I've started doing dog photography!

Get to know other Positively members here.

Moderators: emmabeth, BoardHost

User avatar
minkee
Posts: 2034
Joined: Wed Apr 06, 2011 7:58 am
Location: Yorkshire
Contact:

I've started doing dog photography!

Post by minkee »

As the title says :D I've begun to get set up as a dog photography business. Well pets, really, but I imagine dogs will make up the bulk of it. I have some friends with horses that I can add to my portfolio, but I really know very little about horses so that'll be a steep learning curve! This fits in with my current lifestyle much better than dog walking, as I can set my own hours and can fit it around my design work.

I'm off on Saturday to photograph 2 dobes, who are both a bit wild so I'm told. I've got the technical side down as much as possible (one can always learn, though). And I have a plan of enlisting the help of both my OH and their owner to corral them into a bit of order, but does anyone have any good ideas or suggestions for me? I'm planning on taking a bag of really good treats, and training a very short sit-stay if necessary to get some calmer close ups. I don't reallllly have the equipment (yet) to handle race-around shots but I shall certainly try my best.

I'm still in 'portfolio building' stage, I'll post some of my recent shots below if that's okay (they have my watermark on, but the site's not ready yet, so if it's advertising then at least it's really poor advertising!) There's a long way to go and lots of hard work inbetween. I think my major obstacle will be finding the *right* clients. IE. those that are willing to spend money on making memories :) Sorry if they're large, but I'm too lazy to resize them all sorry!

Image

Image

Image

Image

Image

bonus pony!
Image
User avatar
Sabrina
Posts: 493
Joined: Fri Jul 02, 2010 12:04 pm

Re: I've started doing dog photography!

Post by Sabrina »

How exciting! I love your pictures - I bet there are going to be a ton of happy owners to have their pets photographed by you! :D
minkee wrote:I'm off on Saturday to photograph 2 dobes, who are both a bit wild so I'm told.
How much time will you have? And where will you be (their home, park, etc)? If you have the time, I'd observe them for awhile before trying to get any pics - see if there are any "methods to their madness" :lol: - eg, maybe they pause for a second after returning a fetched ball, etc.

Also, do you know if the owner is wanting pics closer to "posed portraits" or "lifestyle/photojournalism"?
User avatar
minkee
Posts: 2034
Joined: Wed Apr 06, 2011 7:58 am
Location: Yorkshire
Contact:

Re: I've started doing dog photography!

Post by minkee »

We're off to the woods :) The owner is a friend of ours, and she's loaning them out so I can build my portfolio up a bit, so I can do what I want, pretty much! I mostly tend to focus on still moments in the madness, like you say :) Action shots are fun too, but much harder to capture.

I think maybe I'll let them hare about to begin with, and on the way back try and get some calmer moments. I wonder whether it's better to be really engaging and get their attention, or to be a bit more in the background. Eyes to the camera, tilting heads are always appealing, but noses on the lens are not!
Suzette
Posts: 1518
Joined: Sun Jun 26, 2011 6:45 am

Re: I've started doing dog photography!

Post by Suzette »

Minkee, your pictures are absolutely stunning! I imagine you will do very well with your new business and I wish you all the best! :D
My avatar is Piper, my sweet Pembroke Corgi. b. 5/11/11
gwd
Posts: 1958
Joined: Tue Aug 14, 2012 11:33 pm

Re: I've started doing dog photography!

Post by gwd »

just a little reminder.........some breeds are supposed to be photographed with their ears upright. .......some are suppose to have their ears dropped.

Image

Image

both of these breeds can pull their ears up if you threw a toy or something..........but that's not what we're looking for in a photograph!
Image
User avatar
Sabrina
Posts: 493
Joined: Fri Jul 02, 2010 12:04 pm

Re: I've started doing dog photography!

Post by Sabrina »

minkee wrote: Action shots are fun too, but much harder to capture.
That's why 98% of my shots of Charley involve him (a) resting after a walk, or (b) stopping to sniff something on a walk! :lol:
I think maybe I'll let them hare about to begin with, and on the way back try and get some calmer moments.
That would be my "Plan A", too!
I wonder whether it's better to be really engaging and get their attention, or to be a bit more in the background. Eyes to the camera, tilting heads are always appealing, but noses on the lens are not!
:D Bring your lenspen :D

Personally, I'd start out being "just someone in the background". If you find that you can't get the shots, you can always grab their attention with treats if needed - or plan to toss them some treats at the end of the session so that you can get some shots of them looking into the camera and then end before they start to snuffle/lick it!

