Hogyan készíts nagyszerű fényképeket kutyákról

A sikeres kutyafotós, Rhian White megoszt néhány titkot a kutyákról készült felvételek készítéséhez Geoff Harris-szal

Kutyák. Sokan szeretjük őket darabokra, és még többen szereztük meg ezeket a csodálatos állattársakat a bezárások során. A kutyafotózás nemcsak önmagában rendkívül kifizetődő, hanem egy fényképészeti vállalkozás vagy nyereséges mellékes alapja is lehet. De mint minden fényképezési tudomány esetében, ez nem csak arról szól, hogy a fényképezőgépet Buddyra vagy Bellára irányítja, és elrobban.

Ahhoz, hogy sikeres legyen ebben a műfajban, számos készségre van szüksége, beleértve a portrékészítést, az akciófotózást és a dokumentumfilmes munkákat is. Gyorsan kell dolgoznia is, mivel az élénk kutyák nem szoktak maradni, miközben a fényképezőgép beállításain babrál. Az egyik legeredményesebb kutyafotós, akit az AP-ben bemutattunk, a devoni székhelyű Rhian White, ezért úgy gondoltuk, hogy itt az ideje egy mélyrehatóbb interjúnak a kutyás kreativitás mesterével.

Meredek tanulási görbe

Rhian kemény munkájáról és eltökéltségéről tanúskodik, hogy teljesen autodidakta, és ahogy szabadon bevallja, nagyon alacsony tudásbázisból indult ki. „Tizennégy évvel ezelőtt megkaptam a mopszomat, Boo-t, és annyira szerettem – akartam fotózni boldogan, de nem tudtam, mit csinálok.

Nem értettem az expozíciós háromszöget, a fényképezőgép beállításait vagy bármi mást – csak azt, hogyan kell bekapcsolni a kamerát! Auto módban rendben volt, ha Boo mozdulatlan volt, de minden, ahol mozgott, elmosódott folttá vált.’

Dexter és Fin. Nikon 17–35 mm f/2.8, 1/1000 mp f/6.3 mellett, ISO 140

A fényképezés és a fényképezőgép-beállítások alapjainak megértése csak egy része az egyenletnek. „Kezdetben nem értettem a kutyák motivációit és a fény használatának módját” – magyarázza. Volt egy tanulási görbe, amikor a sebességváltóról volt szó.

„Végül vettem egy Nikon D300s-t, majd egy 18-200 mm-es „szuperzoom” objektívet, és azt hittem, hogy az mindent lefed, amire szükségem van – de természetesen ennek az objektívnek a minősége nem volt túl jó. Hamar rájöttem, hogy aki komolyan foglalkozik a kutyafotózással, az kap egy 70-200 mm-es f/2.8-as objektívet.’

Akkoriban alig volt online kutyafotózási videó, workshopok vagy mentorálás, de Rhian ragaszkodott hozzá. „A magazinok, például az AP vásárlása segített, de ami igazán segített, az az, hogy megnéztem egy képet, ami tetszett, és megpróbáltam kidolgozni a beállításokat, hogy lássam, mi működhet hasonló forgatókönyvben. A parkokban és a strandokon is elkezdtem megkérdezni az embereket, hogy lefényképezhetném-e a kutyáikat, hogy gyakoroljanak. A karakterem egyik jó oldala, hogy soha nem adom fel.’

Három évvel később Rhian leköltözött Brightonba északról. Miközben grafikusként keresett állást, észrevette, hogy a kutyafotózás piacán szakadék tátong. „2010-ben nem sokan csináltak olyan kutyás fotózást, mint amilyet szerettem – boldog, színes kutyusképeket a szabadban. Inkább sok stúdiófelvétel készült. Szóval úgy gondoltam, hogy szakadék van a piacon, és idővel felépítettem a kutyafotózással foglalkozó vállalkozásomat.’

Morgan. Nikon 35 mm f/1,4, 1/640 mp, f/2, ISO 320

Technikai kihívások kutyák fényképezésekor

Rhian nagyon világosan közelíti meg a kutyafotózást, és ennek középpontjában a kutyapszichológia ismerete áll. „Ki kell találnod, mi motiválja őket. Keress egy olyan helyet, ahol biztonságban, boldogan és nyugodtan érzik magukat. Ha boldog kutyád van, boldog képeket kapsz. A kutyák figyelmét elterelhetik más kutyák, kerékpárral elhaladó emberek stb., és ennek tudatában kell lennie.’

A következő lépés annak értékelése, hogy mi motiválja a kutyát. „Úgy gondolom, hogy a labdák és a játékok, az étel, a többi kutya, a gazdájuk/személyük és a saját dolguk gyakorlása – például szimatolás és felfedezés – motiválja őket.”

