Lessons

Lesson Info

Shoot: Puppy Portraits

Stephen adorable little puppies it's funny you this image I've got up here happens to be a little it's very similar to these. We've got labradoodle puppies today, but the sea, the subject she was a little caboodle puppy, which is a cavalier king charles spaniel crossed with a poodle. So where's thie labradoodle is, of course, a labrador poodle crosses but justus gorgeous. Yeah, so I'm just gonna run through some keynotes, basically running, going over what we talked about on decision previous session, talking about the safety and the environment and things so really with puppies and kittens, they are escape artist, I do so it's here you'll see that what the kittens! We had them in a cage and with puppies, we've gotten here an opinion so it's really good to keep them isolated in suit environment so that they know that it's safe and also that they don't run around the studio and get caught up in all sorts of things. If you do have a space where you can let them run free, just as I was ta...

lking about, make sure the environment is really secure and closed off, make sure anyone was working with you, they know to close doors, all that sort of thing watch where you walk if you've got kittens and puppies running around free it's really easy to take a step backwards by accident and stand on them and puppies and kittens a really delicate and fragile and the younger ages so you gotta make sure that you don't stand on them and squash league or a tail and things like that so and as I mentioned earlier if possible keep all electric cables off the floor because especially poppies will chew to everything and if it's electric cables it's really dangerous, we certainly don't want to hear a little excellence and that regards and I've listed here also keep a head count if you just make sure that you've got seven puppies even like every sort of ten, fifteen minutes count that you've still got seven puppies of the running free make sure that you stay one hasn't escaped or one gone gone underneath somewhere he just met in just make sure you find them or keep them all safe and make sure they've got a safe, comfortable place to go to to read s and things like this what's the appeal is really good because if they know it's the little safe zone and things they got it and also make sure with poppies you just put down little toilet mitts for them toe or newspaper for them to go the twenty on kittens headed little tray so that they know that they could I'm relieved themselves when they need to just to keep them really comfortable and my last point, most of all, give them lots of cattle was a lot of love, yeah, because they fear its really important just to make sure that they they feel really safe, comfortable and make sure that they're also have plenty of breaks and things, too, so that they keep pete really happy. I'm not talking about going back to props and things with the kittens. Obviously, I had a few things I admitted the flowers made that seemed to be a bit too here be for them because they were much more delicate kittens, and I thought, so that didn't work, so we tried the pearls, they were trying to run backwards into them, which was also little bit entertaining for them. So therefore we win there's so much he also shows a little ribbon, the ribbons, great it's, a cute little prop, it's, just a little bit of a hint of something toe to an image, but seriously, you can't go wrong, just capturing those beautiful, simple images of animals anywhere without props, because animals themselves have got such such a gorgeous character and demeanor about them that any, any image of an animal is going to melt someone's heart, so it doesn't have to have props, props orjust here if you want to add something just to enhance the image. Yeah, so is discovered in the last segment, cats and much more visual, so using fear, the teases and things like that to get them, you can occasionally use treats to get them tio go places and things and toe pay attention like cats actually love cheese, but always make sure you ask the breeder or the if you're using, I often work with rescue kittens, so you just make sure that the animals don't have any allergies, or that there should be allowed to eat those foods and things. Yeah, and also, I like to get their attention brood like toys if they make a good tale actually didn't bring it out with the kittens because they won't really pay much attention. I didn't think that they would, but I've got a guy for cuba free appropriate kiwi from new zealand, and it makes it like if you squeeze it, it makes it really cute little sweet little bird noise, which actually is very realistic, so something like that can actually work with the cat as well, just to get their attention toe and towards camera, but they are match more visual creature the kit. So you are, I definitely feel a tease is our best option working with with cats and with props and things vases, that's, actually what we could have tried with those killings on ahead, some vases, but they weren't on my little table, so I forgot about them. We could have put actually to contain those two that would have been a really good idea, silly. May god wait, actually, we could have put those two little kittens and advised together, and they would have been gorgeous, and it would have contained them, and there would have actually been not been running around. So with all the chaos of it all, I forgot about that you're doing that on these sort of situations, don't you? But hey that's, what I would've done in