Kako snimiti sjajne fotografije pasa
Uspješni fotograf pasa Rhian White dijeli neke tajne za snimanje pasa s Geoffom Harrisom
Psi. Mnogi od nas ih obožavaju do kraja, a mnogo više nas steklo je ove divne životinjske pratioce tijekom karantina. Ne samo da je fotografija pasa velika nagrada sama po sebi, ona također može činiti temelj fotografskog posla ili profitabilne sporedne djelatnosti. No, kao i kod svake druge fotografske discipline, ne radi se samo o usmjeravanju fotoaparata prema Buddyju ili Belli i odlijetanju.
Da biste uspjeli u ovom žanru, morate steći niz vještina, uključujući one iz portretiranja, akcijske fotografije pa čak i dokumentarnog rada. Također morate biti u mogućnosti raditi brzo, jer živahni psi nemaju tendenciju ostajati dok se petljate s postavkama kamere. Jedan od najuspješnijih fotografa pasa koje smo predstavili u AP-u je Rhian White iz Devona, pa smo mislili da je krajnje vrijeme za dublji intervju s ovim majstorom kreativnosti vezane uz pse.
Strma krivulja učenja
Svjedočanstvo je Rhianina marljivog rada i odlučnosti da je potpuno samouka, i kako slobodno priznaje, krenula je od vrlo niske baze znanja. “Prije četrnaest godina dobio sam svog mopsa Boo i jako sam je volio – želio sam je fotografirati sretnu, ali nisam znao što radim.
Nisam razumio trokut ekspozicije, postavke fotoaparata ili bilo što drugo - samo kako uključiti fotoaparat! Bilo je u redu u automatskom načinu rada ako je Boo mirna, ali sve što se pomicala postalo je mutna mrlja.’
Dexter i Fin. Nikon 17-35 mm f/2.8, 1/1000 s pri f/6.3, ISO 140
Razumijevanje osnova fotografije i postavki fotoaparata samo je jedan dio jednadžbe. 'U početku nisam razumjela motive pasa i kako koristiti svjetlo', objašnjava. Postojala je krivulja učenja i kada je u pitanju oprema.
'Na kraju sam kupio Nikon D300s, a zatim i "superzoom" objektiv od 18-200 mm, misleći da će mi pokriti sve što mi treba - ali kvaliteta ovog objektiva nije bila baš dobra. Ubrzo sam shvatio da će svatko tko se ozbiljno bavi fotografiranjem pasa dobiti objektiv 70-200 mm f/2.8.’
U to vrijeme jedva da je bilo dostupnih videozapisa s fotografijama pasa na internetu, radionica ili mentorstva, ali Rhian je ostala pri tome. 'Kupnja časopisa poput AP-a je pomogla, ali ono što je stvarno pomoglo bilo je gledanje slike koja mi se svidjela i pokušavanje razraditi postavke kako bih mogao vidjeti što bi moglo funkcionirati u sličnom scenariju. Također sam počeo pitati ljude u parkovima i na plažama mogu li fotografirati njihove pse za vježbanje. Jedna dobra strana mog karaktera je da nikad ne odustajem.’
Tri godine kasnije Rhian se sa sjevera preselila u Brighton. Dok je tražila posao grafičke dizajnerice, primijetila je da postoji praznina na tržištu za fotografiranje pasa. 'Davne 2010. malo je ljudi fotografiralo pse onakvu vrstu fotografije koju sam ja volio - vesele, šarene slike pasa vani. Dapače, bilo je puno studijskih snimaka. Stoga sam mislio da postoji praznina na tržištu i s vremenom sam izgradio svoj posao fotografiranja pasa.’
Morgan. Nikon 35 mm f/1.4, 1/640 s pri f/2, ISO 320
Tehnički izazovi kod fotografiranja pasa
Rhian ima vrlo jasan pristup fotografiji pasa, au središtu toga je razumijevanje psihologije pasa. 'Morate otkriti što ih motivira. Pronađite mjesto gdje se osjećaju sigurno, sretno i opušteno. Ako imate sretnog psa, dobit ćete sretne slike. Pse mogu omesti drugi psi, ljudi koji prolaze na biciklima itd. i toga morate biti svjesni.’
Sljedeće je uvažavanje onoga što psa motivira. 'Smatram da ih motiviraju lopte i igračke, hrana, drugi psi, njihov vlasnik/osoba i obavljanje vlastitih stvari - na primjer, njuškanje i istraživanje.'
Rhian također saznaje što je više moguće o psu prije snimanja, što joj omogućuje da dođe do ideja. 'Također trebate odražavati energiju psa. Neki su uzbuđeni i žele igrati, dok neki mogu biti nervozni, pa trebate promijeniti svoje ponašanje. Razmislit ću o tome što psi žele učiniti kako bi se osjećali ugodno, jer to znači bolje snimke.’
