# My first ever studio work - Dog Portraits @ Rescue Shelter -  opinions?



## Raj_55555 (Jul 4, 2016)

So here I go - after years of being scared of any light source other than sunlight I finally took the plunge and here's my first attempt with a make shift studio - 2 umbrellas - 2 manual flashes and that's it!!
Total Cost of the lighting setup: Less than 275 US$ including the light stands and everything! 

I'm satisfied with my initial efforts, but am still at a phase where it's more of a trial and error than me understanding what the light will do if I place them in a certain way! Expecting some serious critique and how this can be done better.

_________________________The Result______________________
All of these shots are taken at a Dog rescue shelter where I've been organizing volunteer work and crowdfunding sessions. I decided to help them setup a web-page for adoption, and put up these images along with their individual stories.

#1. The Three Musketeers!







#2. The Three Musketeers - Setup 2






#3. The old meets the new






#4. The Picture-perfect poser






#5. The naughtiest dog in the shelter (Chiku) with my friend and assistant for the day trying to get him to pose!






#6. And one where we managed to pose him:






#7. Piratina (The name as she's born blind in right eye) with her brother






#8. And another one with a different mood






#9. And one with the three musketeers to conclude:






Looking forward to some suggestions!!
*
Note: Mistakenly posted in "Nature and wildlife" out of habit - Admins please help in getting this thread relocated to a more appropriate sub-forum.*


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## tirediron (Jul 4, 2016)

First and foremost, for your initial attempt, well done!  

Yes, there are some areas for improvement (as there is with every image we ever take).  My thoughts on the matter:  The lighting appears a bit harsh; not bad, but the whites are just a bit bright and specular.  I think this could be easily dealt with in post if you're using LR or PS, or another application with highlight control or curves adjustment capability.  My guess is that you may have had your lights just a bit too far away, and perhaps too high and too far off of lens axis if I'm reading the shadows correctly.  With a two speedlight/two brolly set-up I would have probably had the lights about 3-4' away at most.  I would also suggest going for a 'simple' type of lighting; one light 30 degrees off of lens axis on either side, and one 1/2 to 2/3 stop above the other.  This will give you a flatter lighting, but one which will accommodate dogs that don't necessarily want to follow posing instructions.

Also try and position your lights (and pose the dogs) to avoid the big 'full brolly' catchlights such as we see in the middle and right-hand dog of image #1.  Because dogs don't normally have a large, white sclera the way humans do, it tends (IMO) to give them a slightly demonic look.  The eyes of the middle dog in #2 are perfect.

Posing multiple dogs can be a huge challenge; I do a 'Pets with Santa' charity fund-raiser photo shoot every year for a local animal shelter and my personal best is eight of nine dogs in session actually looking at the camera!  Shelter dogs are going to be especially challenging because they're likely scared, may well have been mistreated, etc, but try and minimize the distractions around them, and have an assistant directly behind you with toys, treats, etc; this will usually help to get them looking at the camera.  It may help to actually shoot in a dark room and have a light on your assistant to give the dogs a point of focus.  

I really like your idea with #3; great 'sob story', and #7 is a great shot; that will almost certainly get him a home!  When using an assistant the way you have (a necessity with many dogs) have her look at the camera and try to engage; that too will help the 'sales pitch'.

Overall, good job Raj, and it's a good thing you're doing!


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## zombiesniper (Jul 4, 2016)

Great set.
No C&C from me. You did better then I could.


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## pjaye (Jul 4, 2016)

Well done Raj. I agree with tirediron. And if I lived in India, I'd be adopting those three in #9. Fantastic shot.


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## limr (Jul 4, 2016)

Listen to tirediron for the technical stuff. I have nothing to add on that front since I know less than nothing about studio lighting. As for the feeling of the images, however, I feel like you have done so well in showing the personalities of the dogs. The images feel very soulful and sweet. I love the unconventional posing and interactions and I _really_ love the framing in #3. I'm sure there are technical things you can improve, but I think you are off to a fantastic start!


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## FITBMX (Jul 4, 2016)

Those look great to me, and you got some great C&C up above. 
I take puppy photos for a friend sometimes, but her's are normally 6-8 weeks. And they can be really hard to get them to pose. If someone holds them, they look like they are dead. And if you set them on the ground they run around like rockets, and that is really hard to get a good photo of!