high inside used to bars near said glass vase is a great in this instant, the cover of the smitten book, this actually waas a glass vase, but what I did to it, too, actually create this effect. I painted the inside of the bars, and then I stuck a little round white stickers onto the vats because you not necessarily going to be able to go out and buy exactly the color or the pattern you want on something so it's, really it was a great, eye catching sort of image for the acute polka dots always went really, really well, they sell well when it comes to commercial images, so that's how I managed to how I created that particular vase so just paint it with an acrylic paint on the inside doesn't have to last forever it's not goingto stay there if you want to put flowers and they're of course it'll wash off but it's perfect for putting a kitten and for for a photo shoot and then this the little the perfect little round stickers you can buy in stationery stores and things a great day and of course, flowers and fabrics and things were really great you could bring in instead of just having a flat background you can bring in a blanket which you can then play with underneath and the kittens comparing themselves and then love to bury and dig and duel that sort of it was sort of carry on where's poppies, which we're about to find out a much react much better to noise so squeaky toys dog treats rok always check with the breed or the puppy's owner to make sure that they're happy for the dog to be actually feed something and I actually don't use food very often, especially with adult dogs because they could get a little bit too hyperactive sometimes especially those fruity dogs like labor doors and things like that so I ty I try to only bring in treats win absolutely necessary for the teases and things is visual can can work, but as I say on the keynote here if if they get hold of them they'll be destroyed because puppies camping quite full on yeah there ten to ten to two things so often things putting puppies in things could work really well and boxes bags all that sort of thing soft toys could be really cute props as well just like if they fall asleep you get little puppy falling asleep but the resting on a td beer and things can always work really really cute and fabrics for hammocks and things on the main set with but an image of a kit in the hammock which is a great prop to use the special kids kids love hanging and things like that is it works really well and scarves spending as we might in this street way actually might try three little puppies together with this little bandannas around their necks which could be could be cute if the corpses that seem quite quiet they're sleeping let's get started because wait I think we've got a few questions I just need to ask I answer not me ask that people will worry if I was asking myself questions but absolutely so we didn't get an opportunity to ask questions after the last segment so we just wanted to fill up on kitty's yes alright esse o j nadir had asked how is the approach of photographing more senior cat's different than kittens? I am goingto touch on that more on tomorrow, tomorrow I'm doing that when we actually photographed the adult cats, so I will go into more detail tomorrow. But your kittens can't you just look a little bit more pliable, but they could be also a lot more hyperactive and energetic as we just cover. Yeah, so a question from sam kat, do you have any suggestions when taking photos of kittens and cats in somebody's home as far as posing and lighting and lenses? But just in general, if you were in a home scenario in the home scenario, well, I would I often, if I'm wanting to do background, will take all my gear with may, so I'll take some c stands, clamps, backgrounds, obviously sometimes you might want to take a portable table if you don't think making too take with the owner's first to see if they've got a table, what you'll be able to work on and things if you probably best to go visit them first before you do the shoot. So then you know what equipment you will need to take with you? And they can also check out the the available light situation. Often you find the people have a beautiful sunroom or something like that, where the light's beautiful and so you can work without well, that taking studio lights and things and actually work in the natural light on dh but it's beast, the best thing I can seduce is gone. Visit them first to make sure you can sort of see what you're going to need and be prepared when you go. And I think that that was way had a number of questions about do you always meet the animal first before you? I do? I try to it's just it's just a really good way, because then the owners also get a lot more understanding and what you're going to be doing. Yeah, so I haven't I haven't met all of these animals, which I'm working on the creative live segment words, but I've met a few of them, but we haven't been ahead a chance prior to this to meet everybody, especially coming from new zealand is a bit happy with will be in seattle, but yeah, but I do team to try and meet everyone before I before I would take didn't team to work with them previously. Now, did you have a question? I did? Do you have any loose rules or thought son cropping in camera feet and tails and stuff like that, I tend to like to see the whole animal? Yeah, I suppose. Like I play around with composition occasionally like sometimes advocates coming in if I'm doing a profile shot, then I might crop it off slightly so I don't have the bomb and especially that's a