dogs love you, not your camera

I've found that most dogs really dislike being photographed (that is, if they know they're being photographed). I think it's probably that thing, that massive clunky thing you put up in front of your face that freaks them out. The flash and the lights don't help. But as much as your dogs love you, I'm afraid they probably don't love your camera.

There are a few ways around this. Sleeping dogs shots, of course :) but there's only so much you can do with those. Another trick is to mount the camera onto a tripod, or rest it on something solid, and use a remote (if you have one) one the dog is in frame, so that your face is recognizable and your dog can stay in his/her safe zone.

If you don't have a remote, you can still manage this by just framing the dog, then lift your face away from the camera so he/she can see you. Seeing your face, of course, is the best thing in the world to your dog.

Give it a shot. You may end up with fewer of those guilty, sort of "what did I do" faces and more dog smiles.

And we all know that dog smiles make the world go 'round.

The Jeroldines

I had a chance to shoot a very cool LA band on Saturday:
the Jeroldines. It was crazy Christmas madness all around us (we shot in downtown old Pasadena), they scouted this great little location that looks totally out of the way. Check them out on myspace. They play pretty regularly around LA.

G under light

When I'm shooting a client's dog, I really don't have the time to make drastic lighting changes. I set up my lights before the client arrives (based on what effect we're going for) and pretty much leave them that way for the shoot.

That's why I love having the smalldogs around to do different things with. Although they are usually reluctant models, I do get the chance to get a few shots off before they skulk away. I love this shot of G. I wasn't sure how she would react in this shot because of the way the lights were set up, but I got the perfect expression from her. She's a trooper.

do the math, adopt a rescue

If you're thinking of a getting a cat or dog for someone this Christmas, please please stay away from pet stores and visit your local shelter. If you don't find an animal there, ask them about local rescues (who often have many pure-bred animals who need homes).

Rescues make the best animals, and the karma you will build up for saving a life is immeasurable.

Prints of this photo are available for purchase at my Etsy shop.

More of GatorBait (having lived in Florida for several years, I can totally appreciate this name).

great dog, great client, great shoot

Had a very successful shoot this morning, in large part due to the fantastic client, Rita. She just had a wonderful understanding of the process, even though I don't think she'd ever had her dog professionally photographed before. She walked him before she arrived; she brought a bag of his favorite toys; and she was almost instinctively doing what I needed her to do to keep the dog (Gator Bait, best name ever!) where I needed him to be.

The is the only shot I've processed so far; I've taken the advice a good friend (and amazing photographer) who told me to always wait a day before I begin processing a shoot.

dance goddamnit

When I first saw this shot of G, I thought of the old Sparks' song, "Dance Goddamnit."

I love dog parts; it's rare to find a client who likes photos of their dogs' parts, but thank God for the ones who pop up now and then.

the emotions of animals

The most important thing in taking photos of someone's companion animal is to capture the emotions of the animal. Not as easy as it sounds, because most dogs, under these conditions, will be curious, happy, running about, etc. It's sometimes hard to get anything other than the goofy, tongue-hanging-out face from most dogs. But the longer I spend sitting with the animal, playing with it, talking to it, etc., the more likely I am to get a wider range of emotions when it's time to start shooting. The whole idea is that the dog (or cat) isn't aware that anything has changed.

I love this shot of Lola, because it's so clear that she didn't want to model for me on this day. I rarely see her upset, so this shot is a big treat for me. Not because I pissed her off, but because she looks so silly trying to be a snot (because honestly, she's not one.)

the beauty of Death Valley

I've lived in California most of my life and went to Death Valley for the very first time last weekend. I'm kind of jaded on landscape photography; it doesn't really excite me the way it does other photographers. But I have to admit it was am amazing place to see, especially predawn to catch the sunrise coming up over the dunes.

A nice departure from dogs, people and old buildings :) I'm selling some of my favorites over at my Etsy shop.

sit! stay!