So glad the owner is a friend! Sounds like a great way to start out!
User avatar
Nettle
Posts: 10753
Joined: Sun Apr 13, 2008 1:40 pm

Re: I've started doing dog photography!

Post by Nettle »

Lovely photos - takes a lot for a black dog to look more than a blob so well done! I hope you get the great success you deserve. :D
A dog is never bad or naughty - it is simply being a dog

SET YOURSELF UP FOR SUCCESS
JudyN
Posts: 7018
Joined: Tue Jul 26, 2011 1:20 pm
Location: Dorset, UK
Contact:

Re: I've started doing dog photography!

Post by JudyN »

Brilliant pics - you are very talented!

gwd, I would love to see the setter and spaniel with their ears as upright as Breeze's :lol:
Jasper, lurcher, born December 2009
katej215
Posts: 302
Joined: Wed Jan 11, 2012 6:05 am

Re: I've started doing dog photography!

Post by katej215 »

Minkee if you are ever in London or the South East you must let us know..I'd love to get some pics of Hattie. You're obviously super talented - best of luck to you!!!! :D
User avatar
minkee
Posts: 2034
Joined: Wed Apr 06, 2011 7:58 am
Location: Yorkshire
Contact:

Re: I've started doing dog photography!

Post by minkee »

Thank you everyone :D :D I'm going to have to put my photos somewhere other than facebook, too, because they make them really low quality.

GWD: The 'eyes and ears forwards' shot *seems* to be people's favourite from what I've read online from other pet photographers - attention on the camera makes for an engaging shot. Do you think your setters or spaniels would have that focused-yet-relaxed look out and about looking at a silly photographer, or does it have to be calm and relaxed for them to have calm relaxed ears? ALSO do you think it's something your average spaniel owner would know about, or something only conformation people would be looking out for?

Nettle, Scout has taught me a lot about photography... and just when I thought I'd worked it out Bright White Breeze comes along :lol:

I've had my first friend-of-a-friend enquiry too, and it leads me to my next question that I think some of you will probably be able to help with...

What if they're die hard CM Dominance fans? What do you do when you have to get along with someone and their dog for an hour or two and your training philosophies are at complete odds? Like I mentioned, I would like to teach a quick stay if they don't already have one - what if they say 'No Treats Allowed'? I obviously want to take photos of happy, relaxed dogs, not tense, stressed out dogs. Also, people should be more careful what they put on their facebook 'likes' because I can see that they like things that make me queasy in my stomach - like "Slap a *****".

This enquiry is hoping to take advantage of one of my free portfolio building slots (I only have 2 left), and they do have a really stunning looking dog. Plus it will be good experience one way or another, but I'm already dreading getting involved with this one. And they're my first enquiry!
Ari_RR
Posts: 2037
Joined: Fri Sep 30, 2011 10:07 am
Location: USA
Contact:

Re: I've started doing dog photography!

Post by Ari_RR »

But there are many things you can disagree on with a random person, right?. Politics, religion, like/dislike certain public figures, fashion, methods of raising children, family values... What do you do business-wise then?
You want them to come back, you want them to recommend your professional services to their friends, not to leave thinking "hmm... that photographer was a bit strange..." :lol:

I would basically avoid discussions on controversial topics, and try to stay focused on the job that you are being paid for, for now. And when business gains momentum - then you may become more selective in your clients in order to avoid aggravation, or start mixing desired photo services with unsolicited training advise :wink:

Many followers of dominance approach are good people at heart, just misguided a bit. If you run into a client like that - well, make sure they leave happy and eager to spread the word about you through the universe, then come here and vent and we all will give you a hug :lol:
Sanna
Posts: 466
Joined: Mon Jan 07, 2013 4:02 am
Location: Stevenage, UK
Contact:

Re: I've started doing dog photography!

Post by Sanna »

Gorgeous photos as usual minkee ! Let me know if you're ever in Hertfordshire offering your services :D I agree with Ari- a child photographer telling you how to bring up your kids would be a bit weird right..? Then again, re treats, even CM has been shown to use treats lately...
Suzette
Posts: 1518
Joined: Sun Jun 26, 2011 6:45 am

Re: I've started doing dog photography!

Post by Suzette »

minkee wrote:What if[/b] they're die hard CM Dominance fans? What do you do when you have to get along with someone and their dog for an hour or two and your training philosophies are at complete odds? Like I mentioned, I would like to teach a quick stay if they don't already have one - what if they say 'No Treats Allowed'?
I have a friend who has a very successful mobile grooming business and she also happens to be a proponent of positive training. So when she gets a client that is using force on their dog or other methods that she finds unacceptable, she has a standard response that she says works very well almost all of the time (sadly, not everyone is reachable :? ) and that is to say "may I show you another way to achieve our goal?" (A good alternate form of this question could be "may I try a different way to achieve our goal?".)

