Downtown DeLand Dog Parade 2017

What a super event on a lovely Saturday morning in downtown DeLand! I will add more photos to this blog post as I edit them. You can also find them on my Instagram, Facebook and  online shop (access code: delanddogparade2017) Feel free to save or share them, but please do not alter them.

Photography: When To Shoot In Black & White

It's amazing to me that technology has advanced so quickly and drastically from the original film cameras to digital. I had the privilege of learning how to shoot film from the Southeast Center for Photographic Studies before they closed their film section. Shooting in black and white film was probably the best thing I could have done, because I'm someone who much prefers to highlight color.

If you're shooting with a digital camera, there's a likely chance that it has a setting to photograph solely in black and white. It's a great practice to just get out and shoot with this setting, so you don't have the option to see what the image would also look like in color. 

As a photographer who tends to highlight color, I had to learn how to recognize what tones each element would migrate towards and how to capture expression, detail and contrast without the booster of color. 

Photography: Oliver

Bark Avenue is a beautiful dog grooming boutique and playcare business run by Amy Neiman! From the first moment I met Amy, I recognized that she was such a professional person who had so many great things to contribute to the world. Her boutique is stunning, her skills with both dogs and people are so impressive, and her little right hand man is a charmer! 

Amy had me take staff pictures for her and her business, and I had the pleasure of grabbing this shot of her and Oliver. With a sad heart, I've been informed that Oliver passed away recently, and he will be missed terribly by all who enter Amy's Bark Avenue. This shot was taken at Bark Avenue using window light only, and Oliver wasn't the easiest dog to photograph, but I'm so glad that they have this photo to cherish. 

Photography: Fitch

I absolutely love puppies. They are so full of life and joy, and they always brighten up my day. One of my favorite part of photographing them is catching the adorable quirks about their appearance and personality. Fitch is an adorable mixed breed pup, and I loved her ears, smile, and facial markings. These are some of the things I tried to highlight when I took this picture of her.

I believe she may have Belgian Malinois and Border Collie in her breed, making her ears both stand and curve. Check out the detail of textured hair on her ears!  These little details give puppies so much speech to their language of cuteness. I loved catching Fitch's character and quirks, isn't she just precious?!

Photography: Hatter

This is Hatter. She is slightly obsessed with tennis balls, and I enjoyed photographing her on the beach with my iPhone. I even got some nifty slow motion videos! 

Photography: Light & Hair

One of my favorite things is to capture golden light and fuzzy critters. This gang certainly provided me with lots of eye candy. Between that gorgeous winter light and their sweet interactions with one another, I had my hands (and heart) full.

One common challenge of photographing larger mammals is being able to read and respond to their body language. Donkeys are reluctant to trust just anyone, and subtle body language changes can be very obvious in photos to those who own them. This is where having a background in animal behavior always works to my advantage! 

One thing few people know about my shooting style is that I rarely look through the lens when interacting with and capturing animals. I want the experience to be as relaxed, playful and positive as possible. With horses and donkeys, there is a unique angle at which they view their world, a very "fish-eye" sort of angle. This means that if you are facing them head on, they cannot see you.

It is very important to me that I always introduce myself to the animal I'm working with in their own "language" (for horses, breathing into their nostrils and taking turns making noises [strange? I know.]) This means that my camera can often get in the way of that animal trusting me. It was vital that I learned to shoot the way I do, as a minimal distraction, so that I can capture the animals true personality and expression.

Photography: Watson

Watson is such a fun hound dog mix who proved to be quite the camera ham for our time together. He had such a great smile and personality, and I had a blast capturing that. I find that most dogs are happy to be off leash and leisurely sniffing the yard or rolling on the ground, and these are the things that I like to capture more than a posed portrait. 

Understanding dog body language is key to catching their quirks at just the right timing. Maybe my favorite part of photographing dogs is moving at the same pace that they move at. I love watching what they are interested in, and watching their body language helps me understand them more. 

I like to imagine what the dog in front of my camera is thinking about while I'm photographing them. Were they lost in thought, or simply focused on finding the critters in the landscape in front of them? Watson seemed both focused and day dreamy, so I tried to capture that in the images below. 

Photography: Police Dogs

These dogs have such a cool job! They are arsenal detecting police dogs! This means that their job is to determine where the fire started, helping their police partners discover whether or not the fire was accidental. 

They have a menagerie of cues and commands to learn, and they are only fed while working. This means that they have a huge drive to work, because if they don't work, they don't eat. These dogs are mostly labs, goldens, or goldadors (cross between a golden and a labrador). They sniff out gasoline that has been 50% diluted by water.

