Behind the Lens: The Puppy Portraits
In my new blog series entitled “Behind the Lens:” I will share some outtake-style images and shooting details for a specific photoshoot.
Alright, let’s dive in to the recent puppy sessions!
In my new blog series entitled “Behind the Lens:” I will share some outtake-style images and shooting details for a specific photoshoot.
Alright, let’s dive in to my two recent puppy sessions!
In mid-May I showed up to a lovely residential location with a ton of gear bags in tow and immediately noticed that a house full of Goldens = A HOUSE FULL OF DOG HAIR! Haha! Like a lovely snow globe. But the wet nose kisses greeting me made up for that quickly.
So much personality. Mr. Blue was NOT wanting to play along and Mr. Green said, “I’m outta here!”
Once I got my lights out I started to meter and figure out where the best places to work might be. For the five-weeks-old photoshoot I actually went into the family room and used a blue sofa in a room that had almost no natural light as it was late in the afternoon/evening. I set my strobe to camera left and had the light pass in front of the sofa (feathering the light). This is similar to standing near a window but where the light is all in front of you, not directly on you.
For their individual portraits, we decided to place the puppies in baskets for visual interest. At five-weeks-old they were rather rag doll like and slumped rather than sitting up with strength. Much like with infant photography where they are placed in things to prop them and look cute, I used that idea here also with the puppies.
The puppies were just old enough to want to spill out of the baskets and explore around them. To capture their attention we used a variety of dog toys, high pitched trills, clanky keys, etc. For the most part, the puppies didn’t care…lol!
Once I photographed the individual puppies I then used the puppy wranglers to help line all seven up on the sofa. This was a little challenging at five weeks, but got to be VERY challenging at seven-weeks-old! By then they were all over the place with energy, strength, and curiosity. To capture their attention at that age we discovered that pounding on the piano worked GREAT!
Did you think getting the group photos was fast and easy? Seven curious personalities made for some fun antics while photographing!
When I came back for the seven-weeks-old photoshoot I did the same as the previous session, but the difference for this shoot was choosing to shoot in the living room which was on the opposite side of the house. There was much more natural light coming through the window, but it was also much earlier in the day than when I photographed them previously. I like the contrast of the two sessions. By the later session the puppies are awake, energized, light and bright in their personalities. In the earlier shoot they were young and sleepy, so the darker snoozy atmosphere complemented that feeling.
Pullback of lighting setup. With proper lighting and intentional framing of a photograph, any location can become a “studio” setup.
I used two lights for the second shoot. I wanted full control of color of the overall light and its intensity, so I aimed one light straight at the window to bounce added light off the window and onto my little furry subjects as a hair light. My second light was set 45 degrees to my camera right and was used to light the room space evenly, provide a consistent color to each portrait and fill the shadows. Using my strobes lended itself to the feel of a well-lit daylight space but without too much backlighting overpowering the scene. So if you had previously thought that artificial flash is too “flashy” it’s all about learning how to set it and the camera so that it looks natural, but with more control over the end result.
The puppies were being puppies and we enjoyed playing with them in between takes. I took my time and went at their speeed—which included a potty break, food breaks, and a few nap breaks! But in the end we ended up with some really fun images for the breeder to use for marketing these cuties.
After much repositioning of moving puppies we got a few really fun group images and here is one of them.
Using strobe lights I have nice catch lights in the puppies eyes.
Let me know if you like this series showing the work behind the scenes to capture the photographs. Let me know in the comments.
Until next time,
-xo Trisha
A Seven-Weeks Old “Pupdate”…
I once again was so grateful for my two puppy wranglers helping me keep them in a line. It was even more challenging at this stage than last time when they were just beginning to move about independently. These older versions of themselves were now more like 9 month olds and were ON THE MOVE! But, they still tired out quickly, as babies tend to do, whew! We got the job done with lots of laughs and repositions of squirmy little Golden Retrievers who didn’t want to be kept still for a minute longer.
