Pet Portraits - please post them here

[carregwen]

Is he yours, Antonio? Lovely dog. Jack Russells are so intelligent-looking.

[Antonio Correia]

Is he yours, Antonio? Lovely dog. Jack Russells are so intelligent-looking.

No Rob he is not mine.
I took his picture in a show for horses. Jack Russells are usually very turbulent and never quite. They are very cute.
My wife loves dogs. We used to have 3 in the house but not any more.

[Maritimer1]

My daughter had been blowing bubbles for Kitty to play with. Kitty was getting a bit tired of the game, but she was still keeping an eye on them.




Canon Rebel xti Nifty Fifty @50mm ISO 100. 1/45@ f/1.8. Manual


Myra

[Maritimer1]

This is Kitty's "formal" shot



Canon Rebel xti Nifty Fifty @50mm ISO 100. 1/45@ f/1.8. Manual


Myra

C&C always appreciated

[Maritimer1]

Is he yours, Antonio? Lovely dog. Jack Russells are so intelligent-looking.

This breed is very popular in North America with horse owners. Not at all unusual to come across them sleeping in the barn aisles, riding in the trucks and hanging out at the shows.

Love the clarity of all your photos, Antonio.

Myra

[Antonio Correia]

It's a very beautiful cat Myra and you got it were well

Excuse me but I think your images lack sharpness, clarity and contrast. Oh I am a bad guy !!!
How are you focusing when you shoot ?

Which camera do you have ? In fact, it does matter a bit only... Try to understand how the camera focuses and mainly where it does so.

I use the central point most of the time. Make a test: place 3 objects in a row, aligned.
Place yourself as if you were the 4.th element and focus for the last one for example.
Then, focus on it with a wide aperture. Then chimp or better go to your computer and check if the object is in the focus.

Don't let you shutter speed go under 1/60 to begin with.

Which program are you using to work on the photos ? All digital images need "treatment" one way or another.

To be continued, OK ?

Too rude ?

[Shadowman]

I guess if the animal is tethered then it's considered a pet or beast of burden. When I visited India one of the guides said that cows were allowed to graze on a land owner's grass in exchange for natural fertilizer. So there must be some ownership involved.

Well good to see that religious views of some (my) country are respected by the people/on the forum. Although I don't go worshiping cows, as one might think an Indian would do, but yea someone (Foreigner) laughing at the beliefs MIGHT make me feel bad. Double-standards 'eh???

And Oliver, The cat gave me a good laugh and the dialog bubble of the cow on the grounds. (Who left the banana there?)
Has anyone tried giving their pets little alcohol? Or heard of something like that happening? Just curious....

It happens but the people who do this are usually arrested for cruelty to animals.

[Maritimer1]

Antonio, not rude at all! I almost always have issues with those, to the point where I wonder if what I am seeing as focussed in the view finder is correct. I think I may need to check the diopter to see if I have it right for my eyes. I have a Rebel xit (400d), but I have seen shots by others that have been clear. My outside shots tend to be a lot sharper.

The lens here was a 50mm. Personally, I find I get a lot of noise with it, even at 100iso. It could be that I was using it at 1.8. Maybe that is not a good place for that lens to be? I have access to both cs2 and cs3. Some sharpening was applied to the first one, but I totally forget to apply USM to the second. I don't know why!

I will try your exercise tonight when I get home from work. Thanks!

Myra

[timo2]

Rena and her son Teddy

[Antonio Correia]

Antonio, not rude at all! I almost always have issues with those, to the point where I wonder if what I am seeing as focussed in the view finder is correct. I think I may need to check the diopter to see if I have it right for my eyes. I have a Rebel xit (400d), but I have seen shots by others that have been clear. My outside shots tend to be a lot sharper. The lens here was a 50mm. Personally, I find I get a lot of noise with it, even at 100iso. It could be that I was using it at 1.8. Maybe that is not a good place for that lens to be? I have access to both cs2 and cs3. Some sharpening was applied to the first one, but I totally forget to apply USM to the second. I don't know why! I will try your exercise tonight when I get home from work. Thanks! Myra

Myra I am going to try to help a little within my knowledge. I am going to be telegraphic.
1. You don't have or better, you must not check your diopter. Because the automatic focusing of your camera doesn't take it into consideration. If you are a miope - like myself - no problem for the camera.
2. Your outside shot look sharper. I believe you are using different setting there. Not our problem at this time.
3. So your lens is 50mm f/1.8 Excellent. Shoot Aperture priority (Av) at f/4.0, 100 ISO, central point to focus with beep so you know for sure the camera is focusing. After focus do not move the camera. If the scene is not correctly captured get back or forward until it is correct and re-shoot over and over.
4. If with these settings you can't get the shot you want because the speed is too low, move to a higher ISO step by step until you got 1/60 or faster.
5. Apply sharpening is CS2 or 3 in a separate layer only on the required areas.
6. Increase Brightness and Contrast slowly...
7. Don't do what I do frequently: move your finger when shooting, not your finger and the camera. Hold your breath and concentrate when shooting.