It was such a blast to be apart of the annual re-certification process for these dogs, to meet some of their policemen owners, and to observe them working. There is no doubt in my mind that a dog with a job is one happy dog! These dogs have a fabulous life, and they love working with and for their masters. 

Part of the re-certification process happened in a training facility for firemen, so the building had already been scorched. Hence the rubble and dark spots on the walls, and the harsh lighting. When the dogs discover where the two drops of water diluted gasoline are, they sit to signify that they've discovered where the fire started. 

Pretty neat, huh? As a dog behaviorist, I was quite impressed at how well these dogs were trained, and how often their masters work with them to keep their skills sharp. Check out these photos I snagged of the re-certification exam process. 

Photography: A Story Of Service

Sequoia is a beautiful service dog in training who was raised an initially trained by the one and only Rachel Denton. His focused energy amazes me, but after watching him and Rachel together, I gathered that Rachel is so focused on maneuvering through crowds of excited people while maintaining the task at hand, and that is truly where Sequoia gets his focus from. 

Service dogs go through a long process of being raised by volunteer puppy raisers, trained the basics by a volunteer puppy raiser, advanced training and further socialization, and are paired with a disabled person only when their training is complete. While Rachel is a volunteer puppy raiser, the work she puts in to preparing the dogs she raises for service is far above and beyond the basics.

I have had the privilege of watching Sequoia transform from puppy into his advanced training stages and I am so very excited for the companion he will be for a lucky person one day! I had the honor of capturing some of his process while Rachel walked him through initial training and when she first handed his leash over for his advanced training and socialization period. What a beautiful team! 

Sequoia, you have a beautiful and bright future! Keep up the amazing work, Rachel!

Photography: Splashes of Personality

It doesn't matter the day or time, I always have a blast when I'm photographing dogs. When they're having fun, I'm having fun, and the best images can be made. I love using natural elements such as dirt, drool and water to show what the dog world looks like. This week, I was asked by a friend, "do dogs have personalities?" and I believe that they do! There are so many elements that play in to the degree of personality they express as compared to the complexity of people's personalities. That being said, I believe they do!

Both of these pups are high energy personalities who seem to be in constant motion whenever possible. These are the kinds of elements that I like to capture in a dog's personality. How much energy do they have? How do they express that energy? Do they get along well with other dogs? When I photograph for clients, they know that I am going to capture what they love about their dog, because they have expressed to me what those characteristics and qualities are.

Splashing around in a pond with a couple of puppies and a tennis ball is all I need in order to have a fabulous time. Check out the action shots I captured of these two passing the tennis ball back and forth!

Photography: Java The Caffeinated Cat

Cats have such a menagerie of personality and personal statements. I have always been fascinated by every cat I've encountered and their ability to speak clearly with body language. Java is no exception in her agility and spunk. She is one of the most talkative and expressive cats that I know, and capturing essence her was such a fun adventure! 

Java expresses moments of crazy, ninja like athlete, and moments of friendly, calming and loving companion all within minutes, so catching her personalty was just as much of a roller coaster as she is. It always fascinates me how the common house cat maintains the same instincts and intensity as wild cats do. What I love about specific cat breeds and their linking to specific wild cats is that I can almost see that wild cat in their eyes. 

When I looked into Java's eyes, I could see a panther. She reminded me of Bagheera from the Jungle Book. That mystery and excitement is what her owners wanted to cherish the most from our session, so I made sure to depict her in the most natural way that they saw her on a regular basis. Using one roof light, I wanted to create a harsh shadow so as to appear like the noon day sun. Her owners and I are very pleased with how the session went and with how the photos turned out!

Photography: Creating The Studio Feel Outdoors

Nature has an interesting way of arranging some beautiful situations in which we can soak up and be astonished at what is in front of us. I have always loved what natural light provides in terms of image quality, and while I have learned how to photograph in a studio setting and enjoy it, there's something about allowing the animal I'm photographing to be outdoors in order to catch their character that I love even more.

I want to discuss a few tricks and tips for shooting outdoors and simultaneously creating a studio feel. In the four images below, I used different techniques including cropping with my feet and overpowering the background light with the light on the subject, but each one has it's own unique story.

In this and second image, the dogs were both in vehicles and I was able to position the camera so as to black out all details in the background. This is a really handy trick when you know how to get the best angle of the animals face while making your post processing job much easier. This technique is best achieved when you underexpose the image slightly, so as to let the subtle details in the background fade in the pixels, which still allows you to pull out the details in your medium and light areas.

In the image of the cat, I actually used a variety of post processing techniques to achieve the studio feel, but I made sure that the lighting and exposure in camera facilitated for the most success with my post processing edit. This means that I arranged the window light to fall directly on the cat, and I exposed for the lightest areas of where that window light was falling. This image was actually taken in an empty apartment room with one window light only, even though it looks like it could be a carpeted studio.

