Canine Companions - Theme 2 - Final Image selection

Here are the final images selected for theme 2

My second theme was based on shooting people and their pets and capturing the special bond that they have.  I have chosen to shoot members of my family and a couple of my close friends who all own and adore their dogs. 

Shirley & Bailey

(together for 3 years)

F/4.5, S1/160, ISO 100, Focal Length 130mm

For the images taken of Shirley and Bailey I simpy followed them on their usual walk along the trans penine trail.  Using a tripod and a 300mm zoom lens I was able to stay back in the distance and capture them in the normal surroundings in the hope that I would alarm Bailey to much. 

The weather was great with lots of sun which made it perfect for capturing the detail in Bailey, he is a very dark haired dog an the light really helped.  The tripod helped to steady the camera whilst zooming in close and working on shutter priority I was able to avoid any blurred images.

F/4.0, S1/160, ISO 100, Focal Length 120mm
 

F/4.5, S 1/160, ISO 100, Focal Length 130mm

F/6.3, S 1/160, ISO 100, Focal Length 300mm 

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Sarah & Jack

(together for 4 years)

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Jane & Daisy & Lilly

(together for 5 years)

F/4.0, S 1/100, ISO200, Focal Length 105

For the images of Sarah, Jack, Jane, Lilly and Daisy I used the same approach as I did above for Shirley & Bailey.  This session proved a lot more difficult as the subjects were all very excited and it was difficult to keeo the dogs still or to try and place them in a certain way.

Again I simply followed from a dsitance using a 300 mm zoom lens accompanied by a tripod to avoid camera shake.  The weather was great on this day with a lot of cloud and therefore I have had to increase the ISO to 200 and again have worked in Shutter Priority with this set at around 1/100 upto 1/160 where possible.

Jane & Sarah were really good subjects as they absoluteley love their pets and this shown through in every image taken.  The aim of the theme was to capture the special bond that people have with their pets and they both made this very easy to do.

They both have very big personalities and so do their dogs.

F/4.0, S 1/100, ISO 200, Focal Length 70mm

F/4.0, S 1/100, ISO 200, Focal Length 120mm

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Poppy & Merlin

(together for 4 years)

F/5.6, S 1/200, ISO 200, Focal Lenth 40mm

For the first two images of Poppy and Merlin I used a standard 35-70mm lens and didnt use a tripod.  The natural lighting wasn't very good so an ISO of 200 was used.

Merlin was brought for Poppy for her 1st birthday but lived at the Grandparents home.  It was really nice to photograph them both as the love between them was so clear.  When the other grandchildren would be at the home Poppy would tell them to "Stay away from my dog" and make Merlin follow her around in which he did.

F/5.6, S 1/250, ISO 200, Focal Length 55mm

F/1.8, S 1/640, ISO 100, Focal Length 50mm

For this final image chosen of Merlin I have used a 1.8 Portrait Lens, I love how the nose is in focus and they eyes are not, but the image stil drws you to the eyes.  I have moved in close to take this image but remained at a similar level to Merlin to avoid alarming him.

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Regan & Austin

(together for 5 years)

F/1.8, S 1/320, ISO 200, Focal Length 50mm

For this session with Regan and Austin I used only a 1.8 portrait lens and didn't use a tripod.  I wanted to stay close to the subjects and wanted to have a shallow depth of field in the images.  The weather was dry with some light which resulted in an ISO of 200 being used.

For the first image above I stood over Austin and was looking down on him as he sat, looking up at me and love the result.

Austin is a strong excited dog and it took a good half hour of running around the garden, playing with his toys before he actually calmed down and allowed me to photograph him.

Once he had calmed down he simply lept on top of his kennel and went to sleep whilst Regan stroked him.  This was then the time for me to get some good shots of him and Regan.

F/1.8, S 1/320, ISO 200, Focal Length 50mm

F/1.8, S 1/250, ISO 200, Focal Length 50mm

F/1.8, S1/250, ISO 200, Focal Length 50mm

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Ethan, Mariah & Toby

(together 7 years)

F/1.8, S 1/125, ISO200, Focal Length 50mm

During the session with Mariah, Ethan & Toby the plan was to visit the local park where they usually take Toby, however it rained all day so we decided to stay indoors.  We decided to take the shots in their bedrooms and again a 1.8 portrait lens was used with an ISO of 200.  The natural lighting available was brilliant due to the weather outside and the bedrooms being quite small with only one window in each room.

