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How-to for animal shelter photography

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Cerumen

Cerumen

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I started volunteering my photo skills at my local animal shelter a few years ago, and after other shelters started to reach out to me about my images, I figured it would be a good idea to share my techniques for the scrappy work of shooting shelter pics.





If you have a moment to skim through it and give feedback, I would really appreciate it. I don't go into technical specifics, since the intended reader isn't the sort of audience that DP Review draws.

Just curious if the info makes sense, and might be regarded as helpful.

Here's the link:

Loading…

www.delmar.photos

--
Eric

delmar.photos

Photography
www.delmar.photos www.delmar.photos
 
.

Looks good, clean eyes with alert expression.

I do this with abandoned abused dogs dumped

in an unforgiving jungle inhabited with wild crazed

primates .The jungle is my studio, good luck ..........;-)

.



- Baby Mama @ The Dog Palace.
- Baby Mama @ The Dog Palace.

-

--
Jon in Thailand
www.flickr.com

Jon

Explore Jon’s 4,723 photos on Flickr!
www.flickr.com www.flickr.com
.
 
Thank you for this. I've been considering help out our furry buddies. Nice shots!
 
Cat with the cropped ear appears twice.

I think working on speedlight suggestions would get more people invested, as your budget suggestions seem a bit high for your audience (people you're avoiding technical details for). Higher iso performance is good these days, and for your web sized images I think noise might not be much of an issue anyway.

Lovely shots.
 
hotdog321 said:
Thank you for this. I've been considering help out our furry buddies. Nice shots!
Click to expand...
Thanks, Craig. Shelter shoots aren't easy, but they're always worth it. The staff and volunteers are very appreciative. It's a great way to expand one's skill set and subject range. Doing this has been one of my better mid-life decisions.
 
confused circle said:
Cat with the cropped ear appears twice.

I think working on speedlight suggestions would get more people invested, as your budget suggestions seem a bit high for your audience (people you're avoiding technical details for). Higher iso performance is good these days, and for your web sized images I think noise might not be much of an issue anyway.

Lovely shots.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the attentive eye. The double cat has been fixed.

On speedlights: I considered this, but felt that it's not a workable suggestion in that environment, since you need immediate access to a lot of soft light.

On available light: Lots of fluorescent in these places, and available light can't reliably shape a subject's face. I do shoot available in a pinch, but it's so flat and dull, and only good for sleeping cats; kenneled dogs have boundless energy.
 
My problem is that I want to take the critters home!
 
Forgive my bluntness (and lack of good taste, perhaps), but to my eye, these look like some of those graduation photos--a bit stiff and overly formal.

Having said that, they're clearly better than just pointing a smartphone and snapping a shot.

It's too bad the dogs can't be photographed outside.
 
Get Rekt said:
Forgive my bluntness (and lack of good taste, perhaps), but to my eye, these look like some of those graduation photos--a bit stiff and overly formal.

Having said that, they're clearly better than just pointing a smartphone and snapping a shot.

It's too bad the dogs can't be photographed outside.
Click to expand...
GR, no forgiveness needed. The lighting and the seamless lend that look of grad photos. And that's fine in my book. The goal is to elevate the subjects from being "unwanted animals" to being worthy of a portrait session.

On dog pics outside: Shelter dogs get pretty wild outside. The light's too variable and the sessions take a lot longer. Inside I can shoot 15 dogs in under 2 hours, maybe a few cats, too.

It comes down to efficiency and predictable environment. Thanks for your input.
 
Ah, I didn't clarify myself properly. What I was referring to with high iso performance was maybe bumping the iso to use lower power on the speedlights to keep your cycle times up while still getting some light shaping.

I might give it a shot with some friends' pets, godox 685+trigger, and a brolly box, just to see how it goes.
 
confused circle said:
Ah, I didn't clarify myself properly. What I was referring to with high iso performance was maybe bumping the iso to use lower power on the speedlights to keep your cycle times up while still getting some light shaping.

I might give it a shot with some friends' pets, godox 685+trigger, and a brolly box, just to see how it goes.
Click to expand...
I'm sure it's possible to reduce to a speedlight and a modifier, but I'll sometimes shoot six or eight shots in 2 or 3 seconds, all the while crushing any ambient flourescent. I'm not a studio guy, or even a speedlight guy, but am pretty good with each. However, ever since I brought a monolight into the shelter, I found that I got fast, easy results, which fits the bill for volunteer work.

