Pet Photography C&C please?

[bloodhound31]

Having a bit of a go practising the photography on my own cat, any C&C is welcome.

I would like to offer some pet photography services to friends, family and anyone else for that matter.

Suggestions, bad points? I'm sure I can improve greatly.

Baz.

[supernova1965]

Hi Baz

At first glance I didn't like the second one but when I looked at the larger image it became my fav of all and the last one is second best the other 2 I don't like I don't know if it is the background that makes the difference but I think it is. Keep in mind that this assesment is coming from someone with next to no knowledge of photography so it might reflect the views of some of your customers.:thumbsup:

[Alchemy]

As with any portraiture, cluttered backgrounds are out, lines through heads are out, distracting features unless it helps tell a story.
Natural settings work well with animals, ie the cat out on a limb of a tree close up, stalking in the long grass front on, playing with some small object.
Lighting is a big part, flash shadows are out, fill flash should be soft and discrete, natural light if you are outdoors like landscape photography that special early morning light.
If you want to work indoors, do as the pros do, soft single color background, soft lighting, no distracting objects unless it is interacted by the animal.

I could go on, but grab some books on portraiture photography, the basic rules apply in many cases, have a look at some really good work and analyze why it is so, and you will be well on the way

[bloodhound31]

Thanks Warren and Clive.

Clive, that's great, simple and perfectly clear C&C mate. Thank you. I'll take some more and experiment.

Baz.

[bloodhound31]

How about these? Better?

[Alchemy]

For me thats an improvement, the two on the right feel a bit cut off, but the lights nice, I don't know if these are crops might be nice to see one or two with more of the setting if it's nice, but as a stand alone they still work. Probably like top middle most.

[supernova1965]

Hi Barry

I like these Number 2 is in my opinion the best with 3 and 4 right up there but they are all good. Either you have a very co-operative cat or you are just that good that you make your cat look very good at sitting still.:rofl:

[bloodhound31]

Thanks guys. This was a free shoot I did for a friend. All in the name of practice-makes-perfect before I start charging.

The cat was NOT very cooperative. I had to keep walking around in front of it to get the shots as it was a jittery thing and rarely faced the camera. It kept turning its back to me. Then it jumped out of the back garden into the front street-garden where I had to follow it and got these shots. At least it didn't run away completely.

None of these photos are cropped, I was just trying out some creative framing while still concentrating on focusing on the eyes. I used a bit of fill-flash on some with the natural setting sunlight behind the cat, which was working well.

Thanks heaps for your C&C guys, it has already helped a lot.:thumbsup:

Baz.

[troypiggo]

G'day Baz, reckon you're game shooting cats. They're uncooperative at the best of times. :)

What AF mode are you using? Suggest AI-Servo. As always, focus on the eyes.

Another thought is the view or angle you shoot from. Most owners, if they're not photogs, would probably shoot from above like that 6th one you posted above. If it's similar to what they can produce, why would they choose you?

Get down to the cat's level, eye level, like you did for some of the others. Much more appealing.

Had a look through POTN's pet section?

[bloodhound31]

G'day Troy. Yeah, I dislike those stand-upright point-and-shoot shots of no effort. They really are easy for anyone to do with a compact digicam or even a phone camera.

I had the camera on AI Focus, but I'll give the AI Servo a go.

I love getting down at eye level, especially if they are out in the grass and leaves in natural sunlight.

I've been looking at POTN. There are a lot of "snapshots." I am trying to rise out of that bracket a bit so I am still looking for ideas there.

Baz.

[troypiggo]

Do a bit of a search about AI Servo versus AI Focus. My understanding is that AI Focus allows the camera to choose if it thinks Single Shot or AI Servo is required. If you know you're going to have a moving subject, take control yourself and set AI Servo. If you know your subject will be still, use Single Shot. That's the common recommendation on POTN, and I've had better results with it too. One of many threads on it:
http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=145826

Yes, there's a lot of snapshots there. You have to filter through them for innovative and interesting shots.

[bloodhound31]

Cheers Troy:thumbsup: I read that thread and the other one referenced there. I am now changing the settings on my camera to try it out.

I love photography! Every day I learn something new!

Baz.

[troypiggo]

Me too!

[Pedro01]

That’s really great to hear, you are doing a great job. Pet photographer has gained lot of popularity in the recent time; more people are opting for pet photography as it is a part of pet grooming. Make sure that you use the latest cameras and technologies.

[bloodhound31]

It's amazing how much difference a few months and LOTS of practice can make....

[suma126]

your on a winner with the out cat door series.

[rcheshire]

How did you get the cat to sit still long enough to get the focus so sharp?

[bloodhound31]

by taking about 40 photos and picking the best of the bunch....:eyepop:

[shelltree]

Wow mate, that last one is an absolute cracker, I love it! Very engaging indeed :)

I agree with Troy about AI Server, tis very helpful when hunting for focus for moving objects. It is a lot faster and also great for macro. Make sure you turn AI Server OFF though once you use your camera for landscapes etc. again and don't forget for ages like I did :sadeyes: :P