As part of this approach, Rhian rarely goes right in close to the dog with a portrait lens at the beginning of their relationship – ‘the dog doesn’t know who I am and thinks why should I play with you.’ Instead she prefers to use her trusty 70-200mm f/2.8 lens in a more passive, documentary capacity.
Crumble, Scrumpy and Toffee. Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8 at 170mm, 1/1250sec at f/6.3, ISO 200
‘Later on, if the dog allows it, I work in a more interactive way and get up closer using my 35mm or wideangle lens.’
It’s also important to plan what kind of shots you’re going to start off with. ‘I usually start with action shots. The dog leaps out of the car, maybe they are a bit restless after the journey, and they want to run and sniff and play. They don’t usually want to sit still for a portrait. Spaniels, for example, won’t seem to run out of energy even if tired, so understand the breed.’
Seize the moment
Rhian has a range of tricks for getting a lively dog to stay still for a portrait, one of her favourites being a pretend throw of a ball or toy – the dog stops in expectation and in that moment you can get a portrait. ‘Another rule of thumb is to tire the dogs first, before trying to do any portraits. Always work around them.
Then you need to think about where you want them to stay still. If you think they would look good on a log, for example, work out lens choice, composition, settings etc beforehand. When I am ready, I work fast, rather than keeping the dog waiting while I try to figure it all out.
Betsy and Lilo. 14-24mm f/2.8 at 14mm, 1/640sec at f/4.5, ISO 200
Taking too long to get set up is one of the most basic mistakes in dog photography , as the dog gets bored. People put the pictures first and the dog second. It must be the other way round.’
If a dog is not good at staying still, Rhian will also use ‘high-value treats’, such as a snack. ‘We never make a dog do anything they don’t want to do, but they soon work out the game if you give them what they want – always within the realm of what is safe for the dog to do and what they want.’
The importance of light
Another core component of Rhian’s approach is an understanding of light and how to use it. ‘You have to make sure the light is good, otherwise it doesn’t matter about your gear or settings. I generally go out a couple of hours before sunset and try to avoid the brightest part of the day, which can be tricky exposure-wise.’
Depending on the conditions, for action shots, Rhian’s starting point is 1/1000th sec or thereabouts, with a wider aperture and lower ISO setting. ‘I prefer blurred-out backgrounds but sometimes the background is interesting and you want to keep detail. I make a decision based on the location.
Generally, I like wider apertures and I work out shutter speed based on this and the speed of the dog – a whippet will move much faster than a pug, for example. When photographing multiple dogs I have to bring the aperture down.
Missy Moo. Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8 at 200mm, 1/1000sec at f/2.8, ISO 200
‘Unless they are exactly the same distance from you, running together, it’s easy to get one in focus and one out. So I bring the aperture down and try to get dogs together as much as I can. In terms of more static portraits, my starting point is aperture and the amount of background blur, then my composition and so on.’
While Rhian mainly uses natural light, she does sometimes use a flashgun with a diffuser, mainly with her 14-24mm wideangle lens. ‘Sometimes I have used off-camera flash but it can end up being quite a complicated set-up with dogs. By the time you are ready, everyone’s probably tired and the light is going.
A wideangle lens with a hotshoe flash makes it easier to get the dog where you want, or follow them around. I use a basic old flash, so you don’t need to spend a lot. You can also use light boxes, although, while continuous light with a light box could be easier, it might distract or worry the dog. I like to keep everything small, simple and intimate.’
When it comes to focusing, Rhian favours continuous AF using back-button focusing so she can track movement, although she will change to manual focus if appropriate. ‘I always focus on the head and eyes – you can get away with a lot if eyes are in focus, unless the dog is side on. If using my 70-200mm lens I generally use the middle focus point as I find this easier for staying sharp.’
Molly. 70-200 f/2.8 at 90mm, 1/800sec at f/5, ISO 250
The biggest challenge capturing dogs
Rhian reckons the hardest job is capturing multiple dogs who are interested in different things. ‘It can be a challenge when the client has several dogs and wants them all together in a shot. Several dogs running together is particularly hard, and I find four or five nigh impossible unless running side-on.
I have been known to Photoshop dog portraits together. You can’t force the dogs to do something they don’t want to do, and if the dogs are happy and the client happy, I don’t see a problem with this. Ideally you get the image right in camera but my job is to get the clients an image they like and never to upset the dog. I rarely put dogs on leads to get the shot unless in an emergency. I try to get them tired and try to work with their motivations in suitable location.’
Rhian’s Top Tips for photographing dogs
1. Get your priorities right
Nigel and Margaret
Always put the dog first, no matter what. People take far too long setting up for shooting or taking the shots. If the dog is sitting there for five minutes while you take the photo, it will get bored. You need to keep them motivated and engaged.