This last image was also taken with all natural light, but this time the horse was in his pasture. Because there was such a tight cluster of trees behind him, as I knelt down slightly (cropping with my feet) I could black out the details in the background and focus the light entirely on the horse. This type of technique and style of shooting always makes for extremely focused and expressive images, as there is nothing distracting or contributing in the background. As you are out in the world shooting, experiment with creating a natural backdrop using the elements you encounter outdoors!

Photography: Indoor Photography

There are so many options with photography. We can create our own lighting patterns, utilize ambient light, enhance, fill, and direct as needed. These are all situational changes, or as photographers call them, "rearranging the furniture". More popular today is creating interesting patterns and embellishments with photoshop or similar programs by "masking" or "dodging and burning". 

Why do we need to control the light, anyway? Glad you asked! 

Photography is all about lighting.  Think about it. There is no way to create an image without light. When I was in photography school, I learned about so many different lighting techniques, but one thing that stuck with me was that each professor had their favorite "sweet spot lighting". One of my professors said, "the only thing that will set you apart from everyone else in the world of photography is your unique style." As I started developing my own style, I realized that style is an entire process. 

Give five photographers the exact same camera and lens, the exact same subject, same day, hour, lighting and angle, and you end up with five identical shots, right? Well, no. First of all, exposure is a creative decision (and one that many "photographers" don't understand how to make). Secondly, the crop can make or break the image. Then we have juxtaposition, color, expression, mood, the list goes on and on. We're still "in camera" at this point. 

Post processing or "editing" can be as extensive and unique to each photographer as our finger prints are. My opinion? Learn the rules and then break them.

I was very traditionally minded when I was in photography school: if you need to photoshop it, you obviously didn't shoot it well enough. 

But then I learned the magic of enhancements. Just as I believe that beauty is derived from truth, and women wearing makeup is simply an enhancement on the natural beauty that is truthfully already there, images can be made better in post processing. Not made, but made better.

Coming full circle to how we start the creative process in camera, lighting is everything. I'm all about getting creative and breaking the rules, and I believe my images show that off well. 

When I told my professor about the creative process of this first shot, he almost fainted. 

First, I underexposed it by four stops. Then I masked the stuffing out of the highlights on the cats face and left front leg, blacked out (with the paint tool) the areas in the upper left and bottom right quarters of the image that had small light lines from the wood where the light hit it, and then I cropped it slightly. The raw image looks very similar, but I simply wanted to enhance the light and expression on Leo's face, so I used a vignetting technique to draw more attention to his face. 

This is also where cropping with your feet wins because had I been one inch higher when exposing this image, the light spot in the upper right corner would not have existed, and therefore it would have taken the brain a few extra seconds to figure out what type of surface the cat was lounging on, distracting the eye from the facial expression.

This is where ambient light with post masking wins. Expose for the highlights, and you too can create dramatic images like this one.  

Similarly, the blue eyed cat below was photographed using window light only. I used an incredibly involved technique in photoshop to create the gentle blur and vignette in post production. If you'd like to learn it, send me a contact form and I can share my notes over coffee, because it is a very detailed process which would take a seminar's time to write out in depth. The bottom line of the technique, though, is to bring attention to where the light is falling on the subject.

This shot was super fun to catch because I used an in camera technique that is signature to my style: I didn't look through the viewfinder to capture it. Since I photograph short beings, many times I simply put my camera on the ground, aim it somewhere around the subject's direction, and shoot when I think the expression is right. I waited for the pup to walk into the light pattern created by the shades for this shot. Very unique lighting patterns can happen involuntarily if you just wait, and this is one reason why I love photographing inside.

The photo below was a take off of a commercial that I once saw. I think it was for wrestling or boxing and the tv star waved his hand in front of his face and the camera had this crop for the last second of it, and the background was bright red. This dog's personality reminded me of him because she thinks she is very tough, though in reality she is a five pound pipsqueak. I used ambient light and set up a red backdrop using fabric for this shot. 

Again, color is so important when creating a mood. Leo's eyes matched this painted wall behind him, so I chose this backdrop to create that cool feel. One window, directly to my right and up about five feet created the perfect light source. However, there was also a dark blue wall directly behind Leo and a dark red wall directly behind me, and if you look closely you can see subtleties of these colors bouncing off his fur. One thing his owner expressed to me was that they love the way his fur seemed to change colors in different lighting. It seemed to change from grey to brown and certain patterns would appear sometimes. I thought that these subtleties of blue and red would tie in nicely with this element his owner loved about him.

