonded pair and all the dogs at Speaking of Dogs Rescue the sooner we can get them all adopted.

Happy shooting!

The second time around

Sometimes you book an outdoor session and everything lines up perfectly. Mother Nature cooperates to the fullest, the pups are raring to go and no one is already camped out in the perfect backdrop. But nobody really wants to hear about those experiences.

What is more interesting is what happens when things don’t line up perfectly. When it rains just as the session gets rolling. When one or all of the models just isn’t being cooperative? The equipment fails. You see an image after the fact that you would like to explore further?

What you could do and what I am not afraid to do is book a reshoot. I think there are many advantages to doing this. The dog, for example, could be a lot more relaxed the second time around. He or she would start to equate that strange clicky box thing with treats. The dog’s pawrents could also be more relaxed. Everybody wants their dog on his or her best behaviour and it can be nerve-wracking when they are not. I can’t be certain but I also wonder if the pawrents are concerned I might be judging their dog. For the record, I am not. You have one and I don’t, I am just happy to be spending time with yours.

It is important to try to avoid getting worked up or frustrated during the session. The more agitated you are the more your pet will pick up on it and he or she will get more uptight as well. If your dog is worried about you, he or she isn’t going to engage with the camera and the end result will not be as strong.

But most of all the reshoot, is a second opportunity for me to deliver images guaranteed to make the type of portraits you will enjoy looking at for years to come. That is my mission and I do accept it. If I feel like I haven’t got it, if to me the image doesn’t wow, I will recommend a reshoot.

This is a case where although I was happy enough with the initial images from our session along the lake front, I knew that I still didn’t have what I was looking for. I contacted my client and we booked another date. We went back to that same location and I got exactly what I wanted. I was thrilled, the client was thrilled and the dogs got another treat filled session. It was a win-win situation, all round.

It happened on a Tuesday

In today’s blog I thought I would talk about something that happened earlier this week.

On Tuesday, I decided to join a friend, who walks an Australian Shepherd named Bogie.

Early in the walk Bogie stopped to do what dogs do. I took a hold of Bogie’s leash so that my friend could grab and bag. When I walk a dog I put my hand through the loop and I grab a hold of the lead with a looped overhead grip. I realize that I could be injured if the dog pulls suddenly but I will assume that risk instead of losing control of a dog in my care.

Even though I have proper snow boots, I don’t always choose to wear them. I often figure that I can get by with my Doc Marten’s. Pro tip, I can’t.

We received an accumulation of snow the morning of the walk and it was still unseasonably mild. Although Bogie had already made a healthy deposit, he needed to make another. He pulled onto the boulevard to search for the perfect spot to squat.

When Bogie started to hunch, I turned away to afford him a little privacy. As near as I can figure, another spot had more appeal. Did I mention that this particular boulevard sloped down towards the street? No? Bogie’s sudden change of direction cause me to slip ever so slightly. I managed to regain my balance but Bogie pulled again and I slipped significantly.

I could not recover this time and down I went. I used to spend a lot of time on ramps in the skate park, so I know how to take a fall and I did not get hurt. When I hit the ground I scared Bogie and he came charging back to me. His little canine face was awash with concern. It was like he was trying to ask, “What the hell happened?’ I think it goes without saying that once he ascertained that I was okay he went back to his business.

Usually I try to marry my posts with images that are ‘inline’ with my subject but as I don’t have any photographic evidence of my recent lack of grace, perhaps you will enjoy…

You know, I kind of feel like they are laughing at me.

It doesn't always go according to plan

In an older blog, I wrote about a recent adoption photo session that went really well for me. I guess I spent far too much time dwelling on the experience. I had an adoption session this past weekend and this time I was drop-kicked by Murphy and his law.

I was scheduled to meet Bernard, a 10 year old Beagle, at the home of his foster family. To save set up time I prepare as much of my equipment ahead of time as I can. For example, I preload all the batteries into my speedlights. My intention is to be fully up in running within minutes as some dogs can have particularly short attention spans. So the idea is to get to snapping long before the dog in question ‘squirrels’.

To my shock and horror my flash refused to fire. My first thought was that something blocked the trigger signal but that was not the case. Was my speedlight broken? Nope. As per usual, the problem existed behind the camera. I had put one of the batteries in upside down. After I loaded it correctly the speedlight fired and we were in business. Or were we? Nope, Murphy was still not done with me.