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## jcdeboever (Jul 4, 2016)

I have nothing to add. Cute dogs and better than anyou shelter dog pics in my neck of the woods.  Well done and super first attempt.


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## xicaque (Jul 4, 2016)

They are nice!!! I like them


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## BillM (Jul 5, 2016)

Well done Raj, love the first two. Puppies are hard to shoot !!!!


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## annamaria (Jul 5, 2016)

No techie cc from me, the expressions are priceless especially on some of them. If I were looking for a doggie you'd have won me over.  I would say you will probably get some interested people for sure.  I think what you are doing is a great cause. Keep up it up.  


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## Dean_Gretsch (Jul 5, 2016)

I am a dog lover so of course I liked them! The " 3 Musketeer " theme serves you and them well!


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## JoeW (Jul 5, 2016)

First, this is for a great cause--kudos to you.

Second, as portraits they're pretty good.  They're dramatic and interesting.

Third, for their REAL purpose (entice people to adopt the pooches), you can do better.  My rationale is pretty similar to what Tirediron said in his critique.  To me, the purpose of these photos (for the shelter anyway) is to get these dogs adopted.  For that, you want lighting that is not as harsh, you don't want such great dynamic range.  If I'm thinking of adopting a dog and the hindquarters are in shadow, my instinct is "hmmm...is that to hide a nasty scar?"  I think your lighting setup and use of lighting will be critical here.  I'd get more reflectors to add some fill and soft light.  Look for any poses or activity that either makes them look "fun" or lays some guilt on the viewer "ah gee, I just have to go adopt that poor puppy, he just wants a home" kind of guilt.

I think you did a lovely job posing them and getting them focused.  There is a lot you did right, especially for a first try and not a lot of experience with speed lights.  It's a good start.


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## beagle100 (Jul 6, 2016)

nice K9 portraits


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## sup_dgp (Jul 14, 2016)

Awesome as always!!!


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## SquarePeg (Jul 14, 2016)

Great job for a great cause!  I really like the pics and lighting as far as dog portraits go but I do have to agree with the others that softer images will "sell" better.  Also, just a thought that while I love the 3 musketeers theme for portraits, showing the 3 together implies that they are a set and many people may not be able or willing to take on all 3 so it could discourage them from inquiring - I wouldn't make that a theme on the shelter website.


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## Raj_55555 (Jul 18, 2016)

tirediron said:


> My guess is that you may have had your lights just a bit too far away, and perhaps too high and too far off of lens axis if I'm reading the shadows correctly.


Would you happen to have a sketch or photo of the setup? I guess I'm still not good enough to imagine the light positions just by listening to it, as far as I could tell the left flash was set at 45 degrees downwards and the right one straight at the subject - both through an umbrella.



tirediron said:


> With a two speedlight/two brolly set-up I would have probably had the lights about 3-4' away at most.



But wouldn't going so close scare the dogs? 3-4 inches is really close, how do you handle the dogs when you do it?



tirediron said:


> I would also suggest going for a 'simple' type of lighting; one light 30 degrees off of lens axis on either side, and one 1/2 to 2/3 stop above the other.  This will give you a flatter lighting, but one which will accommodate dogs that don't necessarily want to follow posing instructions.



30 degrees off of the lens axis (which I'm assuming to be a straight line b/w subject & lens) - Hmm.. I'll keep try a few versions of this provided I understood it properly.. If you can find some diagram of the setup do share for more clarity.



tirediron said:


> Also try and position your lights (and pose the dogs) to avoid the big 'full brolly' catchlights such as we see in the middle and right-hand dog of image #1.  Because dogs don't normally have a large, white sclera the way humans do, it tends (IMO) to give them a slightly demonic look.  The eyes of the middle dog in #2 are perfect.


So just a little catch-light is good.. too much is bad! - Got it! 



tirediron said:


> Posing multiple dogs can be a huge challenge; I do a 'Pets with Santa' charity fund-raiser photo shoot every year for a local animal shelter and my personal best is eight of nine dogs in session actually looking at the camera!  Shelter dogs are going to be especially challenging because they're likely scared, may well have been mistreated, etc, but try and minimize the distractions around them, and have an assistant directly behind you with toys, treats, etc; this will usually help to get them looking at the camera.


Tell me about it, I think I spent 2 hours trying to keep the puppies on the platform and less than fifteen minutes shooting. And I was actually under the impression that I could handle it alone - ended up needing three assistants 



tirediron said:


> It may help to actually shoot in a dark room and have a light on your assistant to give the dogs a point of focus.