I had a really great session with a dog named Chief today. He was mad crazy about running around, eating the grass and chewing pinecones to bits. His people tried so hard to get him to pose, but he would have none of it. Of all the shots I was able to get, this is my favorite.

G

G's the most photogenic dog I've ever had. She's not very patient in front of the camera so I have to be quick. But when I do get a shot of her, it's almost always adorable. :)

she's wishing me into the cornfield

Lola is the best, tirelessly posing for me as I fudge about with new lighting and backdrops.
I never used to like studio shots of dogs, but the more I do it, the more I like it. I can see why a lot of people prefer for me to shoot their dogs this way. Outdoors, or at someone's home, is still great for closeups and shallow depth of field shots, or shots where the owners are there too. But when it's the dog (or cat or whatever) alone, I think the seamless background really brings out the personality.

The only problem with this setup is that animals usually aren't comfortable in front of a bunch of lights, especially when it's not at their home. And the best part of shooting animals is capturing them as candids; when their true personality shows through.

a wider view of the world

A lot of people aren't comfortable with being shot with the wide angle lens because of the distortion. But once they see some shots, many come to love it. Personally, the Canon wide-angle 10-22mm is one of my favorite lenses. It was made for dogs, and people.

It's also great for architectural shots. :)

the most wonderful time of the year?

This time of year seems to come sooner and sooner every year. I'm speaking, of course, about the holidays. I first spotted Halloween decorations in a store about 3 weeks ago (maybe more). I freaked out! It's still the first week of October, but there are houses in my neighborhood already decorated and decked out for Halloween.

Holiday cards, portraits, gifts ... that's what people will be thinking about soon. Yay.

It's getting colder outside too; time to move much of the shooting indoors. This is a test shot of me and my husband in the studio. It's very "fall" looking. :) But today, it was about 80 degrees.

Thanks goodness for Los Angeles and its bland, warm weather.

my most famous milo

If you live in Long Beach and frequent local coffee shops, you've probably seen Milo. He's on my postcard; he's on some artwork adapted from this photo over at Chroma Glass, and he seems to be known by just about everyone I meet. My most famous model, Milo, still poses for free.

There will come a day when he won't even get out of bed for less than an XL Kong.

What makes a dog-friendly city?

I heard recently that Long Beach was voted one of the most (if not THE most) dog-friendly cities in the country. I imagine that that status is based on things like apartment availability to dog owners; dog park access; etc. But honestly, I live in Long Beach and I think we should get demerits for dressing up our dogs. :) There are some mad crazy dog people here in LB, and we have parades like, all the time, where we dress up our dogs and parade them down the street.

Now, dressing up dogs in people clothes is such a huge peeve of mine, but I can't help but think that this French Bulldog looks tres jolie in her little sundress, leaving me to rethink that whole dog wardrobe thing).

a Frenchman in Los Angeles

He flirted shamelessly with me and he kissed my hand and I loved it.

j's bringing glam back

I had the best impromptu session last night with my favorite model, J. I had only one lens with me and one speedlite, but I had been wanting to shoot a scenario like this with her for so long, I just sat her down and we did it all in about five minutes.

downtown los angeles

This was a very difficult shot for me to get. I was using my 35mm prime lens, with a shallow depth of field, so I had to stay pretty close behind him to get what I wanted. There was a lot going on in the street, but it felt like the sound of my shutter was the loudest thing on the street. I really didn't want him to hear me, because I loved the casual way he was carrying with his son and talking to him, and I wanted to capture that.

I followed for a half a block, trying very hard to get him without anyone in the background, but it was just too crowded.

A few weeks ago, J's best friend and her fiance came down for a visit and wanted me to take some engagement shots for them. They're getting married in less than a week, so I thought it would be a good time to unveil the lucky couple. They were adorable and so much fun to shoot! They were both completely into being themselves and hamming it up for me!

These are definitely not your traditional engagement shots, but I like them even more because they convey their personalities and love the feel for each other.