And about taking pics of your friends' pets: It's fun, and very appreciated. They're challenging shoots, but it can be fun photography.
 
Hi, very good tutorial with some excellent advice. I like the 'grad" type portraits much better than the super wide angle, huge faced, small body stuff that seems to be de rigueur for animal shelters lately. You give them a dignity that suggests the animal is alert, attentive and comfortable even thought we know that is so often not the case especially with abused creatures. Appreciate you putting this up, thank you,
 
Get Rekt said:
Forgive my bluntness (and lack of good taste, perhaps), but to my eye, these look like some of those graduation photos--a bit stiff and overly formal.

Having said that, they're clearly better than just pointing a smartphone and snapping a shot.

It's too bad the dogs can't be photographed outside.
Click to expand...
Its sounds bad but reality is animals looking like humans/cute portraits helps to sell/adopt.
 
HI Cerumen,

Great article and I love your pics.

It must be a great satisfaction when an animal gets homed because of your pictures.

Mark_A
 
Cerumen said:
Get Rekt said:
Forgive my bluntness (and lack of good taste, perhaps), but to my eye, these look like some of those graduation photos--a bit stiff and overly formal.

Having said that, they're clearly better than just pointing a smartphone and snapping a shot.

It's too bad the dogs can't be photographed outside.
Click to expand...
GR, no forgiveness needed. The lighting and the seamless lend that look of grad photos. And that's fine in my book. The goal is to elevate the subjects from being "unwanted animals" to being worthy of a portrait session.

On dog pics outside: Shelter dogs get pretty wild outside. The light's too variable and the sessions take a lot longer. Inside I can shoot 15 dogs in under 2 hours, maybe a few cats, too.

It comes down to efficiency and predictable environment. Thanks for your input.
Click to expand...
Thanks, cerumen. You're doing good work. Photos definitely elevate the animals beautifully.
 
ormdig said:
Hi, very good tutorial with some excellent advice. I like the 'grad" type portraits much better than the super wide angle, huge faced, small body stuff that seems to be de rigueur for animal shelters lately. You give them a dignity that suggests the animal is alert, attentive and comfortable even thought we know that is so often not the case especially with abused creatures. Appreciate you putting this up, thank you,
Click to expand...
Thanks, Pete. Yes, a clear-eyed portrait suggests the animal isn't wild and unsuitable for the home. In fact, shelter animals are better vetted than any pet you're likely to find at a breeder. A good shelter will provide info about how a dog will respond to a cat in the home, how good the dog is with children, etc.

Glad you found the article useful and appreciate you taking the time to read through.

Eric
 
Mark_A said:
HI Cerumen,

Great article and I love your pics.

It must be a great satisfaction when an animal gets homed because of your pictures.
Click to expand...
Thanks, Mark. They sometimes come in pointing to the picture on their phone. It works and I knew nothing about shelters before volunteering. Learned a lot about shelters and this sort of photo work.
 
Cerumen said:
Thanks, Jon. That dog's face shows life's challenges.

I appreciate the work you do, and you're in an environment I cannot imagine.

Much appreciate the feedback.

Eric
Click to expand...
-

" you're in an environment I cannot imagine."

..................................................................................

Besides the cobras, pythons and a few pit vipers

there's 3000+ crazed aggressive primates out here.

Almost forgot the mosquitoes that carry malaria

and dengue fever but for the most part the primates

slice the dogs up pretty badly with razor sharp fangs !

That is an on going problem, over the years many of the

dogs have spent time in surgery being stitched back together.

Being able to spent time with these abandoned dogs is a real

honor and yes there's a bunch of fun to be had as well.

Many silly personalities as well as serious ones too.

In this photo is Mama on the lft, Rocky her son

on the rt.They are often refereed to as

"The Royal Family." Now behind

them is Legs The Zoomer

doing a Photo Bomb.

Notice her Dragon

head-dress ?

-

Nikon D300, Nikkor 17-55 2.8 - Jungle.
Nikon D300, Nikkor 17-55 2.8 - Jungle.

My mobile jungle office, 12yr old Honda, homemade sidecar. D300,17-55 2.8.
My mobile jungle office, 12yr old Honda, homemade sidecar. D300,17-55 2.8.

-

--
Jon in Thailand
http://www.flickr.com/photos/af2899/
.
 
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