Rhian also finds out as much as possible about the dog before the shoot, which enables her to come up with ideas. ‘You also need to reflect the dog’s energy. Some are excited and want to play, while some can be nervous, and you need to change your behaviour. I will reflect what the dogs want to do in order to make them feel comfortable, as this means better shots.’

As part of this approach, Rhian rarely goes right in close to the dog with a portrait lens at the beginning of their relationship – ‘the dog doesn’t know who I am and thinks why should I play with you.’ Instead she prefers to use her trusty 70-200mm f/2.8 lens in a more passive, documentary capacity.

Crumble, Scrumpy and Toffee. Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8 at 170mm, 1/1250sec at f/6.3, ISO 200

‘Later on, if the dog allows it, I work in a more interactive way and get up closer using my 35mm or wideangle lens.’

It’s also important to plan what kind of shots you’re going to start off with. ‘I usually start with action shots. The dog leaps out of the car, maybe they are a bit restless after the journey, and they want to run and sniff and play. They don’t usually want to sit still for a portrait. Spaniels, for example, won’t seem to run out of energy even if tired, so understand the breed.’

Seize the moment

Rhian has a range of tricks for getting a lively dog to stay still for a portrait, one of her favourites being a pretend throw of a ball or toy – the dog stops in expectation and in that moment you can get a portrait. ‘Another rule of thumb is to tire the dogs first, before trying to do any portraits. Always work around them.

Then you need to think about where you want them to stay still. If you think they would look good on a log, for example, work out lens choice, composition, settings etc beforehand. When I am ready, I work fast, rather than keeping the dog waiting while I try to figure it all out.

Betsy and Lilo. 14-24mm f/2.8 at 14mm, 1/640sec at f/4.5, ISO 200

Taking too long to get set up is one of the most basic mistakes in dog photography , as the dog gets bored. People put the pictures first and the dog second. It must be the other way round.’

If a dog is not good at staying still, Rhian will also use ‘high-value treats’, such as a snack. ‘We never make a dog do anything they don’t want to do, but they soon work out the game if you give them what they want – always within the realm of what is safe for the dog to do and what they want.’

The importance of light

Another core component of Rhian’s approach is an understanding of light and how to use it. ‘You have to make sure the light is good, otherwise it doesn’t matter about your gear or settings. I generally go out a couple of hours before sunset and try to avoid the brightest part of the day, which can be tricky exposure-wise.’

Depending on the conditions, for action shots, Rhian’s starting point is 1/1000th sec or thereabouts, with a wider aperture and lower ISO setting. ‘I prefer blurred-out backgrounds but sometimes the background is interesting and you want to keep detail. I make a decision based on the location.

Generally, I like wider apertures and I work out shutter speed based on this and the speed of the dog – a whippet will move much faster than a pug, for example. When photographing multiple dogs I have to bring the aperture down.

Missy Moo. Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8 at 200mm, 1/1000sec at f/2.8, ISO 200

‘Unless they are exactly the same distance from you, running together, it’s easy to get one in focus and one out. So I bring the aperture down and try to get dogs together as much as I can. In terms of more static portraits, my starting point is aperture and the amount of background blur, then my composition and so on.’

While Rhian mainly uses natural light, she does sometimes use a flashgun with a diffuser, mainly with her 14-24mm wideangle lens. ‘Sometimes I have used off-camera flash but it can end up being quite a complicated set-up with dogs. By the time you are ready, everyone’s probably tired and the light is going.

A wideangle lens with a hotshoe flash makes it easier to get the dog where you want, or follow them around. I use a basic old flash, so you don’t need to spend a lot. You can also use light boxes, although, while continuous light with a light box could be easier, it might distract or worry the dog. I like to keep everything small, simple and intimate.’

When it comes to focusing, Rhian favours continuous AF using back-button focusing so she can track movement, although she will change to manual focus if appropriate. ‘I always focus on the head and eyes – you can get away with a lot if eyes are in focus, unless the dog is side on. If using my 70-200mm lens I generally use the middle focus point as I find this easier for staying sharp.’

Molly. 70-200 f/2.8 at 90mm, 1/800sec at f/5, ISO 250

The biggest challenge capturing dogs

Rhian reckons the hardest job is capturing multiple dogs who are interested in different things. ‘It can be a challenge when the client has several dogs and wants them all together in a shot. Several dogs running together is particularly hard, and I find four or five nigh impossible unless running side-on.

I have been known to Photoshop dog portraits together. You can’t force the dogs to do something they don’t want to do, and if the dogs are happy and the client happy, I don’t see a problem with this. Ideally you get the image right in camera but my job is to get the clients an image they like and never to upset the dog. I rarely put dogs on leads to get the shot unless in an emergency. I try to get them tired and try to work with their motivations in suitable location.’

Rhian’s Top Tips for photographing dogs

1. Get your priorities right

Nigel and Margaret

Always put the dog first, no matter what. People take far too long setting up for shooting or taking the shots. If the dog is sitting there for five minutes while you take the photo, it will get bored. You need to keep them motivated and engaged.

