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06/23/2006 04:08:01 AM · #1 |
These are my first attempts at "Professional" Pet Portraits. After quite some time of repeated requests from friends, I finally got around to taking some trial shots of some pets with the thought of doing it on a more regular basis for pocket money.
One of my friends owns a pet shop in Taupo, (smallish town with Pop. of about 24,000). I set up a blue sheet as a background in the loading bay at the back of the shop, and timed it for the natural light to come into the area I was about to shoot in. A black sheep skin was put on the ground well forward of the sheet and a Nikon SB600 flash was placed behind the skin to flash off the background to reduce the shadow effect. I used my D200 with the built in flash.
I had difficulty placing the animals in the right positions, and ended up using someone to keep putting them back in place while I shot away, hoping for the "perfect" shot.
Post editing was minimal, but the background was spot cloned like a paint brush to give it a painted look. A little "unsharp mask", curves, auto balance/levels and crop.
Any advice or tips about setting up a small business in this field would be greatly appreciated!
Heres a few examples ...
Original
Message edited by author 2006-06-23 04:17:39. |
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06/23/2006 04:37:42 AM · #2 |
I like the one of Suave best. The others have the animals loking too far off ot the side. Keep in mind that just as with people, the eys of an anim al really give way to it's soul. People will come to you hoping you can catch the essence of their furry friend. Try to get the animal to look towards you. Expression sells too - funny noises like tongue rolls, key words for dogs (treat, walk, go for a ride), whistles, and squeekers will help get the animal to not only look at you, but give expression too.
This most recent series of a pug I had just adopted days prior show how making funny noises can get them to give different looks. This pug hardly knew me and eas still feeling apprehensive in his new home.
  
I used to do pet photography when I lived in lower Michigan and did a gig at the pet shop every month. It can be fun, but also frustrating. People will bring you pets that have no clue what sit or stay means. Large dogs can easily take out your tripod with the swing of a heavy tail. I suggest you always try and have an assistant as an exrra set of hands.
Marketing is also important. Especially near the holidays - get flyers up in all the vet offices that will allow it, and all the pet stores that you can. A lot of people found me through the website I had at the time. I would get a web site up and make sure in the meta tags you have your location.
Another hot spot for finding new clients is at dog shows. I did not try to set a booth up at the shows as it cost money for the booth space, and there are too many noises and distractions there. I would go to them though and hand out flyers with $5.00 off coupons attached to those showing their dogs. Dog show people love their dogs and love to have good portraits. Many are looking for shots they can put in breed magazines as ads for their breedking kennels.
Good luck with this new adventure!
Message edited by author 2006-06-23 04:41:38.
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06/23/2006 04:47:54 AM · #3 |
Thanks very much for those tips. It has made me feel more enthusiastic about the prospect of going out and doing it.
Originally posted by ShutterPug:
I like the one of Suave best. The others have the animals loking too far off ot the side. Keep in mind that just as with people, the eys of an anim al really give way to it's soul. People will come to you hoping you can catch the essence of their furry friend. Try to get the animal to look towards you. Expression sells too - funny noises like tongue rolls, key words for dogs (treat, walk, go for a ride), whistles, and squeekers will help get the animal to not only look at you, but give expression too.
This most recent series of a pug I had just adopted days prior show how making funny noises can get them to give different looks. This pug hardly knew me and eas still feeling apprehensive in his new home.
I used to do pet photography when I lived in lower Michigan and did a gig at the pet shop every month. It can be fun, but also frustrating. People will bring you pets that have no clue what sit or stay means. Large dogs can easily take out your tripod with the swing of a heavy tail. I suggest you always try and have an assistant as an exrra set of hands.
Marketing is also important. Especially near the holidays - get flyers up in all the vet offices that will allow it, and all the pet stores that you can. A lot of people found me through the website I had at the time. I would get a web site up and make sure in the meta tags you have your location.