I was shooting in a dark room, but do you mean only one source of light from the assistant; or an extra source other than the pre-existing two. Still trying to feel my way into the world of strobes, sorry!



tirediron said:


> I really like your idea with #3; great 'sob story', and #7 is a great shot; that will almost certainly get him a home!  When using an assistant the way you have (a necessity with many dogs) have her look at the camera and try to engage; that too will help the 'sales pitch'.


Point noted 



tirediron said:


> Overall, good job Raj, and it's a good thing you're doing!


   A big big thanks to you John for taking the time to write such an elaborate answer - I'm sure this feedback will improve my next work.

Most importantly, apologies for such a delay I really should have responded earlier!  I did see your response the day you made the post - and yet didn't have any time to respond as I was busy making rounds of hospitals for a friend who was in critical care. I have been practically living in the hospital since then; he was discharged yesterday, and here I am! Thanks for everything John..


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## Raj_55555 (Jul 18, 2016)

zombiesniper said:


> Great set.
> No C&C from me. You did better then I could.


Thanks Mr. Zombie!  


symplybarb said:


> Well done Raj. I agree with tirediron. And if I lived in India, I'd be adopting those three in #9. Fantastic shot.


Thanks Barb, I  know - I wish I could adopt one but as it is now I hardly have time for lunch let alone a puppy! 



limr said:


> Listen to tirediron for the technical stuff. I have nothing to add on that front since I know less than nothing about studio lighting. As for the feeling of the images, however, I feel like you have done so well in showing the personalities of the dogs. The images feel very soulful and sweet. I love the unconventional posing and interactions and I _really_ love the framing in #3. I'm sure there are technical things you can improve, but I think you are off to a fantastic start!


  Thanks Leonore, you are one of my fav persons here so means a lot coming from you! Let's hope this actually helps some of the puppies in finding a good home 


FITBMX said:


> Those look great to me, and you got some great C&C up above.
> I take puppy photos for a friend sometimes, but her's are normally 6-8 weeks. And they can be really hard to get them to pose. If someone holds them, they look like they are dead. And if you set them on the ground they run around like rockets, and that is really hard to get a good photo of!


Sounds like you know exactly what I went through 
Before I started shooting, I thought I could handle the entire thing alone - Ended up with three assistants 


jcdeboever said:


> I have nothing to add. Cute dogs and better than anyou shelter dog pics in my neck of the woods.  Well done and super first attempt.


 Thank you kindly!


xicaque said:


> They are nice!!! I like them


Thank you! 



BillM said:


> Well done Raj, love the first two. Puppies are hard to shoot !!!!


 Thanks Bill, and yes they are - but the end results were worth it.. I'll be out shooting again, probably next weekend and get to use some of John's advice.



annamaria said:


> No techie cc from me, the expressions are priceless especially on some of them. If I were looking for a doggie you'd have won me over.  I would say you will probably get some interested people for sure.  I think what you are doing is a great cause. Keep up it up.


 Thank you Anna, that's incredibly motivating. Appreciate all the support I get here, it really keeps me going!



Dean_Gretsch said:


> I am a dog lover so of course I liked them! The " 3 Musketeer " theme serves you and them well!


 Thank you Dean! I quite liked the idea myself..


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## Raj_55555 (Jul 18, 2016)

JoeW said:


> Third, for their REAL purpose (entice people to adopt the pooches), you can do better.  My rationale is pretty similar to what Tirediron said in his critique.  To me, the purpose of these photos (for the shelter anyway) is to get these dogs adopted.  For that, you want lighting that is not as harsh, you don't want such great dynamic range.  If I'm thinking of adopting a dog and the hindquarters are in shadow, my instinct is "hmmm...is that to hide a nasty scar?"  I think your lighting setup and use of lighting will be critical here.  I'd get more reflectors to add some fill and soft light.  Look for any poses or activity that either makes them look "fun" or lays some guilt on the viewer "ah gee, I just have to go adopt that poor puppy, he just wants a home" kind of guilt.
> 
> I think you did a lovely job posing them and getting them focused.  There is a lot you did right, especially for a first try and not a lot of experience with speed lights.  It's a good start.