I think this works quite well because a) you're not telling people they are doing it wrong and that you have a better way (the quickest way to turn them off), just saying (in a question form, which is very non-threatening to folks) that you have a different approach that might work well, and that is much more acceptable wording to folks. And b) this wording defines yourself and the owner as a team working towards the same goal by using the word "our" (may I show you a way to achieve our goal?).

In one short sentence you've used two simple psychological tricks to get them on your side and be open to you using positive training. (In other words, as I always told my kids, it's often not what you say, but how you say it that can make all the difference.) :wink: :D

Again, best of luck. I just know you are going to be a huge success! :D
My avatar is Piper, my sweet Pembroke Corgi. b. 5/11/11
WufWuf
Posts: 1371
Joined: Thu May 12, 2011 7:53 am

Re: I've started doing dog photography!

Post by WufWuf »

Beautiful pictures Minkee :D.

I deal with the dominance folk lots and as Ari said they are dog lovers too (I should know I was once one of them :oops: ). It can be helpful to get in their good books early on (tell them how beautiful and clever their dogs are, I know it's a cheap move but think of it like liver cake for humans :wink: ). You don't have to confront them on what they say, most of the time you'll get away with smiling politely (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jelyGb0luj8) and changing the subject.

Then you can lead by example, you're the professional, they hired you to do the job so they should let you interact with the dogs without interferance, be confident in your methods and the dogs will react to you, you'll be the one with the best food and funnest toys and no history of being harsh with the dogs so they should find you very appealing to interact with. The owners should then have very little to do and hopefully you can avoid them having to bully their dogs on front of you.

If they see how engaged the dogs are with you and how they respond without you having to "be the boss" they may be more open to your methods than if you were to try to tell them they are wrong in the methods they are currently using. If they seem interested you can point them in the right direction with some of the basics of how dogs learn.

I try to keep in mind the fact that I try to promote kindness and understanding in human - dog relations and apply that to how I interact with the humans. They don't know any better and the stuff they've learned can be very convincing when that's all you been exposed to, so if we can show them another way without attacking them and causing them to shut down :wink: :lol: they are more receptive to learning something new. The moment someone goes from thinking their dog is a wilfull beast to truly seeing things from the dogs point of view is beautiful and a little heartbreaking. Not all people are open to it but a few will be interested enough to persue questioning until they get to that point. It doesn't mean they will suddenly stop using a firm hand with their dogs but they will take a little more time to really think about what they are doing when they are interacting with them.

The best of luck with the new business, I'm sure you will succeed and have a wonderful time doing it!
Operant conditioning rocks but classical conditioning rules
rachel540
Posts: 515
Joined: Wed Feb 15, 2012 9:31 am
Location: West Yorkshire

Re: I've started doing dog photography!

Post by rachel540 »

Hi! I love your photo's! I have already hinted to OH about potential Anniversary/Christmas gift so get your website up and running hehe. Would you be travelling to peoples local area / maybe meeting them halfway to carry out the photo shoot? This is why I didn't put my name forward for the portfolio building as its a good drive over to the coast.

I think you will find lots of different techniques to use for different dogs. Pepper is treat driven (as you would expect with a Lab) unless there is a ball present, but if you have a treat she has her serious face on, sitting perfectly trying to win the treat, not the happy smiley lab that people love in photos, so I prefer pictures of natural moments while shes playing, jumping, chasing - like you often do with Breeze and Scout. I love it when she's seen something to hunt, she makes her body big and strong, ears forward, eyes focused. If she has her ball she will avoid you in case you pinch it from her with her ears back, her body low - not a good look and she will not take treats if she has her ball. Owners should give you a little background on what works for their dog - and you'll have owners like me that give way too much info and you will need them to back off and leave you to it :lol:

In terms of people and their training preferences, I would draw a line should you witness anything cruel and hurtful to the dog (obviously), have rules such as no prong collars perhaps? But your everyday standard dog owner will be as Ari said, simply misguided and oblivious to other training techniques. As WufWuf and Suzette say - you're the professional, the suggestion from Suzette will help owners realise that and leave you to it.

Producing breath taking photo's and changing the World of Dogs - go Minkee! :D
Pictures of Pepper viewtopic.php?f=31&t=14364
Post Reply