Pet Portaits - A few quick tips

I'm certainly not a pro at pet portraits but I've done a few and have a few tips to pass on. ( This is Abby btw, and a 16x20 canvas wrap print of this image was a Christmas gift for a friends mom. ) Ok, first three tips that come to mind....
1. Use Natural Light - Using a flash can startle ( or just annoy ) an animal. I prefer the aesthetic of natural light whenever enough is available. A large window can provide a convenient and beautiful source but lighting can be tricky because you can't just ask the animal to turn 90 degrees.

2. Know your animals - Especially when working with cats this will ensure that your subject is relaxed and comfortable. Dogs are a little more flexible and can be more animated when excited. Taking a dog to a park might make for great pictures but a cat would probably freak out. I know nothing about working with birds or reptiles. Just try to reflect the qualities the owner admires about their pet.

3. Work Quickly - This is not a model you're working with here. As long as the pet is comfortable with you around you're going to get the best shots within the first few minutes. Especially cats will lose interest with you and your clicking box as soon as they realize they can't eat it.

4. ( Bonus ) I generally use a 50mm lens to maintain a sense of proximity to the animal. It does require you to work closer to the pet to achieve a portrait shot size, but you will avoid the 'wildlife' photography compression of spatial relationships that comes with longer focal lengths. I feel it keeps things more personal, and you get a very photographic shallow depth of field as a bonus.

Oh yeah and manually focus because dog noses and cat whiskers can trick your AF off of the eyes.

Book Recommendation: Optics and Focus for Camera Assistants: Art, Science and Zen

Yes, this is the nerdiest book I've ever read. Whats nerdier is that I took notes on the whole thing.

I read this back in film school and it blew my focus skills wide open. I spent months thinking only in terms of depth of field. I cannot tell a lie, I'm a pretty amazing camera assistant and this book helped me get there.

This text is definitely more for filmmakers but a lot of the information is relevant to photographers. I don't know if the title "...& Zen" is a reference to the Robert Pirsig book Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance but Fritz Hershey seems to have a similar utilitarian perspective on his work.

Stuart & Jeff - Feb 14th 2010

I had my first opportunity to shoot a same sex wedding over Valentines weekend and it was a blast.

When I was originally contacted by Stuart I thought to myself, "... a wedding with no bride? This is what I've been waiting for!" and they were truly easy to work with.

Another reason this event was particularly fun was that it was in their beautiful home in Laguna Beach. The ceremony was held on their patio which has an incredible view of Catalina Island.

This was also my first traditional Jewish wedding.
You can see here the chuppa ( the 'c' is silent ) which I thought was an interesting tradition. It requires a person to hold up each of the four corners, and the chuppa holders are usually close family members. I think it makes a nice metaphor for the support of family and friends.

I enjoy these in-home weddings because I find that everyone is more relaxed and there are fewer hangups. Not to mention a beautiful home makes for a nicer backdrop than a hotel conference room. It was a little crowded with their 100 guests but I found ways to work around it.

Silkk the Shocker - how could I forget

I would just like to call attention to the fact that I have worked with rapper Silkk the Shocker. In case you weren't privy to hip hop back in '96, he was kind of a big deal. He is also the brother of rapper Master-P ( which yes, makes him Romeo's uncle ).
I had an unexpected opportunity to work with him back in 2007 for some clothing retailers or something. I just happened upon these pictures again while cleaning up my hard drives.

My product work gets around...

I love it when my product clients update me on the usage of my pictures. Right now I'm represented by StudBar Exercise Equipment on Amazon.com, and Sophia & Sam on Costco.com



At least I'm meeting somebody's standards :)

Dove Apparel - scrubs for days

I spent the last three days working with the good people over at Dove Professional Apparel helping them photograph their new lines of scrubs and medical apparel. They sell sweatshop-free, high quality garments to nursing and medical students across the county. Learn more at their website: www.doveapparel.comHere Souley and Myscha are looking professional in a unisex scrub top (one of about fourty style / color combinations we shot)John models a poly-blend mens polo in navy. I had a crew of four very dedicated models to get through this shoot. Patience and a collaborative spirit were crucial.