When she sleeps, a dream isn’t too far off.

When she dreams, her legs take on a life of their own. Running, twitching, and flying all over the place. I can be in the worst mood and if she starts dreaming, it puts a big smile on my face. I love that about her.

During a particularly active dream, I looked over and noticed that her front feet pads formed the most perfectly shaped hearts. I took a snap with my phone and made a mental note to take a better picture of them the next time I had my camera out.

It’s no doubt that Gracie has taught us so many life lessons in the 6 short years that we have had her, but she has also taught me amazing things when it comes to photographing dogs.

It amazes me that after photographing her for 6 years, I can still find something new about her that I haven’t noticed before. Be it a body part, an angle, or a new behavior I want to catch.

It is such a great lesson for any photographer, whether you shoot dogs, children, landscapes, or weddings. The more you spend time with your subject, the more you observe, grow, and are allowed into their world. Your eyes are naturally opened to new and interesting ways to shoot the subject you love.

Kathryn asked: “How do you handle dogs that have zero manners?”

To be honest, whether a dog has manners or not doesn’t really matter to me. My goal is always to capture a dog as they are in real life. If they happen to be naughty little rascals, then I’m shooting them that way :) But there are ways I have learned to cope with ill mannered canines. For example, if the dog is really jumpy we’re heading outside quick to run, jump, chase, and burn off some of that energy. I haven’t met an aggressive dog during a shoot yet, but if I did, I would give them some time to get to know me, sniff me, and trust me. I would give them treats and lots of space.

Maria asked: “How do you handle clients (parents of said dogs) with zero manners?” For example, the client I had most recently insisted throughout the shoot that I could never get a good photo of her dog because she never could. It interfered with almost the entire shoot.

I would say confidence is key in this situation and it is something that is learned over time with experience and practice. Working with clients is first and foremost about trust. They have to trust and be confident that you are going to get great shots regardless of what the light and weather are doing.

I walk into every shoot confident that I will get at least 1 shot that is worthy of being blown up large. I know I will get that. I don’t leave until I’m positive I have that. If I feel they still don’t believe me (and this has happened quite a few times), I’ll show them some select images on my LCD. Once they have seen a few images, they seem to instantly relax and have more fun with the shoot knowing that great images have already been made.

If a client continued to be rude or negative, I’d walk myself right out the door, say adios, and send them their money back. It just ‘aint worth it.

Debbie asked: “Do you always shoot in manual or ever use AP or TV?”

When I first started out I utilized both Aperture and Shutter Priority exclusively and there is nothing wrong with this. Manual shooting was a concept that I just couldn’t grasp. One day I got really mad that I couldn’t shoot manually and I said “that’s it, I’m learning this no matter how much it kills me or how slow it makes me.” It was hard. But doing that was the only way I learned.

I feel that as soon as I switched to manual everything just got a little better for me. My tones were richer, my blacks were darker, etc.

Now I shoot 100% manual because it is just easy for me. For example, I know that if I want shallow depth of field on a sunny day outside I am going to be at ISO 100, f/2.8, and 1/2000. Conversely, if it is January and I’m at a clients home where there are a million evergreen trees around with small windows (the bane of my existence) I will be at ISO 3200, f/1.8 – f/2.0, and 1/125. There is comfort and ease in knowing exactly what you will be shooting at.

Sarah asked: “Do you do basic edits in Photoshop and or Lightroom? Or are there some secret ingredients in your recipes?”

For the most part I do everything in Photoshop and Adobe Camera Bridge. I do basic exposure, contrast, and color adjustments on my RAW images in Bridge and then batch export them to JPGs. I’ll then take a look at my JPGs and see if there is anything I need to clean up or enhance. I don’t really have any secret ingredients that I can think of other than practice, practice, practice editing. It takes time.

Leanna asked: “What’s your most favourite lens, and why?”

For the longest time my answer was always the same, the 24-70 f/2.8L. But the little darling went and got soft on me, which is the fate of all zoom lenses I suppose. I needed a last minute tax write off for 2009 so I picked up the 35 1.4L and I haven’t taken it off my camera since it came. I love it!

I realize that those lenses are out of many budgets, so if you are just starting out I’ll say the 50 1.8 ($75) is an awesome lens.