Herewith: look how the very shallow DOF made some flowers to be so sharp while others are not.
Don't forget to read this if you have the time

Yes, it is not a pet I know but the creator of this thread will forgive me for that.

[Antonio Correia]

[Maritimer1]

I had a bottle lined up to practice Antonio's suggested technique to get sharper photos with my Rebel xti (400D) and the 50 mm lens when Miss Kitty walked back into the scene. This is the same setting as the photos taken of her a few days ago. Details are under the photo.



Kitty practice 2 photo

Taken in the late afternoon with light coming through a west window approximately six feet from Kitty's left side.

Tried Antonio's suggestion of getting a sharper image by using the centre AF point, f/4 and trying to reach 1/60 by increasing the ISO. Also attempted to follow the selective sharpening method suggested (I could not master the masking technique so used the magic wand tool to select the areas to be sharpened) and then gradually increased brightness and contrast.

Canon Rebel xti (400d)
Manual
f/4. 1/60. ISO 800.

Metering - Center weighted average
AF- Center point

If anyone is interested in the ACR numbers, I have them in the PRACTICE folder in my profile.

Thank you, Antonio, for these suggestions. Although still far from perfect, I think I am beginning to "get it" a little more each time!

[ScoutR]

This is Kitty's "formal" shot



Canon Rebel xti Nifty Fifty @50mm ISO 100. 1/45@ f/1.8. Manual


Myra

C&C always appreciated

Hi Myra: I'm a bit late on this one, but just wanted to say that I really love this look. I'm not sure if this is considered low key, but whether or not there is a name for it, I like the dark soft focus look very much for this shot.
Kitty is so perfectly posed and regal looking. I think the only thing I would do would be to try and brighten (just a little) the left (on screen) eye and clone out the disk like object top left.

I also like the shot you took following Antonio's instructions. It is a totally different look, but well executed. I think there is a place for both types of shots, and that both are excellent.

Wendy

[ScoutR]

Awwww, poor guy, what's he in for? Looks innocent to me.

[Klickit]

Such a lot of lovely and loved pets here.

I was going to put this one in the "Action" thread, but thought it was better here.
Her tongue really is this long.

[Maritimer1]

I think the only thing I would do would be to try and brighten (just a little) the left (on screen) eye and clone out the disk like object top left.

I also like the shot you took following Antonio's instructions. It is a totally different look, but well executed. I think there is a place for both types of shots, and that both are excellent.

Wendy

Thanks, Wendy. I think I might try to redo those photos in processing to see if I can perk them up. I tend towards dark areas or a dark look in my photos. I kind of like the look, too. Oh, the disk is a bubble! My daughter (all of 18 years old) was blowing them for the cat to play with. She's an indoor kitty and needs to be amused

Myra

[Antonio Correia]

Awwww, poor guy, what's he in for? Looks innocent to me.

It's curious what happened with this fellow.
I am passing in the board and he was barking to me. I got near him and he became a bit more aggressive.
I begun talking to him and he was kinder and kinder.
The next day, I was bringing a bit of cheese in my fingers. I gave the cheese to smell carefully and he ate it. I did it again the next day and we became friends. Now I caress him and give him a bit of cheese from time to time to keep the friendship on.

[ScoutR]

Back to the questionable pet category. These are 2 of boxer's (a very tame grey squirrel) little ones. I thought she only had 2 but she has at least 3 and possibly 4 babies. Crazy fun watching them play, but I'm not fast enough to get action shots.

[Antonio Correia]

[Maritimer1]

Back to the questionable pet category. These are 2 of boxer's (a very tame grey squirrel) little ones. I thought she only had 2 but she has at least 3 and possibly 4 babies. Crazy fun watching them play, but I'm not fast enough to get action shots.

Thanks for sharing, Wendy. I've never been able to actually spot any babies in "real" life. Those are adorable!