Table-Top Indoor Photography Setup Recommendations Please?

[Nicks Pics]

Hi folks,

I have someone who wants me to do some indoor still photography with the subjects being small animals. This may sound simple, but I really haven't ever thought about this kind of photography much; mostly just outdoor, natural light situations.
So was wondering if any of you who may have indoor studios or do similar things might have any suggestions as to how to set up my set up. I don't know if I should use a flash, (could scare the little critters) or a lamp, or there could be other things I should use I'm just not thinking of. I do want to mention that I don't plan on spending thousands of dollars on a pro studio equipment, I'm just thinking of something I could set up with common stuff mostly.

Thanks if you have any ideas!

[Mike Buckley]

I doubt that I'll be much help, but the people who can be lots of help will be able to help you more if you provide the range of animals. As an example, are they small dogs, insects, or what?

[Nicks Pics]

Hi Mike, I appreciate the response. I'm talking about domestic rabbits here.

[Stagecoach]

Nick,

I'll throw in a few things for you to consider;

a) Rabbits move
b) Rabbits have very fine hair and also whiskers that you are going to want to get sharp

a) and b) will need fast shutter speeds

c) Backgrounds (unless you want the kitchen cabinets showing in the image)

[Nicks Pics]

Thanks Grahme,
Rabbits move,
Fast shutter speeds is a good idea to get the details of the fine hairs, even if the rabbit manages pose for a second or two, it still might twitch and blur fine hairs. Didn't think of that.
Maybe a blanket or similar would work as a BG.

[Stagecoach]

Thanks Grahme,
Rabbits move,
Fast shutter speeds is a good idea to get the details of the fine hairs, even if the rabbit manages pose for a second or two, it still might twitch and blur fine hairs. Didn't think of that.
Maybe a blanket or similar would work as a BG.

Nick, have a look at Richard Crowes (? can't find an earlier post) great pictures of small Maltese dogs. All well lit, sharp and posed. (I am not in any way promoting the way the dogs are dressed)

I'm suspecting these little dogs also move and twitch.

[jcuknz]

If you need a fast shutter speed then there is the option of using the built-in flash of the camera, so long as ambient light is not too strong and giving you a second slightly blurred exposure.
Being lazy my preference these days is to use ambient light like you usually do but I have yet to meet up with rabbits
With anything new it is best to build on what you know rather than try something new which you are fumbling with.

[Mike Buckley]

Grahame mentioned Richard Crowe's photos of small dogs. His setup is explained here. Personally, my only experience with rabbits is cooking and eating them.

[IzzieK]

Nick...get some furry toy animals from an opportunity shop. I do not know what term to use here in the US because I taught my husband to understand some of my terminologies, but it is one of those Goodwill stores. They usually have toy animals for 50 cents or a dollar and you can practice on that first using different kinds of lighting during the day, natural; or ambient light during the night or indoors. And also some sample backgrounds, then you will know what you are going to use on the day you elect to photograph those animals. Practice on different shutter speed/aperture/ISO combination and of course your EV and take note. You might not have the movement but you will have the sharpness (or not..) but at least you will be a little prepared for your tasks. (Are you getting paid or will it be gratis? Just curious...) Also remember about dark subject, light background; light subject, dark background...stuffs like that. Would like to see some results posted here, if you do not mind...(so we can have fun annoying you with our critiques... )

[Nicks Pics]

Hello folks
I had a look at Richard's puppy studio, that was a good reference, thanks. I do plan to do some experimenting.
Izzie,
I think there might be something of a fuzzy stuffed animal around here that is good for practicing. I should spend some time practicing on one, with my project in mind, as that is a good idea.