really good way to maybe you can get somebody to hold the animal still, if it's not sitting, story can actually just get someone to hold it on the bottom and then you can crop you just have the front of the animal coming in and then they like the basic sitting there tuning to camera you actually cropped the back out and then you can actually have someone hold them if necessary and then so that's always a good way, but I do. I tend to like what I was trying to work with the kittens was to get them symmetrically front on to camera where and then on an ideal world again tuck the tail around perfect nikhil sit with care, he'd up looking at camera, smile on the face and all that yeah it's going great, but sometimes it's you might need to cave someone holding it until you've got a crop, then out and things like that, but try and keep it a symmetrical and and showing as much as that animal is possible, I certainly don't like to chop a tail off or that sort of thing of this sitting there so yeah all right, I have a question from fashion tv who was joining us from singapore and this may apply to all animals do you leave your camera on the set or the table for the pet to check it out like are you think it's practical to have them be able tto go around the cameron smell it so they're less intimidated by the actual yeah that's not something which I'm really concerned about okay sort of but also judge by the animal with they're having a little bit of a nervous reaction to a camera then of course you'd let them sniff it and things like that, but most of the animals tend to be seen to be fine with the camera they don't really find anything threatening or anything. So all right, maybe one more question before we see you in action with these adorable puppies and that was can you have too many assistants stimulating and or intruding in the frame of the subject? So we obviously saw that having an assistant was hugely necessary but you can't be too many yeah no definitely the right amount for you I would prefer to only work with one possible, but sometimes when you're working with more than one animal it's good to have like a handful of people around but in the last situation I think the kittens were just overstimulated we probably had a bit too much happening and I would have probably taken them out give them a break and then come back and try and keep it a lot more calm and simple but it's you know it doesn't always every single time you find a ref it does depend on the animals you're working with you've got a judge each shoot individually and play it by ear but probably in a in a general street I would probably work with one assistant or sometimes just me that's it yeah so it depends on what the least people around for destruction the better already it's like the puppies are mellow and theo no noise at all so I'm just thinking what I'm gonna do actually is just bring a sleeping puppy out and I'm just going to see if I can actually bring a sleeping puppy out put it on the background and keep it asleep we might even be ableto reenact what is on the screen at the moment so who's probably are not you you're not sleeping hello gorgeous okay um I, um if you just hold that one, see if it'll see if we'll go back to sleep again and I'm just gonna, um I'm just gonna break the united states comes in is a possible toe oh that's actually all just I'll just take this one I'm just gonna see if we can just get you back to sleep and what just moved we got you hooked on me we're just gonna see it's gonna bring you over office all kun and they gorgeous no bc head on looking you what was gonna pop she down to see if we can just really gently just lying back down again if you will or you just gonna sit there when you get to baby oh did I wake you up from a deep sleep sorry baby oh you're too precious what a complete opposite of what we have just in the last segment isn't it look at that look at you can position them into the right thing I might em daniel can you just come you've got a puppy but I won't ask you to come and stand close for and she of it I might get who wanna come in amelia sorry emilia if you want to just come and stand on the side and just keep her just so that we don't have a puppy we just stay really calm and try not to distract the puppy but if he moves he she it's a girl this is that this was a hate I just got a pink color on you no no it's all right, I can't see it it's a pink color you think yeah, I think I was thinking who put you in there right so just watch the puppy at all times make sure you're not going run away actually we might so it is going to put you back in there and I'm gonna make some noises just do one set of jonah set it back down again to see if you have she'll sit, sit down you can lift her up and just place it by monday through they don't they won't break and if you just stand up again, I'm going to see so in this situation I'm shooting on the cannon this time just to show you that we can and we're actually shooting a net to light as well, so god let's make sure we've got something coming up and we got anything yet we have gone uh huh so that's me making noise and so what I'm doing is I find that really the easiest thing to work with puppies and things is toe to get them I'm actually this puppy is in such a great friend of mine just wantto even just pick it up and give it a cattle I'm actually gonna bring in a prop to see if we can I have got thank you little head, which I think it might fit on this puppy but you might be too small, but we'll just see who's going to see what you what is it