back from the drawing board. dog portrait II

[jamn4ex]

Ok I made some pretty tremendous changes,
1 changed subject to Mosen our yellowlab/ sharpie mix.
2 traded my fifty mm for my 200 mm. Mosen likes his space.(especially when a flash is popping)
3 stopped down 2 stops for more dof.
4 added second halogen for more light.
5 traded out my lovely assistant for my son (he handles Mosen best,and made Mosen more comfy)




Thanks for viewing. All c&c welcomed.

[NorthernFocus]

Nice looking dog.

Well you nailed the focus this time. The direct lighting cast a shadow which isn't so great. If you iron the wrinkles out of the sheet and set up far enough in front to get the BG out of DOF a bit it would be much better.

I've been playing around with studio shots a bit. Haven't yet gotten anything I'm happy with. But one thing I have decided is that for dogs continuous lighting will work better than flash. The buggers just move around too much

[flashback]

James,
There isn't anything in the image I find objectionable. The BG, the shadow, all pale in comparison to that exquisite pose: not the usual face on, 3/4 or anything, a very unique and excellent image. Of course, I find it unusual to not like a pic of a dog but in this case, I really thing you created a unique shot. Full of character and personality, I think you captured the essence of your dog.

[IzzieK]

Mosen is beautiful...

........
If you iron the wrinkles out of the sheet and set up far enough in front to get the BG out of DOF a bit it would be much better....

Or if you hate ironing...get a hair dryer on hot -- it works too...save getting out the ironing board, the iron and getting annoyed.

[Shadowman]

You've nailed down most of the issues with the first image, now let's really stir things up and get Remi and Mosen in the same shot.

Nice shot.

[deetheturk]

Lovely dogs James,well done bud

[jamn4ex]

Thank you Dan. I just got 2 Lowel Tota Lights with stands and small umbrellas, I don't have a studio just a hallway which if I set up in drives everyone else batty. It is almost hummingbird time out here and I look forward to trying them with a little more light. I really don't know how to use the lights much just been playing around trying to get used to making my own light.

Thank you Jack I think my son just offered Mosen a cookie, which the attention that word gets by Mosen is his essence, or that look.
Thanks Izzie, Mosen thanks you too. He loves it when people compliment him hes 1 year old and quite an attention hog.

Thank you for the excellent suggestion John But I would have to do that outdoors because those two play rough.

Thank you David your excellent photography makes me respect your opinions.

[NorthernFocus]

...I don't have a studio just a hallway....

That's where my "studio" is too. Sheet hung on a door and the hallway contains the light well and corners the dog

[jamn4ex]

Dan 'something' tells me that the ones your not ready to share are much better than my attempts.
There might be a market for a quick hallway studio conversion kit!

[rpcrowe]

Fleece material makes a good backdrop. Usually about two yards is sufficient. We often get 50% off coupons from the local fabric store and two yards of fleece, at half-off, is pretty inexpensive.

Fleece tends not to wrinkle so badly. However, rolling it on a tube rather than folding it works even better.

As far as muslin backgrounds or sheets (essentially the same thing), you can reduce the wrinkles drastically by tossing them in clothes dryer along with a damp towel and a couple of sheets of fabric softener. Run dryer for 5-10 minutes on low and then remove the muslin and hang it over a shower rod.

Here are some other ways to remove wrinkles...
http://www.wikihow.com/Remove-Wrinkl...ithout-an-Iron

[NorthernFocus]

Dan 'something' tells me that the ones your not ready to share are much better than my attempts...

Not really. All the same issues. Shadows, wrinkles, uncooperative dog, impatient helper... The white BG is a bit more forgiving than the brown. I further complicated things by trying for a reflective surface but what I had on hand wasn't big enough and couldn't get the dog to stay on the cold, hard surface.

[Kyle]

I really like the pose. He just looks content and calm. The wrinkles in the background are slightly distracting but not too bad. Overall it is a great shot and a great dog.
Really makes me want to attempt a studio setup but my apartment is too small.

[Shadowman]

Not really. All the same issues. Shadows, wrinkles, uncooperative dog, impatient helper... The white BG is a bit more forgiving than the brown. I further complicated things by trying for a reflective surface but what I had on hand wasn't big enough and couldn't get the dog to stay on the cold, hard surface.

He's probably picking up vibes from you, he's too attuned to what you are doing. If you have a remote setup then you could engage the pup for a few moments before going for the shot.