Another hot spot for finding new clients is at dog shows. I did not try to set a booth up at the shows as it cost money for the booth space, and there are too many noises and distractions there. I would go to them though and hand out flyers with $5.00 off coupons attached to those showing their dogs. Dog show people love their dogs and love to have good portraits. Many are looking for shots they can put in breed magazines as ads for their breedking kennels.
Good luck with this new adventure! |
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06/23/2006 04:48:33 AM · #4 |
Left some comments. If you want to do more pet portraits, I'd seriously recommend paper backgrounds. You'll have no seams and wrinkles to deal with, saving yourself a lot of work in PS. Also, pet hair and parasites (fleas, etc) could become an issue with the fabric backgrounds.
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06/23/2006 04:53:23 AM · #5 |
[quote]A lot of people found me through the website I had at the time. I would get a web site up and make sure in the meta tags you have your location.[/quote]
Thats a great tip, that i forgot somehow.
*Goes off to fiddle with meta tags*
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06/23/2006 04:53:38 AM · #6 |
Good point! I'll look into that.
Originally posted by fotomann_forever:
Left some comments. If you want to do more pet portraits, I'd seriously recommend paper backgrounds. You'll have no seams and wrinkles to deal with, saving yourself a lot of work in PS. Also, pet hair and parasites (fleas, etc) could become an issue with the fabric backgrounds. |
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06/23/2006 05:21:46 AM · #7 |
G'Day Mate, Not bad for a start, I would use your sb600 as a main light tho. Try puting it on a stand at a 45degree angle.
What you need with animals is patience, I find putting the in something to contain them like a baket also works well, a bit like kids actually. If you are doing a lot indoor work, PM me theres a guy on TradeMe has real good photography deals he has things like studio flashes etc at good prices.
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06/23/2006 05:43:54 AM · #8 |
Thanks man. I was going to email you later anyway. Been a bit quiet on DP lately!
Originally posted by kiwinick:
G'Day Mate, Not bad for a start, I would use your sb600 as a main light tho. Try puting it on a stand at a 45degree angle.
What you need with animals is patience, I find putting the in something to contain them like a baket also works well, a bit like kids actually. If you are doing a lot indoor work, PM me theres a guy on TradeMe has real good photography deals he has things like studio flashes etc at good prices. |
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06/23/2006 05:51:39 AM · #9 |
I helped a good friend get her business off of the ground and shee does very well right now. She did kid photography for 14 years which helped her tremendously with the animals. Take a look at her site, she does very well with set-ups and props.
Link |
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06/23/2006 05:52:18 AM · #10 |
An assistant with a squeaky toy/treats makes a huge difference in getting the eye contact you need with dogs. Patience and a secure area so your model doesn't take fright and run off with cats.....feather toys work with kittens.
Very nice start though. I'd love to hear how you get on with this |
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06/23/2006 05:55:51 AM · #11 |
Wow! There are some awesome pet shots here! I'll look into her set up in more detail very soon.
Originally posted by dolphnz8:
I helped a good friend get her business off of the ground and shee does very well right now. She did kid photography for 14 years which helped her tremendously with the animals. Take a look at her site, she does very well with set-ups and props.
Link |
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06/23/2006 06:04:19 AM · #12 |
I am also very interested in getting into pet photography and have just invested in new equipment (a D50 & Nikon 50mm 1.4 so far) but have no idea on lighting techniques. I can't seem to find many resources on the web so if anyone has any tips or knows of any books on the topic this would be appreciated.
I don't mean to hijack the thread here, was going to start my own but I think we are both looking for pretty much the same help and info :-) |
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06/23/2006 06:05:40 AM · #13 |
Yep, all that information will be helpful to me too!
Originally posted by rubienne:
I am also very interested in getting into pet photography and have just invested in new equipment (a D50 & Nikon 50mm 1.4 so far) but have no idea on lighting techniques. I can't seem to find many resources on the web so if anyone has any tips or knows of any books on the topic this would be appreciated.