Very interesting perspective, I wasn't thinking of that angle at all.. Let me see what I can come up with next weekend, I need to find a few more interesting toys for the dogs as well. It doesn't help that some of my subjects are shy beyond belief. Thank you Joe! 


beagle100 said:


> nice K9 portraits


Thanks beagle, no doubt you like K9 portraits!  


sup_dgp said:


> Awesome as always!!!


Thanks buddy! 


SquarePeg said:


> Great job for a great cause!  I really like the pics and lighting as far as dog portraits go but I do have to agree with the others that softer images will "sell" better.  Also, just a thought that while I love the 3 musketeers theme for portraits, showing the 3 together implies that they are a set and many people may not be able or willing to take on all 3 so it could discourage them from inquiring - I wouldn't make that a theme on the shelter website.


Another great point - now that I think of it even I wouldn't want to part the three, at the same time all three can be too much for most people. Very important, will keep in mind!

I understand that everyone keeps saying softer images, but any particular example for me to see would be even better - not necessarily of a dog but to get an idea of the lighting.. Open to anyone really! and thank you everyone for such a great response everytime I post, apologize again for not responding sooner..


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## JoeW (Jul 18, 2016)

Raj, let me re-iterate that you're doing this for a damn good purpose and I applaud you doing it.

Second, you're absolutely right that many shelter dogs will be unbelievably shy.  Many reasons--the noise at the shelter, away from all they know (if they've been abandoned), dealing with a stranger.  One of the things that some shelters will do in the states in order to help get dogs adopted is to do a couple of things before someone gets to see a dog they're considering:  give the dog a walk (getting outside, burning off some stress, being with a person, having a modest job ...."oh, we're taking a walk, my human is going to tell me what to do, good stuff!") is a good thing.  Giving the dog something to play with is good.  Getting the dog away from their kennel (which may be "home" for now but they associate with a lot of noise and unfamiliar sounds) to a smaller room or someplace outdoors just for dogs to meet potential adoptive families...all of those are good practices.  Softer light, anything that enhances color...that would all be good.


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## FITBMX (Jul 18, 2016)

Raj_55555 said:


> Sounds like you know exactly what I went through
> Before I started shooting,* I thought I could handle the entire thing alone* - Ended up with three assistants



You noob!


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## Raj_55555 (Jul 18, 2016)

JoeW said:


> Getting the dog away from their kennel (which may be "home" for now but they associate with a lot of noise and unfamiliar sounds) to a smaller room or someplace outdoors just for dogs to meet potential adoptive families...all of those are good practices..


Something I didn't consider, this might actually be a good idea - one that I can work with. I can try to see if I can bring one of my subjects over to my home for the weekend, I will surely talk to the caretakers at the shelter. I have some experience with dogs, that way I'll also have a lot more time with the dog that way. Although that'd limit the number of dogs I can work with, but certainly can try with the top few prospects. 

And thanks for the kind words Joe, means a lot! 


FITBMX said:


> Raj_55555 said:
> 
> 
> > Sounds like you know exactly what I went through
> ...



Tell me about it!!


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## tirediron (Jul 18, 2016)

Glad to help Raj!  My post was meant to indicate 3-4 Feet (') not inches (") - sorry for any confusion!  Yeah, 3-4 inches might get them a little jumpy!   As far as the lighting goes, yes, lens axis is the line between the camera and the subject, so place the lights about 30 degrees on each side of that.  As far as the light on helper, what I meant was:  The keep the room fairly dark (but not so dark you can't see to move around and work), and have a constant light on the helper behind you.  This will help the dogs focus on that person; it's completely independent of your actually photo lighting (and won't affect it at all).  Something as a simple as a lamp aimed at him/her is all you need for this.


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## Raj_55555 (Jul 18, 2016)

tirediron said:


> Glad to help Raj!  My post was meant to indicate 3-4 Feet (') not inches (") - sorry for any confusion!  Yeah, 3-4 inches might get them a little jumpy!   As far as the lighting goes, yes, lens axis is the line between the camera and the subject, so place the lights about 30 degrees on each side of that.  As far as the light on helper, what I meant was:  The keep the room fairly dark (but not so dark you can't see to move around and work), and have a constant light on the helper behind you.  This will help the dogs focus on that person; it's completely independent of your actually photo lighting (and won't affect it at all).  Something as a simple as a lamp aimed at him/her is all you need for this.


Oh..  Many thanks for so many pointers John - Will see how the next one turns out!


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## Photo Lady (Jul 25, 2016)

love these photos......... just awesome.......


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