trying trying to hug you, right a thumping good poppy gonna bring you have any of them got names yet or they will name but they do just give us a couple of families oh do you know if this one's got a name right now they're calling daisy daisy oh aren't you gorgeous keitel daisy let's just bring you in daisy so cute girl right I'm just gonna see if this fit two might be a little bit too small but we'll see eyes very cute I know exactly she's I'm embarrassed I don't wanna do this way went a little bit of it is quiet as quite it's a tight fit okay I'm just gonna pop your little feet back in there so I'm emilia can I get you just keep your hand on the puppy in the meantime and what just when I'm really I'll get you just take your hand off because I want to try and keep that really cute sit attacked the barman underneath and we've got front feet together it's a really, really gorgeous little position for the puppy to be in wearing a head like that something ill behaved but another little you look too cute okay so what is going on? So if you just take your hand away if you can what I need to do is see if we get the attention of the puppy up a little bit can you describe the fear the teaser actually from underneath the bed just bring the just go on with the feed the teaser and see if you get the rachel, can I just say how ridiculous your noise sound are are absolutely ridiculous and a good wife and bad way absolutely incredible way I'm so every lead right now twenty years of practice but he's gonna pop your little leagues big so uh such a gene to gorgeous little puppy must be frustrating for you behind the fancy sherry I think I'm just gonna do again what we did hold your shaking and it's okay, nothing is gonna bring your little feet together again good deal if you if you just keep putting them back into position the team to get the general idea all this is where she wants me to make dogs a smart they're really they pick up on things really quickly, right? So if you just if you just keep putting the feet back and I'm just gonna get that camera again ah sort of needing the little puppy did lift its heat up a little bit that's right? Because it's all looking sorry I like I own look, that is really that is actually really cute I'm going to stop there because I'm really happy with that shot so we don't need to force this puppy to do anything else, so we're going to stop right there so that's, what happens if you know you've got the shot there's no point in keeping you don't have to keep moving just stop let the puppy go back to where it snows there's no safe zone and you did magic daisy that's great perfect could you talk a little bit how you were placing the puppy yeah I'm basically just isn't going to go back to sleep now you see that's what we could bring that one and basically what I did was holding in a really confirmed very, very comfortable way for them I'll just show you hear it you just want to let us take over with this but you didn't pick the puppy up what you doing attacking hand and under the bottom you've got basically got them sitting in your hand then when you place them down on the table not sure whether this one's is dopey is the other one you basically put that and then want to do hold them there keep your hand around the chest of the puppy and then you could just slide the fate back in moving with your fingers. I'm not sure if you can see this is what black pudding it's he'd bite down. You bet you can just squeeze the little brewery gently to squeeze the front feet together so it goes improbably in between the back feet, which is the as you can say, is a really, really cute pose with the public so that's what it looks like you're just gonna sit there as well yeah, I mean, you get to looking out this one's a boy, isn't it? Yeah, yeah, you don't we don't need to take the color's off because you can't even see them. So what I'm gonna do you're a bull of your point gonna try I have got the ideal hit which scenario? I was gonna do this for just a little teddy bear head isn't it just so adorable and it's bigger so it's not quite us but that was very cute that so I'm just going to try this one on this puppy and we'll see how it goes. What is really cute ideally actually what I would probably do this that these just baby props which I bought from a shop but what I actually probably would do would be to get anita to make me ahead, which actually has more of either a bigger back um or otherwise and she has a slit in the back because what happens in the end dogs here shape actually because then he'd goes straight down the back. It doesn't have what us humans have where it goes right down so therefore you need to have more space at the back, but unfortunately I capped this will probably just lose the kit the head was completely fall apart, but eventually he's gonna join the program, I'd risk it, but I'll just say but you could probably get the sewing material through this but there there's really there's very very cute so I'm just gonna get you to hold this I'm going to come in and see if I get a slightly closer shot so you just hold at the back keep the puppet yep that's cold and I was going to send yeah you're good you think this is going to just fall off because of the way you know what I'm doing also is tryingto just take it over the eyes and then lifting it up so that we can see the elisa but better so we don't have too much here we need to see their ears it's all about the cute little you don't look very impressed you do not look impressed hu this's I'm off I'm off yeah it's not god I'm not