For the shots of Ethan & Toby I wanted to get in close and capture they fun they always appear to have when playing on the bed and fighting on the floor.

F/1.8, S 1/60, ISO 200, Focal Length 50mm

F/1.8, S 1/15, ISO 200, Focal Length 50mm

When capturing Mariah I decided to choose these final 3 images as I like the fact that you dont actually see Mariah, only seeing her hair or her arm.  I think the images have bit of mystery to them as you dont know what the owner looks.  I also like the expression on Toby's face here as he is clearly looking at Mariah and is totally relaxed and not one bit bothered by me or the camera.

F/1.8, S 1/200, ISO 200, Focal Length 50mm

F/1.8, S 1/250, ISO 200, Focal Length 50mm

F/1.8, S 1/250, ISO 200, Focal Length 50mm

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Logan & Hoo Hoo

(together 11 months)

This is my youngest nephew Logan, although this is clearly not a real dog it appears to have become one of his favourite toys which he keeps with him all the time.  I thought these would be nice pictures for his Mum and Dad and also for Logan to have when he is older.  Although Logan can not yet speak he calls all dogs Hoo HOO, I think he is trying to say Woof Woof!!

A 1.8 portait lens has been used as we were indoors in low light using this has helped to avoid any blurr or movement. 

 

F/1.8, S 1/125, ISO 200, Focal Length 50mm

F/1.8, S 1/60,  ISO 200, Focal Length 50mm

F/1.8, S 1/80, ISO 200, Focal Length 50mm

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Canine Companions, Some images from this weekends sessions.

Statement of Intent, Theme 2, Canine Companions

Pro forma for task 1a           Statement Of Intent

Candidate Name : Roger Bone                Theme: People and Pet photography

Title of the theme: Canine Companions

Intentions/purpose of the photography undertaken:
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For my second theme my intention is to capture the special bond that is built between people and their pets.  I will be concentrating on people who own dogs as I believe these are one of the most loyal pets you will come across.

I will be spending time with several friends and family members who own dogs and capturing them in their usual, day to day surroundings.

From the images taken I will be selecting a minimum of 15 images which will be displayed using photo mounts.  I will also be displaying my final images on this blog with a small description for each image.
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Reasons for selection of theme (including inspiration from the work of others):

I have chosen this theme as I have grown up in a family where we had numerous pets, these would range from cats, chickens, goats, fish, frogs, budgie's, parrots and throughout all of these we always had a pet dog.

Altghough the other animals came and went there was always a family dog and still to this day my parents own a dog.

I have 4 brothers and sisters and as children we would spend a lot of time playing with our pets and showing them off to our friends.  However, the dog was the only one that no matter how much we pushed and pulled it, dropped and dragged it, it would be by our side, following us round the yard and barking if a stranger came by.

As I said above my parents still have a dog and as we have grown up it is now our children that spend hours in the garden running round with the dog.

I noticed a few weeks back when playing with my camera in the garden that no matter how rough they were with the dog, sitting on him, tying things to him and in general just annoying him that he never flinched once and was just happy following them around and doing what he was told.

Likewise my niece's and nephew's were simply having fun and it seemed that whilst dragging the dog and jumping on his back that they didnt have a care in the world.

These are memories that they will have when they are older as do me and my family and moments that should be caught on a camera.

Whilst getting into this theme I have come accross several pet photographers and have found many usefull tutrials on shooting people and pets.

I especially liked the website "yellow mutt pet photography" owned by Debra Ducotey, her images are really sharp,  and very beautifully taken.

Christopher Ameruso is another who's work I really like, photographing celebrities and their pets, again his work is sharp, crystal clear and very beautifully shot.
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The Photo imaging equipment that I will be using:

I will be using a Sony Alpha 230 DSLR along with three lenses,

1. 18-55 mm, 75mm
2. 300mm telephoto zoom lens
3. 50mm F/1.8 portait lens

I hope to caprture my subjects personalities whilst out walking and for this will use my zoom lens so that I am not on top of them causing the dog to behave differently and with caution.

