I had the possibility to go up north and go to my instant household at Christmas final yr. New to the household was a 9-week-old golden retriever pet, Maverick.
My sister’s new canine buddy was definitely the focal point over the journey. And that meant a couple of footage Christmas morning, together with some posed photographs in entrance of the tree the following night time.
I’ve by no means actually photographed canines by themselves; they’ve at all times been with individuals. So this was considerably of a brand new problem for me.
Keep away from the zoomies
These of you who’ve had puppies know concerning the “zoomies” — that point of day when the pet goes completely nuts. Working forwards and backwards down the hallway, typically falling over their very own tails.
Attempt to have the canine not less than considerably worn out. You don’t need them falling asleep after they’re being photographed, however you don’t need them totally energized, both. Time it proper.
Be certain your digital camera is able to go
Earlier than your furry mannequin enters the scene, ensure you’re ready. Dial in your digital camera settings and ensure sufficient gentle is current. Observe on a stuffed animal when you’ve got one laying round, ideally one which’s an analogous fur coloration.
Whereas utilizing one thing like a strobe or steady gentle is definitely one thing that might assist, taking informal images whereas visiting household typically doesn’t enable you the possibility for a full in-studio setup. Seeing that Maverick was going to be posed, I used to be ready to make use of a slower shutter velocity, at 1/100s. Paired with an f/1.8 aperture, I used to be in a position to hold my ISO a bit decrease than I might’ve in any other case needed to do with a quicker shutter velocity.
In the event you’re in a position to flip up the lights, accomplish that. Even with our front room lights totally up, I had to make use of ISO 4000 — a lot increased than I choose for portraits. However this was a type of eventualities the place the topic was far more essential than technical perfection.
Be prepared with treats
This can be a given. Have a bag of treats subsequent to you, or higher but, have the canine’s proprietor maintain the treats simply barely above your head. Too excessive and the canine will look too excessive up.
Have the proprietor reward the canine with treats often, and don’t be afraid to take a couple of brief breaks. The canine shall be extra snug with the proprietor as a substitute of you, making it extra seemingly that he’ll be obedient whilst you snap away.
Deal with the pet … like a human
This may sound bizarre, however you need to {photograph} the canine such as you would an everyday particular person. Separate them from the background to get that creamy bokeh, pose them barely at an angle (if doable) and take a look at a couple of totally different seems with them.
You’ll want to seize some candid moments, too, like biting on the Christmas tree or rug, and even trying over at one other particular person within the room. You could be stunned by what you find yourself with.