2. Think like a dog
Is this fun, is it interesting, is it too hot? Put yourself in the mind-set of the dog. The dog always comes first and I never get them to do anything they don’t want to do. Only after that, think about the light and the camera settings and so on.
3. Manual labour
Pabu
When it comes to settings, it’s always better to shoot in manual mode. I’d only recommend using aperture or shutter priority if you are totally stuck. Doing my course will help you go from auto to manual settings, and this will make a big difference to your hit rate.
4. Back-button focus
Lenny
For focusing I use back button focusing with continuous AF, as this means you can track moving dogs quickly and effectively. I will sometimes use manual focus for trickier situations, so it’s worth turning on any manual focusing aids on your camera.
5. Think about the light
Lilac
Shoot when the light is best, not when it is the most convenient time for you. Shoot in the middle of the day in the summer, and you can get very hard shadows or run the risk of overexposure – the dog will soon get hot too, and your shots will suffer.
6. Take along treats
Take something that motivates the dog, such as high-value treats or their favourite ball or toy – that way you can use what they want to get them to play, run or stand still, depending on what the dog wants to do. William, above, was chasing Rhian to get his ball back!
Rhian’s Dog photography kit list
DSLR Nikon D5
Fourteen years ago I went into Jessops and they recommended the Nikon D70s. I am still happy with the Nikon system, so I see no reason to change – the AF and low-light performance are fine for my needs. I also prefer DSLR optical viewfinders, but might consider changing to mirrorless at some point in the future.
Nikkor 14-24mm f/2.8 lens
This wideangle lens is my fourth and I love the fact that it’s nice and fast at f/2.8. The wider end is very useful for getting the dog in context and I sometimes use it with flash. The only problem is, the lens is quite bulbous, so I can’t protect it with a filter. When working on beaches with dogs running around kicking up sand and stones, I am very careful!
Nikkor 35mm f/1.4 lens
This 35mm is ideal for dog portraits. I can hold my hand out with a treat to attract the dog while bringing the camera back far enough to get a nice portrait. With a 50mm this would be much more awkward, so the 35mm is more flexible and I find the fast maximum aperture perfect for the kind of images I like to take.
Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8
This fast, quality lens is my mainstay for action photography. The focal length is perfect for dogs – you can zoom out if they are nervous or zoom right in to 200mm for a portrait with nice background blur. A 300mm lens would mean I am shooting too far away – I have to be able to communicate with everyone, including the dogs!
Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom
Lightroom is very handy for batch processing raw files. The latest upgrade enables you to select both sky and subject and is a real game-changer. I do a universal edit then I do more precise work on selected images, bringing up shadows or boosting colours. I only use Photoshop when I have to remove subjects or add them to an image.
How to start your own Dog Photography business
What tips does Rhian have for people wanting to take the extra step and set up a dog photography business? ‘Work on your SEO so customers can easily find you on Google , but before that, realise that your biggest marketing tool is your photographs . If they are not up to scratch, it doesn’t matter about your SEO or social media skills. You never stop learning and I try to make any new shoot my best ever.’
Rhian is sceptical about investing in social media marketing. ‘I have found it expensive and you can waste money and time. It’s now much harder to reach out to customers on social media compared to a few years ago, so look at free ways to raise your profile – but never work for free, as people won’t respect you.
It’s important to be realistic, too. Although I was able to use the lockdowns to work on my online course and attract new students, as well as working on video lessons, you need to have a plan B in case you are forced not to work again. I work as a joiner too, making cabinets and photo frames for clients – fortunately I really enjoy this as well!’
Learning from Rhian – take a dog photography course
Rhian has written an extensive 20-lesson course on mastering the art of photographing dogs in the outdoors. ‘It’s absolutely everything I know, from choosing a suitable location, motivating dogs, lighting, portraits, action shots plus post-production in Lightroom and Photoshop. It’s very detailed and includes a lot of 1-1 help from myself, so it’s really for people who are serious about taking better images of dogs, but it’s accessible and written so that everyone, including complete beginners, can get involved.’
Rhian has also recently released an extra lesson on photographing black dogs. ‘Many of my customers and students have black dogs and really struggle to get good images. This extra lesson specifically addresses the problems that they have.’ For more info about Rhian’s course, see rhianwhitephotography.co.uk/20-lesson-online-course
Rhian White
Rhian is a long-established ‘real life’ dog photographer and also runs a successful online course. See more about her at www.rhianwhitephotography.co.uk and Instagram:@rhianwhitephotography
We hope this article has inspired you, so do send us your best dog images (ap.ed@kelsey.co.uk) or get in touch with us via Facebook or Twitter.
Need more guidance on photographing pets? Check out our pet photography guide here.
Elke Vogelsang also shares how she got into dog photography here.