[rpcrowe]

Here is an assortment of my rescue dog photos. I use a length of fleece material (I have various colors) thrown over a chair with arms as my quickie setup. The chair's arms and back help control the dog...
https://www.flickr.com/photos/127242428@N06/

If I am home, I have a 4 bulb daylight CFL softbox as my fill light and a daylight Ott Hobby Light to get some light on the background. My main light is an on-camera hotshoe flash (I have several and for this use the 420EX, 430EX and 600EX RT are pretty well interchangeable) bounced off the ceiling and modified with a Joe Demb Flash Diffuser Pro www.dembflashproducts.com

Most of the posed images have been shot in this manner. I always shoot in the landscape (horizontal) camera position and will crop for square or portrait images. The reason I shoot in the landscape camera position is that I will often need the images for calendars which require landscape formats. The extra pixels of my 7D camera helps to be able to crop portrait configured images from the horizontal originals.

Note: I once used a studio strobe setup with umbrellas. I had it set up in my RV Garage. However, during hot or cold weather that garage is not comfortable. Since I shoot several dogs a week, working in my family room is easier...

When I shoot at a volunteer's house, I use the hotshoe flash modified with the Demb Flash Diffuser Pro bounced off the ceiling as my only light. The first two dogs on my Flickr site (Stanley and Maya were shot in this manner).

If I am at an outdoor rescue event, I will bring one or two lengths of fleece material in different colors and bounce the light off the roof of our display tent. The bounced flash modified by the Demb Flash Diffuser Pro is my only light. I use a folding canvas chair on which to pose the dog covered by the fleece. Annabel, Dale, Tessa and Suzie were shot in this manner.

I use a WhiBal Card to get my white balance correct on non-white dogs and use the coat of white dogs as my white balance target.

I really need someone to help me control the dog. Over the years, my wife and I have learned how to cooperate in photographing dogs. She uses a dog-show lead to control the dogs and I clone the lead out of the finished image. This is what a show lead looks like. It is quite thin and easily cloned out. We have several colors but white and black are most used.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Dog-Slip-Sho...item20ee089de0

I would expect that rabbits are no more difficult to control than dogs. Dogs vary from the absolutely cooperative to little devils. One of the things we are most concerned about is the placement of the dogs ears. When a dog is fearful, it will pull its ears back. A fearful dog with ears back isn't a great looking subject.

I shoot with a crop camera and a 70-200mm f/4L IS lens. I normally am shooting around 70mm to 100mm for full body shots and can be shooting at up to 200mm for head shots. My exposure is usually 1/60 second @ f/4 using ISO 160. I like the longer focal lengths because the longer camera to subject distance allows a more pleasing rendition.

I sit on a rolling office chair which puts me at a good level to capture the dog and allows me to move around.

I shoot a lot of images, usually at least a 10:1 ratio... Sometimes the smallest difference in pose can really influence the image.

One of the problems that I have noticed with our volunteers shooting their foster dogs is that they normally don't have anyone to help them. That means they have to be close to the dog and use a wider lens which results in unflattering images.

BTW: I would NEVER use straight-on direct flash shooting a dog. The flash reflects from the dog's retina and results in a ghostly blue-green glowing eye (like red-eye in humans). I always bounce my flash and bounce flash never disturbs dogs at all.

[Nicks Pics]

Hi Richard,
Looks like I found someone who knows about this sort of thing. I much appreciate your explaining how you photograph dogs. I think much of that would work for rabbits too. I have more things to think about now. Did you mean you bounce your flash off the ceiling, as in the drywall or whatever your ceiling is? I'm curious to know how the lamps and the flash bounced from the ceiling have a different role? I think I will have some help to pose the rabbits! Thanks for sharing your experience with me. Your photos look great!

[chauncey]

Backgrounds...http://www.joann.com/

[Nicks Pics]

Thanks Chauncey
It looks like things there would work great as backgrounds. A good sale on too, in case I need to pick something up.

[chauncey]

Additionally...I do a fair amount of using a monitor displayed image as a background.

[Nicks Pics]

I could have anything I want in the BG that way! (It always has an odd look to it when I have taken pictures of monitors though)