Fun fact, the cover for Inside of a Dog was shot with the 50 1.8!

Frances asked: “Do you take some to help you when you shoot?”

Nope. Because I shoot on location, I like to keep things as organic and unplanned as possible. Depending on the dog, when a new person comes into their house, it takes a long time for them to settle down. I bring a certain energy into the house which I can control, if I let another person come with me, they may present an energy I can’t control and the dog may never settle down because of it.

Gina asked: “I’m curious about your most difficult session?”

I will keep this short and sweet. When one dog pooped on the couch and the other dog ate it in front of me. Why was it the most difficult session? I had to work very hard to not throw up right there in the room.

Brent asked: “What kind of reflector do you use most often? Gold, silver or white and why?”

When I shoot people I use my 5-in-1 reflector using white or silver the most. I don’t use a reflector with dogs. It is impossible.

David asked: “How do you work in people’s homes where the lighting conditions are less than optimal. Do you simply shoot at very high ISO to get a bright airy look?”

When I arrive at a home I ask for a tour of the entire house. I look at bedrooms, front rooms, side rooms, mudrooms and find where the light is best. Most of the time I can usually find one room with enough solid light to do a good bulk of my shooting. However, there are definitely some homes where it is just dark in every room. If that is the case, I’ll try to do some shooting next to a sliding glass door and then quickly move outside and use the yard or overhangs.

From about October – February I am shooting at extremely high ISO’s around 1200 – 3200. The 5DMKII has given me a lot more freedom to work in rooms that I could have never worked in before. I’ll also use post processing to lighten images that just ended up to be too dark. I find a nice balance between the two.

Andrea asked: “Do you shoot in RAW most of the time?”

I never take my camera off RAW. Ever. This is because I work a lot with stock imagery that requires the absolute highest quality image available. An image I take and eventually sell could be a very small square in a magazine or it could be blown up to billboard size. I never know when I’m going to get that “it” shot as they are usually always unplanned, so I just stick with RAW.

Jayme asked: ”

Melody asked: “What do you think are the best settings for shooting dogs on a dslr?”

If you are more into details and quiet moments, I would start with Aperture Priority. Details seem to work really well with a shallow depth of field, so if your lens allows, set it around 2.8 and let your camera do the rest.

If you are more into action and energetic moments, I would start with Shutter Priority. Head outside and start with 1/300 – 1/500 to ensure that you can stop motion.

Jaymie asked: “How do you create your b+w photos?”

A great black and white image starts with a great color image including rich tones and correct exposure. My black and white conversion will always depend on what the image first looks like in color, so I don’t have one set conversion.

I will say that for the most part I am using a straight Gradient Map that I set up myself as a small action in Photoshop. Then I’ll use curves for contrast and pop.

Julia asked: “How do you market yourself and how do you get your clients?”

In terms of traditional marketing, I have never done it and don’t plan on it. My marketing strategy has always been centered around 2 things: My Blog + My Body of Work. Almost all of my clients that hire me have found me through Google and have been reading my blog for quite some time. I love this because before they ever meet me they know that I absolutely love dogs, they meet Gracie who is my heart, and they can also see that I demonstrate consistent, quality work over time. It is really important to me to let my work speak for itself.

I see a lot of photographers starting out getting caught up in the perfect logo, the best packaging, the most strategic marketing, but when I look at their work it is not quite there yet. The very best thing you can do before you look at marketing is to ensure you have a very strong, consistent, high quality body of work.

Catherine asked: “How can a hobby amateur learn how to shoot pictures like you do? What would you suggest is the best way to go about learning photography?”

I think photography is such a personal journey. It will take each of us on our own different path. It starts with knowing who you are as a person and what you want to say. Then your camera becomes an extension of you and you get to speak through that and share it with the world. That sounds a bit new agey but I’m ok with that. Let’s go with it.

So how does a hobbyist shoot pictures like I do? To be honest, I don’t know. I will tell you that over the last 7-8 years I have put in thousands of hours shooting everything that I came in contact with. My husband, my plants, my vacations, my dog, my sister, and friends. The more you shoot, the better you get. It’s that simple and that hard, all at the same time.