sure I'm not I'm actually in a let's let's pop him back what I wouldn't mind doing actually know back in the and the with a little chocolate let's try the bring the chocolate one bring the chocolate women is the chocolate girl or a boy a girl I'm really but I'm asking this because I'm actually very particular about using girl props with girls and boyfriend boy props of boys it's not right to put gil props in a boy so I'm gonna pop this little little girl down does he have a name somebody nor are that's a sweet name so I am actually going to pop a little actually actually hang on lift her up again I'm going to quickly bring on the pink frank background here so this is really to see how I've got the backgrounds layered it's really easy for just changing backgrounds if you need to just throw it over the bank yep perfect tighter yeah I'm just thinking it's probably not it's alright nothing a little bit of post production can't fix if you can get it perfect and that's why it's better but um but it's often when working with fabrics you often do have little bits of background you need to tidy up you might have a little wrinkle there which needs to be needs to be fixed up things right so free pop nora down and what I'm going to do is just popped the surrounding nick dogs have already got collars on so they used to having something round and around her neck so she should as long as we keep it away from here where she's not gonna chew it we should be good that's sitting really nicely on who nick is a little we're gonna do the same little thing get you sitting but even sitting it even sitting sideways with the colorado isn't going to show the that was a bit more if we get it up so if you just if you could just hold her like that denny almost get the camera no q t c actually hang on, I'll just check that explosion that because we've now but, um a darker dog, I might actually have to change my exposure, but see that you see that's exactly what I'm strong about before how you've just got a slightly cropped off of the side. I don't mind cropping the bottom off slightly it's over it's still a very balanced scented image that actually is a really cute shot like I'd be really happy with that and I love it when you get those one shot wonders is brilliant, but what don't couple more so you can say, but they end the senses because I've got I'll just do that again, I'm going to try and get one where I'm a little bit I've got the full full poppy in a shot when you see it, concentrate on me, danny, or you could just let go, you're doing keep doing exactly what you're doing, positioning it, putting it back and position bring the tail background and then I'll just keep working with it and as soon as you realize she's concentrating on me, then you can you can stop well, yeah she's a she's a good so that's cool just turned not that it's great what what I might do is try and get more close up shot of her, okay same sort of position just sitting to see how she's she's offended the animals are what toppings are fantastic with interacting with noise and if you notice if you listen to me I do change my noises if she's not paying attention I might just make it a little bit more high pitched if she's coughing you hear to match I'll drop my tone a little bit so that she doesn't cocker he had quite so much perfect yes yeah I will I would re touch out the collar and postproduction yeah we'll just we'll be doing that and tomorrow end of tomorrow so yeah, we might even be ableto lift it I'm doing it close up so it's not too bad mike b it would have just put over there over top of the collar so that we don't you see the car? Okay that's right it's it's quite hard to see in the end the end the camera because it's such a brown color on the brown dog bring that roundabout. Yeah no, uh what we might do that you swap this out now and bring in a blonde poppy because she's lost interest a little bit but as you can see with working with the cannon perfectly capable of creating the same type of images of what I do with hesse bled on the cannon which is which is great I just happen to love the vessel bled so that's why I use it but yeah, we're allocated but the cannons britta hey understands the cannon is brilliant for lower light conditions hence why I'm shooting a natural light now because the hesse bland unfortunately did hesse better amazing camera but they do they don't they don't like tunes jeopardized the quality of an image by being out you think the most you can really shoot is about four hundred essay on a social essay with the hassle bled they're bringing it up so you can dream or but with the cannon like I'm shooting on eight hundred eyes so at the moment at a wide open two point eight on and I think I meant three twenty shutter speed it yeah, which is all you can see it up on the screen, which is great when you photograph for you do you have a set type of photograph that you want? You want a full puppy? Do you do a close up and then do you do close up of pause or do yeah if I'm doing a private commission, then yes, I would do I would but yeah, I might do a little cute little poor shots of if I'm wanting to just add to the if I'm doing something for a licensing range or something and they they're great for little detail shots within books and things like that but if I'm doing a private commission strength in you I will try and get a cz much variety is possible within the time period the animal will allow me to work with hi so who have we got here ginger very appropriate name for you already okay so I'm gonna put the flowers on ginger