2. Think like a dog

Is this fun, is it interesting, is it too hot? Put yourself in the mind-set of the dog. The dog always comes first and I never get them to do anything they don’t want to do. Only after that, think about the light and the camera settings and so on.

3. Manual labour

Pabu

When it comes to settings, it’s always better to shoot in manual mode. I’d only recommend using aperture or shutter priority if you are totally stuck. Doing my course will help you go from auto to manual settings, and this will make a big difference to your hit rate.

4. Back-button focus

Lenny

For focusing I use back button focusing with continuous AF, as this means you can track moving dogs quickly and effectively. I will sometimes use manual focus for trickier situations, so it’s worth turning on any manual focusing aids on your camera.

5. Think about the light

Lilac

Shoot when the light is best, not when it is the most convenient time for you. Shoot in the middle of the day in the summer, and you can get very hard shadows or run the risk of overexposure – the dog will soon get hot too, and your shots will suffer.

6. Take along treats

Take something that motivates the dog, such as high-value treats or their favourite ball or toy – that way you can use what they want to get them to play, run or stand still, depending on what the dog wants to do. William, above, was chasing Rhian to get his ball back!

Rhian’s Dog photography kit list

Nikon D5 DSLR

Fourteen years ago I went into Jessops and they recommended the Nikon D70s. I am still happy with the Nikon system, so I see no reason to change – the AF and low-light performance are fine for my needs. I also prefer DSLR optical viewfinders, but might consider changing to mirrorless at some point in the future.

Nikkor 14-24mm f/2.8 lens

This wideangle lens is my fourth and I love the fact that it’s nice and fast at f/2.8. The wider end is very useful for getting the dog in context and I sometimes use it with flash. The only problem is, the lens is quite bulbous, so I can’t protect it with a filter. When working on beaches with dogs running around kicking up sand and stones, I am very careful!

Nikkor 35mm f/1.4 lens

This 35mm is ideal for dog portraits. I can hold my hand out with a treat to attract the dog while bringing the camera back far enough to get a nice portrait. With a 50mm this would be much more awkward, so the 35mm is more flexible and I find the fast maximum aperture perfect for the kind of images I like to take.

Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8

This fast, quality lens is my mainstay for action photography. The focal length is perfect for dogs – you can zoom out if they are nervous or zoom right in to 200mm for a portrait with nice background blur. A 300mm lens would mean I am shooting too far away – I have to be able to communicate with everyone, including the dogs!

Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom

Lightroom is very handy for batch processing raw files. The latest upgrade enables you to select both sky and subject and is a real game-changer. I do a universal edit then I do more precise work on selected images, bringing up shadows or boosting colours. I only use Photoshop when I have to remove subjects or add them to an image.

How to start your own Dog Photography business

What tips does Rhian have for people wanting to take the extra step and set up a dog photography business? ‘Work on your SEO so customers can easily find you on Google , but before that, realise that your biggest marketing tool is your photographs . If they are not up to scratch, it doesn’t matter about your SEO or social media skills. You never stop learning and I try to make any new shoot my best ever.’

Rhian is sceptical about investing in social media marketing. ‘I have found it expensive and you can waste money and time. It’s now much harder to reach out to customers on social media compared to a few years ago, so look at free ways to raise your profile – but never work for free, as people won’t respect you.

It’s important to be realistic, too. Although I was able to use the lockdowns to work on my online course and attract new students, as well as working on video lessons, you need to have a plan B in case you are forced not to work again. I work as a joiner too, making cabinets and photo frames for clients – fortunately I really enjoy this as well!’

Learning from Rhian – take a dog photography course

Rhian has written an extensive 20-lesson course on mastering the art of photographing dogs in the outdoors. ‘It’s absolutely everything I know, from choosing a suitable location, motivating dogs, lighting, portraits, action shots plus post-production in Lightroom and Photoshop. It’s very detailed and includes a lot of 1-1 help from myself, so it’s really for people who are serious about taking better images of dogs, but it’s accessible and written so that everyone, including complete beginners, can get involved.’

Rhian has also recently released an extra lesson on photographing black dogs. ‘Many of my customers and students have black dogs and really struggle to get good images. This extra lesson specifically addresses the problems that they have.’ For more info about Rhian’s course, see rhianwhitephotography.co.uk/20-lesson-online-course

Rhian White

Rhian is a long-established ‘real life’ dog photographer and also runs a successful online course. See more about her at www.rhianwhitephotography.co.uk and Instagram:@rhianwhitephotography

We hope this article has inspired you, so do send us your best dog images ([email protected]) or get in touch with us via Facebook or Twitter.

Need more guidance on photographing pets? Check out our pet photography guide here.

Elke Vogelsang also shares how she got into dog photography here.