I will also shoot my subjects in their own homes so that whilst they are relaxed and in an enviroment they know I will hopefully be able to get up close to them, for these images I will use either to 18-55 mm lens or the F/1.8 portait lens if the lighting conditions are poor.

A tripod will be used when needed to avoid camera shake and blurred images and a neck strap will be used with the camera when not using the tripod.

Images will be taken using RAW files and any editing of the images will be done in Lightroom and Photoshop CS5 if needed.  I hope to use full colour images for the final selection and therefor may enhance the colours if needed, adding light where required in the hope of achieving sharp, clear, colourful images.
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Techniques that will be used and how they will convey the visual message:

I will capturing my subjects from variuos angles and wont always capture the owners face, showing only parts of the owners body, e.g. legs, hands, back of head. 

Whilst out walking the dogs I intend to follow the subjects from behind so they can forget I am there and also from in front, when being in front I will be quite far ahead and will use a zoom lens.  I will use a large Aperture to capture a shallow depth of filed in order to focus on the subjects.

Whilst in the subjects homes I intend to get some good close up shots of the dogs using a portrait lens.  I intend to have the owners in the shots but keep them in the background using a shallow depth of field and focusing only on the dog.

I will also capture images of both the dog and owner in full focus using shutter priority when lighting allows this as well as capturing the dog alone.

I will not be using a flash as I dont want to alert the dogs scaring them and making them behave unsually.  Not using the flash will also avoid any red eye which can occur quite often when shooting pets.

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How light quality can be used to help convey the visual message:

I do not intend to add any additional/flash lighting to my images and will be using only natural light provided.

To ensure I have the best possible lighting when shooting outdoors I will be checking the wetaher forecast and will be planning my sessions when the weather is dry and bright.

When shooting indoors I will be doing this mid afternoon and using the natural light coming through the windows.  I will open blinds completely to let as much light in the rooms.
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Safety Conditions:

Whilst shooting outdoors caution will be taken to ensure the safety of my subjects, myself and others in the area.  I will do this by keeping my camera bag strapped to my back at all times and that when using a tripod caution will be taken to avaoid any incidents.

Whilst shooting in the subjects home I will respect their homes ensuring that I do not enter a room without permission and will take extra caution not to damage anything during the session.

Whilst in the homes I will let them know my intentions and ask for permission before moving items such as furniture, opening blinds etc.  If furniture is to be moved safety will be considered here first to ensure there are no accidents or injuries.

Theme 2, More Images needed

I have planned another session today with my niece and nephew and their dog Toby!

I was hoping to go to the park today as well as shooting at the dogs home but the weather is rubbish here so we will be staying indoors.  I am hoping to experiment a little more and in this session take more control of the dog in order to set up a few shots, oppose to simply following the subjects around.  Hopefully in doing this I can be a little more creative and have some variety in the final images chosen for the theme.

As always I will be shooting using RAW files and will be using small F stops (large aperture) to capture a wide depth of field.  I will be using a F/1.8 portrait lens as we will now be shooting in doors in low light conditions.  White balaance will be left on Auto and I will hopefully be able to shoot using an ISO of 100 and wont be adding any flash lighting using only the natural light provided.  I may add light using exposure compensation if required.

The equipment used on today will be as follows:

Sony A230 DSLR
50mm F/1.8 lens
tripod
bean bag
I will also be using the camera's neck strap so that I can be hands free when positioning the dog

In preparation for today I have charged my camera battery fully and have cleared two memory cards so I can shoot as many shots as possible.

In regards to Health & Safety considerations I will take great care when using the tripod to ensure nobody falls over this and my camera bag will be kept out of the way.

Portrait photography - Key moments

Reading an old photography book I have and I came accross these key moments in Portrait Photography.  I have found a few images on Google for some of those people listed below.

1838 - Louis-Jacques-Mande' Daguerre takes the first photograph of a person

1840 - In new york, US dentist Alexander S Walcott opens the worlds first portrait studio.

1854 - The photographic, Carte de Visite is invented in Paris and leads to a massive rise in the number of portrait studios.

1863 - Julia Margaret Cameron earns her reputation closely framed portraits of artists, writers and other notable figures of the day.