I think “how” you learn will ultimately dictate how you get better at taking images. I have always been a visual learner (which means I sucked at school) so I need to see things to get them. Taking a film class at a local community college allowed me to interact with the teacher, ask questions, ask more questions when I was confused, and get constructive criticism and feedback.

There are so many ways to learn: photography books, forums, workshops, meet ups, mentorships, or just plain trial and error.

Debbie asked: “Any plans for hosting seminars/workshops in 2010?”

Unfortunately no. When this question comes up, it sounds like a fun idea at the time, but before I make decisions I always go back to the root of why I started this business and that was simply to shoot dogs.

I’m not one to never say never but as of right now my heart is telling me that it is not what would make me happy.

I just wanted to send an email off. I don’t know why.

Perhaps it’s because I’ve been trying to find my way with the camera and all along the way getting frustrated at myself for not knowing exactly where I want to go. The truth is I want to do animal photography and for the past year have had countless people telling me what they think I should do.

None of them listen to me. I’m just learning. But everyone tells me “get a job at the paper, maybe I’ll end up at National Geographic” when I don’t WANT to work for a paper. People asking me to do weddings when I don’t see myself doing weddings. I even had someone tell me I needed to get in to the “insect photography business” …where I might take photo’s of cockroaches on bikes and doing tricks.

Hmmm.

Anyway I just read your real words post and I’ve been following your blog for some time now and I’ve always enjoyed your work. So I guess what I really wanted to do was say thank you for your honesty. After reading that, I’m going to just say “pfft” to everyone and tell them what *I* want to do…instead of having them bully ME into doing what THEY think I should do.

Thank you.

Boo

. . . . .

Dear Boo,

I really liked your email so I decided to take some extra time out of my day to write back and share what I have learned over the years. I’m hoping it helps you (and others) on your own photographic journey.

First, take comfort in knowing you are not alone. There are many others that share your frustration and sometimes it’s just nice to know that you are not alone.

Photography is not easy, especially in this fast paced, ever-changing, high technology world. If you are just starting out, learning the intricate ways in which a camera works is overwhelming enough. Words such as Aperture, Shutter Speed, ISO and how they all work together to create a single image is something that takes time and practice to fully wrap your head around. If you aren’t fully confident in the fundamentals of how an image is made, then take some time to explore it. Shoot a lot and find what speaks to you. Don’t rush it. Savor it.

(I’m going to leave the beast that is known as Photoshop alone for this email but know that it is another big, very important piece of digital photography)

Once you find what speaks to you, then and only then decide if opening a business is really, truly, deeply what you want to do. It is very easy for someone else to say that “you should open a business” because they don’t have to do all the work! Dig deep within and decide if it is for you.

How do you know if it is for you? Let me tell you a little bit about what it includes and maybe that will help.

If photography isn’t hard enough, running a successful business is four times as hard and five times as much work. It is something you need to be completely passionate about and believe in fully. Are you willing to make the sacrifices that come with it including time away from your friends and family, becoming educated about state qualifications for opening a business and paying the appropriate license fees, taxes, taxes, taxes, insurance, working with clients (some easy, some difficult) and making them happy, figuring out what to charge, etc.

Even writing it stresses me out!

On top of all that (which is a lot), there is another really important aspect to a photography business and that is developing and crafting your style. Style can also be interpreted as a particular voice. What do you want to say? I firmly believe that to have your own own voice through a camera, you really need to know who you are as a person. What do you want to say as an individual? If you know what you want to say as a person, then it becomes infinitely easier to know what you want to say through your camera.

If you decide this is truly what you want to do, along with the hard work, make sure you leave room to live life. Spend time with friends, get outside, breathe, have fun, drink a beer. Don’t allow it to consume you.

If you decide maybe this isn’t really something you want to do, then that is perfectly ok. You don’t have to run a business to get something amazing out of holding a camera in your hands and creating meaningful images.

Warmly,
Erin

It involved previsualization, an iPhone, rearranging, and post production.

STEP ONE : Scouting & Previsualization

I knew I would be shooting an extremly large dog in and around The Westin. Being a large breed owner myself, I know that large dogs cause lots of attention. Lots of attention is an instant recipe for disaster with a dog. So I went scouting an hour before Katie got there.