The speedlight fired and immediately stopped working. At this point I break out into what I can only hope is an internal cold sweat. You see Bernard was already on set and I knew I had to get things going quickly before he stormed back to his trailer. It turns out that I had accidentally switched the main speedlight from Group 1 to Group 3, so basically the two lights weren’t ‘talking’.

Bernard was a consummate professional and he was not at all bothered by the late start. When it was time for him to turn it on, he did and he was a pleasure to work with. Bernard is arthritic and based on what I had read on bio, I was expecting him to be a lot less active and a lot less ambulatory than he ended up being. With  ‘dogged’ determination he refused to let his arthritis keep him down.

I am pleased to report that even after the false starts, I was able to come away with a number of images of Bernard that showed him in his best ‘light’. We were even able to shoot outdoors, I was not sure we would have been able to pull that off. The weather network called for snow that day but that did not materialize. Instead we had rain and milder temperatures. It made it difficult to find snow and even more difficult to avoid the less picturesque wet ground.

Once again I invite everyone over to the Speaking of Dogs Rescue website to get more information on Bernard and/or any of their other rescues. Spread the word, let’s get these dogs adopted!

The best little Chili dog in the GTA

Earlier this week I had the opportunity to meet Chili, who was one of the sweetest Yorkies I have ever met. After being in her company for a little while, I was surprised to learn that the veterinarian approximated her age at five years. I did not go to veterinary school so I am not challenging him/her, I am simply saying that is one lively five year old.

Somehow Chili found herself living on the streets in the GTA and lucky for her the fine folks at Speaking of Dogs Rescue came to her, well… rescue. I am confident that it will not take Chili long to find a furever home.

I will say that this was one of the quickest adoption photo sessions I’ve ever done. Chili was a little unsure when I first set out my equipment but she warmed quickly and before long she was throwing off some serious Canine Steel. She was posing like a seasoned vet from the very first frame, that is why it did not take me long at all to get what I needed but I was having such a good time with her that I found it hard to call an end to the session.

If there is any room in your home and in your heart for Chili or any other rescue, then head on over to Speaking of Dogs Rescue. They have several dogs who can’t wait to bathe you with love and affection.

New year, new look, new options

In the continuing evolution of Inline Design Photo there is a new toy in the toy box.

I have added an ultra-wide angle lens specifically for pet photography. The ultra-wide lens is not a flattering choice for portraits of people. Yielding an overly large nose, smallish eyes and tiny ears. Not a good look for any man, woman or child. However the result is completely different when the subject is a dog. The same distortion that looks garish on a person looks cute on a puppy.

What really sells this lens is when you get a curious pet leaning in to check out that weird clicking box.  The shape of the lens makes the pet, the subject, appear larger and conversely it makes the background images (trees, rocks, bushes) appear smaller.

What I am really looking forward too is combining this lens with artificial light. Some of my clients prefer naturally lit pet portraits while others embrace dramatic artificial lighting. I really think those clients are really going to beam with the addition of the ultra-wide angle lens. Beam. See what I did there?

The first 3 images shown below are examples of ultra-wide angles and the last image uses  artificial light. I think I will go into more detail about the differences between natural and artificial light in a future post.

Remember with good pet photography, your pet is the hero. Now there are many ways to achieve that end. And by no means is that achieved with a single lens, a single light setup or a single location. The ultra-wide lens is a tool and as much as any good tradesperson can tell you, there’s a tool for every task. There will be times when I will not be able to use that lens. A particularly nervous rescue is not going to like me getting up close with an ultra-wide lens. For him or her I might have to slap on a telephoto lens and back up.

The look as much as I enjoy it is not for everyone and there will be some parents who will prefer to go another way. 2020 is all about options, exploration and continued growth.

You can't do that with my dog. Oh yes I can.

It is not uncommon to find pawrents who are leery of photography sessions because they know their pet cannot be trusted off leash. Or worry they might be too excitable or too easily distracted.

I am a huge fan of keeping your dog on the leash, during the session, particularly if that is the best way to keep your pet safe. And yes I have also done sessions with well trained dogs who can be trusted off leash. But they are not my focus today, today I want to talk a little bit about their counter parts and how I can make magic with them too. First of all if your high energy dog is food or toy motivated we are in business. Treats, toys and affection can turn your pup into the canine version of Heidi Klum or Tyson Beckford. No disrespect intended to either Ms. Klum or Mr. Beckford but they are both known for being excellent at their craft.