1930s - Angus McBean revolutionizes celebrity portrait photography, using elaborate backrounds and lighting.

2002 - Yousuf Karsh, one of the worlds greatest portrait photographers, dies aged 93.

2009 - In the UK, Jane Bown notches up 60 years as portrait photographer for the observer newspaper, with a portfolio ranging from  Bertrand Russell to Bjork.


Louis Daguerre (Louis Jacques Mande Daguerre) was born near Paris, France on November 18, 1789. A professional scene painter for the opera with an interest in lighting effects, Daguerre began experimenting with the effects of light upon translucent paintings in the 1820s.

Louis Daguerre regularly used a camera obscura as an aid to painting in perspective, and this led him think about ways to keep the image still. In 1826, he discovered the work of Joseph Niepce, and in 1829 began a partnership with him.
 
He formed a partnership with Joseph Niepce to improve upon the photography process Niepce had invented. Niepce, who died in 1833, produced the first photographic image, however, Niepce's photographs quickly faded.
 
After several years of experimentation, Louis Daguerre developed a more convenient and effective method of photography, naming it after himself - the daguerreotype.
 
According to writer Robert Leggat,"Louis Daguerre made an important discovery by accident. In 1835, he put an exposed plate in his chemical cupboard, and some days later found, to his surprise, that the latent image had developed. Daguerre eventually concluded that this was due to the presence of mercury vapour from a broken thermometer. This important discovery that a latent image could be developed made it possible to reduce the exposure time from some eight hours to thirty minutes.

Boulevard du Temple, paris - Joseph Neipce

Julia Margaret Cameron

Photographic portrait of an Italian man, possibly an artist's model called Alessandro Colorossi, by Julia Margaret Cameron (1815-1879). Cameron's photographic portraits are considered among the finest in the early history of photography. She set up a private studio at her Isle of Wight home at the age of 48, after her daughter gave her a camera, and she became expert at using the collodion wet-plate process. This is the only photograph in which Cameron made use of a professional model.

Yousuf Karsh

Albert Einstein 1948

• Born: 23 December 1908
• Birthplace: Mardin, Ottoman Empire (now Turkey)
• Died: 13 July 2002 (complications from surgery)
• Best Known As: Photographer of the famous grumpy Churchill portrait

Yousuf Karsh's dramatic glimpses of public figures like Winston Churchill and Ernest Hemingway made him one of the most famous portrait photographers of the 20th century. Karsh and his family fled Armenia when he was 15 years old.

He ended up in the Canadian capital of Ottawa, where he learned photography and gained access to prominent national and international figures just as World War II was beginning. He worked mostly in black and white, with a large 8x10 view camera, often catching his subjects in surprisingly intimate or pensive moments. (His famous 1941 portrait of a glowering Churchill was snapped after Karsh snatched a cigar from between the prime minister's lips.)

Many of his portraits were printed in Life magazine, giving Karsh even wider exposure. Among his subjects were Albert Einstein, Andy Warhol, John F. Kennedy, Pablo Picasso and George Bernard Shaw.

Karsh's younger brother Malak was a well-known photographer of Canadian landscapes... Karsh's portrait of Helen Keller was unusual: a close-up of her hands, pressed together as if in prayer.

Yellow Mutt Pet Photography - Theme 2 research

I have been doing some more research today on pet photography ready for my next session which will be next weekend.  I have found three more people who are willing to let me photograph them next weekend and as this will probably be the last opportunity I get i want to make sure I get some great shots to finish off the theme.

Looking through the net and came accross Yellow Mutt Pet Photography, I really like the introduction of herself (below) and how she to likes to shoot her subjects.  Capturing the beauty, charm and character of the pets and prodcuing fun images is exactly what I've been trying to do during the few sessions I have had with my friends. 

"Welcome to Yellow Mutt Pet Photography. My love for photography began 20 years ago when I took my first photography class in college.  I discovered pet photography five years later after adopting my first dog from the local animal shelter.

Photography remained a hobby until I bought my first DSLR camera. After going digital, I decided to turn my passion of pet photography into a business, and Yellow Mutt Pet Photography was established. Being a business owner and doing something that brings me so much joy is a dream come true.