Scouting is really helpful when it comes to working with dogs because if you have a few locations to choose from, it puts your mind at ease and you can focus more on working with the dog. I found a secluded area on the second floor with loads of closed doors to ballrooms and conference centers. Because it was a Saturday, it was empty. The minute I walked up the escalator I saw this huge row of windows with sheer curtains. It was literally a natural softbox/studio. Perfect!

I took a photo with my phone to help me visualize what type of image it might become.

STEP TWO : Relaxing & Rearranging

Katie & I had been chatting and shooting for awhile in this area before I decided to attempt the silhouette shot. This was deliberate on my part because the shot I envisioned required a more relaxed Mom & Dog.

Since Hank was so large (he weighs more than Gracie!), I quickly decided that trying to get him onto the leather bench wasn’t going to happen. So I drug it out of the way. If something isn’t working for me, either in a hotel or a home, I’m not afraid to completely rearrange a room. Recognizing things that are in the way or don’t flow before you shoot will help you later when you sit down to edit.

STEP THREE : The Shot

I switched from my 24-70 to my 70-200 because I knew that I really wanted to single out Katie & Hank. I shot a variety of Horizontal and Vertical images. When I sat down to look at them, I liked the look and feel of this one but knew it could be so much more.

For the most part, the below image is straight out of the camera with some blacks added in for contrast.

Settings were ISO 100, f/2.8, 1/200.

STEP FOUR : Post Production

Because this image was shot outside of a studio in a natural situation, I knew that I would have to do some post production to get it to where I wanted it to be. Also, to emphasize both the relationship and the setting, there was no doubt in my mind that it had to be in black and white.

For the below image I did the following:
- Ran my standard black and white conversion (gradient map)
- Bumped up contrast.
- Made it square (for no other reason than I just like square.)
- Slightly rotated the image so the horizon was level.

STEP FIVE : Enhanced Post Production – From Good to Great!

I could have stopped there but I felt that the lines were adding just a touch of distraction. With my white brush I took out the lines. Taking away the lines really brings the focus in on Katie & Hank. You get to fully appreciate so many things including the love she has for him and the size difference!

Their connection was so beautiful and it definitely shows in this final image.

I’m not shy about sharing my images, what they were, and what they can become. Especially if it helps someone else. What questions do you have?

I have been thinking about this a lot lately and decided to see what kind of shots I could get of Gracie with my little Canon SD630.

The first one is definitely my personal favorite.

As I talked to people both online and in person, I was shocked at how many people had no idea what it was. I felt like I wanted to do my part to put together something about bloat that could be sent out and shared.

In the last month, I personally know 2 dogs that have passed away from Bloat. I can’t stress enough how deadly it is and something that should be taken very seriously. Luckily there are some very distinct warning signs and ways you can prepare should it ever happen.

One of the things I didn’t know is that Bloat tends to occur when there is a change or disruption in the daily routine. The most common case is when owner’s go out of town. Not only should you have an action plan in place for yourself, but if you leave town and your dog is in the care of someone else, make sure they are aware of the signs and have a 24/7 animal hospital number close by.

I was so close to the information that I had a hard time wrapping my head around how to convey it. So I asked my friend (and awesome Graphic Designer) Buzz to help put something together that was easy on the eyes yet informational. I gave him the info and let him go to work. I think he did such an awesome job!

I really want to encourage everyone to download the PDF and share it with at least one fellow dog owner. The internet is an amazing resource and you never know when one simple action might help to save the life of a dog. If for nothing else, do it for Miss Gracie!

[ Download the PDF on Bloat here! ]

Updated: Bloat surgery is not cheap. Ours set us back about $3,500. If you find yourself in a situation where you have to decide the fate of your dog based on cost, bookmark CareCredit as a potential financial resource!

Why? No real big, deep, insightful reason other than the fact that I can’t (and don’t want to) sit for very long at the computer.

One of the most important things I always do is in camera framing/cropping. I can’t tell you the last time I cropped an image in Photoshop for the sake of creativity.

G and I were hanging out in the back yard yesterday enjoying a fantastic 72 degree day. I shot all of these images with the 50 f/1.4 lens which forced me to zoom in + out with my feet instead of my trusty zoom lens that I usually use. I was playing with all the different ways I could frame Gracie while she stayed in the same spot.