What some pawrents have yet to consider is that even the most lacksidaisical pup is actually on the move. Obviously not as much, as a pooch that only seems to exist at 100 kph but I have the option of adjusting my camera settings to momentarily freeze either dog equally.

A recent session was done with the aforementioned type of dog. A high energy food motivated dog that needed to be leashed for her safety. Regardless we had a great time on her shoot and we ended up with scads of fantastic images, if I do say so myself. Sure there were moments when the squirrels in the trees won out but there were far more moments when she was having fun and working, nay WORKING the canine steel.

Take a look at the comparison below. The first image was how the photograph was made and in it you can see the leash and Perogy’s mom. Swipe to the final image and ta-daaa, Perogy stands alone.

Perogy Before

Perogy in a harness with a leash and her mom.

Perogy After

Perogy with all the distractions removed with a few digital enhancements.

I am told Perogy’s grandpawrents were amazed when they saw the final image. They were not expecting their active granddog with scads of energy to be patiently standing by herself like a good girl.

For the record Perogy is a good girl she just had a little help.

Do they know its Christmas?

Earlier today I was reminiscing about when I was a kid and we had a delightful little Collie Terrier by the name of Natasha. Specifically I started thinking about the year I got it into my head that my dog needed to believe in Santa Claus.

I bought her a stocking and hung it up in her room. Late Christmas Eve, long after she had been sent to bed, I put on one of my dad’s gloves and I slipped downstairs to fill Tasha’s stocking with her favourite treats. In my head the glove detail was a stroke of genius that would convince my dog that she had indeed been ‘nice’.

The reality was that my dog was at the door before I made it down the stairs. In fact as soon as I cracked the door open, she poked her nose out as if to say, ‘what cha doin?’ Operation Santa Claus was a bust.

Do you remember when P!nk shared a holiday picture on social media of her dog? The dog was on the sofa in a diaper and he had the saddest expression on his face. The caption read: “No one pees on mommy’s Christmas”. It did not take much to figure out what happened.

P!nk and Carey Hart bought a real tree that year. I can only assume that when it came into the house the dog’s sole thought was, “Finally! We get indoor plumbing too”. I can’t begin to imagine the confusion that went through that poor dog’s mind. Was he confused the next time he went outside and faced a tree? “What do I do? What do I do?”

Much like it doesn’t matter how you choose to observe this holiday season. Nor does it matter how you incorporate your fur babies into your holiday plans. All I ask is that everyone make this the happiest and safest holiday season possible.

I am adding a few more images from the PARS event because everybody loves canine steel and everybody loves Santa:

Chica and Arnica - Photographing Rescues

I recently got a call to take some adoption photos of a bonded pair that hadn’t been garnering the interest they deserved. If you have been around here for a while you will know that I owe a lot to the photographer that I have become with my earlier work with rescues and adoption photos.

I met these two feisty but lovable Chihuahua-Pomeranian nuggets in a park near where they were staying in foster. It was immediately obvious that they were indeed bonded and their relationship was well established.

Chica, the lighter coat, was clearly the alpha in their relationship. By the time our shoot was complete I had managed to win her over and she happily accepted pets and scritches. Arnica never quite warmed up to me in that short time although her curiousity let her get close a time or two.

Watching those two wander through near chest deep levels of snow was about the cutest thing ever!

I sure hope these two are adopted soon. If you have room in your heart and your life for two little siblings please get in touch with the fine folks at Speaking of Dogs Rescue today.

Now and then - Compare and contrast

Dog adoption photos for a local rescue was my in road into pet photography. I will admit I was always worried, that I would finish the shoot with a car full of puppies. In fact, my brother met me at the front door after my first shoot, to see if I brought home any souvenirs.

This was Luna or at least that was her name when we met. She was one of the first rescues I photographed for Speaking of Dogs. I often wonder how she is doing now. I can’t speak for any other rescue photographer but each dog I photograph becomes mine, in some little way.

My abilities to finish my work has improved by leaps and bounds, as the above images of Luna illustrate. Although I remember at the time being quite proud of that initial image.

My current goal with my clients is to educate. There is a difference between a picture of your furry loved one and wall art. My business is wall art, I don’t want to just photograph your pet, I want to provide you with a piece for your wall that evokes emotion. That reminds you of a special day, a special time or reminds you of someone who couldn’t ‘stay’ any longer.

Ask about a pet photography experience with Inline Design Photo today!