I don't mean to hijack the thread here, was going to start my own but I think we are both looking for pretty much the same help and info :-) |
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06/23/2006 09:07:55 PM · #14 |
Originally posted by bandit:
Yep, all that information will be helpful to me too!
Originally posted by rubienne:
I am also very interested in getting into pet photography and have just invested in new equipment (a D50 & Nikon 50mm 1.4 so far) but have no idea on lighting techniques. I can't seem to find many resources on the web so if anyone has any tips or knows of any books on the topic this would be appreciated.
I don't mean to hijack the thread here, was going to start my own but I think we are both looking for pretty much the same help and info :-) |
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06/23/2006 09:19:56 PM · #15 |
Pet portraits are just like people portraits, as far as lighting is concerned. Best possible lighting will be with a 4 light setup: key, fill, background, and hairlight. Yes, pets need hairlights just as much as people do, and in fact, many times they need more than people. Black or dark brown animals soak up light. Standard 4 light setup (flashes at 45 degrees from center, one above (what would be the hair light in people photography) and one on 1/8ish power on the background, will give you the best possible results. If you don't have four lights you can subsititute a reflector for the fill light. If you don't have three lights eliminate the background light. If you still don't have enough lights, eliminate the hair light but move the fill light up and pointed down.
Another thing to consider is that, generally speaking, for pleasing portraits we try to soften the skin so that we don't see every wrinkle and pore on someone's face. On the other hand, pet portraits tend to look much better when sharpened moderatley, instead of blurred. The reason is that the highlights of the individual strands of fur actually add depth and definition to the animal's coat.
I've got a studio photography book with a section on pet photography, I'll look later tonight or tomorrow for any other useful tidbits.
Good luck!
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06/23/2006 09:29:15 PM · #16 |
Thats great, thanks. I haven't got an elaborate lighting set up yet, but all these tips are being taken on board and I guess I'll find what works by just practising a lot.
Originally posted by livitup:
Pet portraits are just like people portraits, as far as lighting is concerned. Best possible lighting will be with a 4 light setup: key, fill, background, and hairlight. Yes, pets need hairlights just as much as people do, and in fact, many times they need more than people. Black or dark brown animals soak up light. Standard 4 light setup (flashes at 45 degrees from center, one above (what would be the hair light in people photography) and one on 1/8ish power on the background, will give you the best possible results. If you don't have four lights you can subsititute a reflector for the fill light. If you don't have three lights eliminate the background light. If you still don't have enough lights, eliminate the hair light but move the fill light up and pointed down.
Another thing to consider is that, generally speaking, for pleasing portraits we try to soften the skin so that we don't see every wrinkle and pore on someone's face. On the other hand, pet portraits tend to look much better when sharpened moderatley, instead of blurred. The reason is that the highlights of the individual strands of fur actually add depth and definition to the animal's coat.
I've got a studio photography book with a section on pet photography, I'll look later tonight or tomorrow for any other useful tidbits.
Good luck! |
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07/19/2006 03:45:54 PM · #17 |
I would like to offer you some tips on photographing pets.
As a pet photographer you have to be quick on the trigger and good with animals first and formost.
You can get exausted quickly trying to keep the little buggers still long enough to get that great shot.
Try using a harmonica to get the animals attention, I use one and you get instant attention and for the most part it makes them be still and you get some great curious looks!
Check out my pet gallery at www.furryfriendspetpics.com. |
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07/19/2006 03:52:52 PM · #18 |
Originally posted by dolphnz8:
I helped a good friend get her business off of the ground and shee does very well right now. She did kid photography for 14 years which helped her tremendously with the animals. Take a look at her site, she does very well with set-ups and props.
Link |
The props add that extra touch. |
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07/19/2006 04:44:59 PM · #19 |
Originally posted by bandit:
Pet Portraits ... Some advice please. |
Be careful of the ones that insist on doing their own processing...
Best of luck - looks like you'll do very well. |
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