Of course it does help to have a subject that sits completely still, fixated on the most random things in the yard, sky, or neighbor’s house. She can be so spooky sometimes.

Vertically

Horizontally

Far

Close (I’m a big of of this lip light)

Closer

Far

Close

Closer (and headless)

I pulled out the One Light DVD for some inspiration. I have watched it at least 3 times and learn something new each time.

Last night I asked my husband if he would be my test model for a few one light ideas I wanted to practice. I didn’t want to bother with paper so I just used the environment in and around the garage. Of course, we can not go into the garage without Miss Gracie coming too. She is our little (or rather, very big) shadow. Not one to stay out of the limelight, she walked into the frame and leaned on him…and wouldn’t move.

One of the things I was practicing was shooting studio with a shallow depth of field. My setup was very simple: The 580EX, 60″ Convertible Umbrella, and Pocket Wizards.

Camera Settings: ISO 100, f/2.0, 1/200
Flash Settings: 1/32 power + 1/64 power

She will always be a Daddy’s Girl.

A new favorite of my soulful girl.

If this generates any questions, please feel free to ask!

My friend Deb posted these awesome words of wisdom on her blog the other day (by Cheryl Jacobs), but I didn’t have time to sit down and read them. I finally got some time this weekend to read each one and it was such a great reminder about keeping things in perspective, being a confident photographer, and following your own path.

Thank you Deb for always providing reality checks and inspiration to look deeper into our photography. Thank you Cheryl Jacobs for your honest and real world advice.

I think a lot of this advice can also be applied outside of the photography industry and into your own daily profession or personal life, whatever that may be.

[ STYLE ]

- Style is a voice, not a prop or an action. If you can buy it, borrow it, download it, or steal it, it is not a style. Don’t look outward for your style; look inward.

- Know your stuff. Luck is a nice thing, but a terrifying thing to rely on. It’s like money; you only have it when you don’t need it.

- Never apologize for your own sense of beauty. Nobody can tell you what you should love. Do what you do brazenly and unapologetically. You cannot build your sense of aesthetics on a consensus.

- Say no. Say it often. It may be difficult, but you owe it to yourself and your clients. Turn down jobs that don’t fit you, say no to overbooking yourself. You are no good to anyone when you’re stressed and anxious.

- Learn to say “I’m a photographer” out loud with a straight face. If you can’t say it and believe it, you can’t expect anyone else to, either.

- You cannot specialize in everything.

- Know your style before you hang out your shingle. If you don’t, your clients will dictate your style to you. That makes you nothing more than a picture taker. Changing your style later will force you to start all over again, and that’s tough.

- Accept critique, but don’t apply it blindly. Just because someone said it does not make it so. Critiques are opinions, nothing more. Consider the advice, consider the perspective of the advice giver, consider your style and what you want to convey in your work. Implement only what makes sense to implement. That doesn’t not make you ungrateful, it makes you independent.

- Leave room for yourself to grow and evolve. It may seem like a good idea to call your business “Precious Chubby Tootsies”….but what happens when you decide you love to photograph seniors? Or boudoir?

- Remember that if your work looks like everyone else’s, there’s no reason for a client to book you instead of someone else. Unless you’re cheaper. And nobody wants to be known as “the cheaper photographer”.

- Gimmicks and merchandise will come and go, but honest photography is never outdated.

- It’s easier to focus on buying that next piece of equipment than it is to accept that you should be able to create great work with what you’ve got. Buying stuff is a convenient and expensive distraction. Spend money on equipment ONLY when you’ve outgrown your current equipment and you’re being limited by it.

- Learn that people photography is about people, not about photography. Great portraits are a side effect of a strong human connection.

- Never forget why you started taking pictures in the first place. Excellent technique is a great tool, but a terrible end product. The best thing your technique can do is not call attention to itself.

- Never compare your journey with someone else’s. It’s a marathon with no finish line. Someone else may start out faster than you, may seem to progress more quickly than you, but every runner has his own pace. Your journey is your journey, not a competition. You will never “arrive”. No one ever does.

- Embrace frustration. It pushes you to learn and grow, broadens your horizons, and lights a fire under you when your work has gone cold. Nothing is more dangerous to an artist than complacence.