I specialize in on location, natural light, fine art photography of dogs and cats. My goal is to capture your pets unique character, spirit, and charm through images that are fun, creative, and beautiful.  There is no studio, no intimidating lights, umbrellas or flashes. The photo shoot will be fun and stress free for you and your pet. Choose the location (in Seattle or the surrounding areas)  a favorite park, beach, lake,  your backyard, or leave it up to the photographer.

I will do whatever it takes to get that great shot, whether it be standing waist deep in water, or lying down in a puddle of mud; which is very likely in Seattle.  I invite you to explore my galleries. My hope is that you find the photographs inspiring and beautiful. I look forward to having the opportunity to photograph your pet, and creating treasured memories that will last a lifetime.
Debra Ducotey, owner
Yellow Mutt Pet Photography"

Here are some of the images from "yellow mutt pet photography" hope you enjoy.

Theme 2 research - Some basic tips I found on net!

Photographing Your Pets

Put Them at Ease

This might seem like common sense, but what I really mean is to photograph Fluffy in a way that makes her comfortable. If she's bouncy puppy, don't keep ordering her to sit while you frame the shot. Nope, take the camera outside and get some shots of her rolling around in the grass with the kids. If Fluffy is a cat, your best chance of getting a great photo is when she's napping in the bean bag--which means you have that opportunity about 18 hours each day.

Stoop to Their Level

Animals sit and stand much lower to the ground than we do, and a good general rule of photography is to shoot from the same perspective as your subject. To really get the essence of your pet's personality, you might want to lie down on the floor.
Of course, you can also get great results from unusual perspectives, too. For example, you could try getting directly overhead and pointing the camera straight down.

Watch Your Shutter Speed

Animals tend to change their mind without much warning and dart around a lot. To be ready for that you'll want to shoot at the fastest shutter speed possible. I recommend setting your camera to Shutter Priority and dialing in the highest speed your camera can muster, or, if your camera doesn't have a shutter priority control, try its Sport or Action setting.

Don't Be a Pet Paparazzi

When it comes to photographing pets, remember that the camera flash is not your friend. Turn off the flash and use natural light whenever possible, even if it means increasing the camera's ISO setting, which controls its sensitivity to light.
Why? Two reasons, really. First, bright flashes of light tend to scare animals, and the last thing you want to do is freak out Fluffy. Second, camera flash tends to cause the red-eye effect in animals, just as it does with humans. The red-eye reduction feature built into cameras is designed for people and isn't as effective on dogs and cats. If you really do need to use a flash, consider using a snap-on diffuser or a bounce card (available at any photo shop) to reduce the light's impact.

Nicole Mlakar-Livinstone

I've been looking at the images I have taken for my second theme which doesnt have a name yet but is based around people and their pets and the idea is to capture the emotion/bond/love between them.

One thing I have noticed immediately is that on each session I have been shooting the same images,  i.e. angles, frame, face on,legs only etc,  just different people/dogs.

With this in mind I still have time to for a few more sessions and before I do them decided to do some more research into others work.

In doing so I came accross a lady called Nicole Mlakar-Livinstone and here's what I found:

About Nicole


Nicole is a lifestyle and pet photographer in Austin, Texas. Her work has been featured in Austin Monthly, Texas Highways, Haute Dog Magazine , Austin Pets Directory, Rare Magazine and in a book titled "Barbecue Road Trip" by Voyageur Press.


Nicole is an award winning photographer, who was voted Austin's "Most Awesom-ist" Pet Photographer in 2009 and 2010 by Austin Pet Directory's reader poll. She also contributes to local non-profit pet organizations and rescue groups through financial donations and donations of her time and talent. Nicole provides photographic portraits for the Central Texas SPCA adoptable pets in an effort to give every pet an even greater chance of finding their forever home. Nicole was in turn, honored by the Central Texas SPCA as their 2009 Animal Advocate of the Year.

Looking through some of Nicole's images you can see that she has shot the subjects from various angles and doesn't always show the persons face by only showing the hands, body etc. 

I really like images 1-4 and especially love the expression on the dogs face in image number 2.  I think images 8 & 9 are very sweet and do capture the bond between the pet/owner.

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