In just two short weeks these adorable Golden Retriever puppies have grown so much and they will leave for their prospective homes in just a few days. It’s so hard to believe, but the time really has flown by. I had the privilege of being asked to return to breeder Elizabeth’s (@thejoyofgoldens24 on IG) home and capture these squirrelly little fluff balls before they left their nesting box.
Cute puppies just melt my heart
I once again was so grateful for my two puppy wranglers helping me keep them in a line. It was even more challenging at this stage than last time when they were just beginning to move about independently. These older versions of themselves were now more like 9 month olds and were ON THE MOVE! But, they still tired out quickly, as babies tend to do, whew! We got the job done with lots of laughs and repositions of squirmy little Golden Retrievers who didn’t want to be kept still for a minute longer.
Why are professional pet photographers so beneficial to breeders and pet parents? Because we know how to use proper artificial lighting in dimly lit spaces to bring out the best in your pup and the scene. We know how to edit the images to remove small distractions and get the best exposure and color. We also have relationships with professional labs so that the colors stay true in printing and artwork production to what the photographer intended through either the capture or the edits.
I’d love to work with you if you’d like to make forever memories with your favorite family pet! Contact me!
Puppy Portraits!
Squishy puppies with their soft coats and warm, sweet puppy breath? Yes, please! As a local Kenosha, WI portrait photographer I help a wide variety of clients and these puppies were no exception! I worked with the breeder, Elizabeth (@thejoyofgoldens24 on IG), to showcase their distinctive personalities for prospective new owners.
Working with puppies is challenging, not unlike working with small children. You set them down and within a split second they are off on an adventure. As a pet photographer, I was very grateful to have not just one, but TWO puppy wranglers helping me keep them in place long enough to photograph them.
Five-week-old Golden Retriever puppies posing for prospective buyers
Squishy puppies with their soft coats and warm, sweet puppy breath? Yes, please! As a local Kenosha, WI portrait photographer I help a wide variety of clients and these puppies were no exception! I worked with the breeder, Elizabeth (@thejoyofgoldens24 on IG), to showcase their distinctive personalities for prospective new owners.
Working with puppies is challenging, not unlike working with small children. You set them down and within a split second they are off on an adventure. As a pet photographer, I was very grateful to have not just one, but TWO puppy wranglers helping me keep them in place long enough to photograph them.
Puppy pile!! How did SEVEN Golden Retrievers fit in a small wicker bread basket?
I held this session in the breeder’s own home, bringing the studio to her—because who wants to load up seven puppies and try to get them to a studio location for photography? Nobody has time for that…haha!! Seriously though, the home environment was perfect and the puppies did a great job cooperating for only being five weeks old.
Elizabeth had the great idea to tie colored yarn or ribbons on the puppies so that we could tell who was who in the photos. It’s important not just for puppies, but for people portraits to consider everyone’s outfits in advance and make sure that they coordinate well with the style of photography you’re looking for and these colors suited the puppies personalities as well. We referred to each puppy as “Mr. Green or Miss Red”, etc.
I used my strobe light to show off the puppies in their best “light” and to maintain even consistent light and color from start to finish in the photoshoot. This is important when there are multiple subjects being photographed separately along with group shots. Natural daylight can change so quickly throughout the day depending on the direction of the windows, whether there are clouds passing in front of the sun intermittently, etc. so using artificial light in a “natural” type way means you’re able to get a cohesive look throughout.
All the puppy portrait fuss sure tired them out!
Didn’t these lovely Golden Retriever puppies do such a good job for being just five weeks old?
Maybe you’re a breeder in Kenosha County, Racine County, or Lake County? Contact me if you’d like to work together to professionally photograph your latest litter!
Pet lover whose dog(s) is their kid? I’ve got you covered there too. We can do an indoor or outdoor pet photography portrait session and create some great artwork for your wall.
Know someone whose furry family friend is getting up there in years? Let’s photograph the love and bond they have while we still can. Send them my way and we can chat about scheduling an End of Life session for them to treasure forever. End of Life sessions are suited for any pet that is in their senior years, not just when the end is imminent.
-xo Trisha