this time love with such a cute shari we could not have asked for better puppies thes puppies are just adorable yeah so what does it for you to stay right down there claire bear are you still shooting manual I am still shooting yet manual focus I'm gonna come and try and get a close up with this one I do just ready to bring the color if you're seeing this one I've got the flowers just need to move around the neck and just a little bit a little bit more what a perfect little models mmm mmm mmm mmm mmm mmm mmm mmm are you mmm mmm mmm mmm oh that's so cute uh even I'm melting a man I think you might be going home with only six book they're so cute all the gorgeous right let's um let's try something different what else can we do with these puppies this's exciting this so good no, please oh, I know so take that off okay? Yeah oh little baby more sleeping I wouldn't mind can I just sneak in there what I'm gonna do is I'm going to go and she try and pick up a popping while it's sleeping and trying not to disturb it too much that I can actually bring it onto the background and try and get a sleeping shot. So it has been done before, but whether I'm gonna be able to do it, I don't know, who's being sleeping this longest was one of those two years I could sort of tell with it's all about holding them in place, so so if they move and act like they're gonna wake up and just put your hands firmly but not hard on them and they just hold them there until this settle back into asleep again? Yeah, I'm just you know, I just want to see if I could get into a really cute position, so I'm just gonna keeping your hands on them and things is a really, really good way to make them feel secure and comfortable. This puppy is in quite a deep sleep, so I'm going to try and get it onto his back wait fortunately, I think it I'm not sure that's gonna sit along its banks. I must believe the government down inside and see my good man. But you could get the idea of what I do um with um in that regard so just I had had the puppy resting in between my arms and just keep them there until it's settled again and then you can slowly bring your arms out which allows the puppies legs just to flop down and you'll be able to tell if the puppy is going to relax or not they've got quite fluffy faces so it's really hard to see the little sleeping eyes but I'm gonna I'm just gonna get a shot anyway just team we've got company these these guys are probably this is probably not the best position for um for working with sleeping because you can't really what I might do ideally I would either have hm that's cute yeah but it's not perfect it's not perfect but I would either hit them during is being upside down and then you took the heat back a little bit so you can see a little bit more expression in the face or otherwise what I would do would be to bring him on him yes her purple column maybe her little boy story onto his onto his tummy so that he's got his head so he dressing on his feet which I'm gonna try and do now he wakes up it's fine we'll just work with that but it's going to see if I can he's back in which is not quite balanced you were pretty it's a shame too heavy with sleep actually because you're actually really, really pretty wait let me go thanks got a little bit too sleeps in the sleep in the eye but I don't worry about things like that it's really easy to remove in post production oh, he got hiccups you have got the hiccups place you in the camps you work out with hiccups two in a situation like this and really simple shot it could be really cute just maybe see if the public across it's pete just adds a little bit of interest to the shot the same thing same scenario just hold them they're safe they'll see it not sure if this puppies that comfortable doing it but you might be right might stay there you gonna chew my ring? Is it tasty? Is that really good? But we'll just say you might keep us here they're ill to see we'll pick up there words you can you just hold if you hold it there I'll get myself reading just just so just hold it really gently and then you can ease the pressure off so that then you'll feel it if it's trying to force it but then it relax and then once it's relax and you can ease the pressure off and he might might stay there with yeah ah you just pull that one that way just a little bit maybe not maybe not he says don't go there oh thank you baby nice kisses I might just um this one's got quite a dominant collar which I might just take off which in these situations is to try and make sure you put the right colors back on when you're working with breeders puppies because they're often got college collars for certain dogs were gonna make sure the right color goes back on the right dog you can't do this this is where you stop crossing your feet not sure if you're gonna do it I'm just gonna push you around that way or you just run around you are waking up now which means we might get when they wake up that often need to go the toilet so we might need to put just put the column back on papa beto him back should I say I'm gonna be continuously saying him and who wrong but it's well choose another one little one I think what with god with this lots we haven't done what we might do actually and their if we got a couple which sort of just I don't want them we might bring the same one back again have we got those little bandannas? What we might do is move on to the blue background we might try and do a couple of puppies together so two dogs together with little band meeting ben dinners so I'm just gonna move to the blue