Expression. This shot was captured with a combination of ambient light and my swivel flash bouncing light off of the white ceiling. I waited for the puppy to close her eyes before firing my flash, knowing full well that I wanted that sleepy puppy expression. I also chose a pink background because baby pink and baby blue are colors we naturally associate with puppies and babies and new fragile things. 

Sometimes you will make images that you still can't decide if you like. The shot below is one of those for me. I haven't sold myself on the crop yet, but it is a popular image and lots of people love buying it! Shot with window light only, I think it shows the best parts of the German Shorthaired Pointer breed off: focus and awareness.

This cat was not very social, so I thought it would be fun to play off of the imaginary friends idea. Behind him is a blanket with cats on it, and he is taking the place of the center cat. Unfortunately, I used a technique that I shudder (no pun intended) at when I see other people using now, and this required me to do much image recovery in photoshop, and I'm still not completely happy with the results.

This image was shot with ambient light on a porch, one umbrella strobe, and *deep breath* telephoto on camera flash. Phew, I said it. I can't remember why my swivel flash didn't participate in the making of this image, but my in camera flash stepped in and the results clearly showed. This was a several layer and photographer effort fix, so I'm never doing that again. However, the bright side is that it continues to be a popular image and sell in pet businesses all over the place! This was also the only indoor shot that I've done of a cat that required more than two assistants. 

Pink! Again, color wins. Check out those painted toenails! The shot below was from a series of work for a local groomer, and I used window light and bounce flash. 

The below image was shot in a studio, so I had full control over the lighting. I most prefer butterfly lighting when given the option, and shooting for this event it was most ideal. It was an event of celebration, so the more high key the better. I don't normally do studio work, but the little that I've done in and out of photography school has been well worth it!

Well, there you go! There's a little peek into my mind when it comes to making decisions in the creative process given indoor situations. I am grateful for every opportunity I have to shoot more, and super thankful that I've had the six years experience I've had with photography. Whatever it is that you do, keep learning new things along the way, and implement what you learn! 

Photography: Outdoor Photography

There are so many options with photography. We can choose from a myriad of camera bodies, lenses, lighting techniques, the possibilities are quite literally endless! So why would someone choose to narrow down their selection range and shoot primarily outside? 

Glad you asked! In this post I'll be explaining my mindset and creative decisions behind photographing outside. Next week I will write about photographing inside, and explain my thought process behind my creative decisions to do so. I'm real excited to dive into this weeks post, because I love explaining why the great outdoors lends itself to my style. 

First, I want to talk about lighting and color. Yes, shooting at sunset is truly my favorite time, but let me explain why. 

In the image above, I used the dog's body to block the sun, creating a silhouette. If the sun would have been much higher, I would not have been able to position my camera to block it with the dog. This was a creative decision, because you may have already guessed that the dog's face is probably pretty happy, and it would have been a great shot taken in noon day lighting as well. This is where the color comes into play. The feeling that you get from the dog trotting through the shallow beach shores is subliminally calmer than it would be had the shot been taken in the middle of the day. Because of the way that the brain works, we have the tendency to imagine what it would feel like and look like to be in the photo. There's a huge difference between splashing through the water at sunset vs. in the middle of the day. That feeling is what I wanted to capture.

Next, I want to talk about subtleties. The fact that this dog's eyes are so close to the lens allows you to see the trees in the catch lights. Imagine if there was a ceiling and a bright flash that hit the ceiling from my swivel flash instead of these trees. While I may be able to light this image as evenly as the ambient light had I made this image inside, I probably wouldn't have gone to the effort of photoshopping trees into the catch lights. Makes a difference, doesn't it?

Next I want to talk about balancing the light. This shot was taken at 50mm, f/1.8 and with a shutter speed & dragged flash that balanced out the ambient backlighting. Can you see the flash on the dog? Why does this make a difference? Well, imagine that instead of a dog in this lighting, it's a bride and groom. Bride wearing white, groom wearing black and white. How important is it that you can see the details, but that the bride doesn't look like a glowing object? Because this dog is black and white, it was real important that I lit him evenly.

Next I want to talk about tricky locations. Can you guess where this photo was taken? This dogs owners were loading him into their handicapped van when I moved in and snagged this shot just before they told him to lay on the back seat. It was a minivan, and there was a golden afternoon light coming in from behind the dog. Do you think it's important to learn how to turn unusual shooting spots into easy layouts that the brain may not even recognize or be distracted by?

Context. Given the setting of this image, what do you think the dog is looking at? If you thought tennis ball, you are right! Again, this is very subliminal, but it was my intention.

Dragged flash. Believe it or not, this dog's name is flash! This is a common technique, but it still amazes me how many people are impressed by it. Using a wide angle non-fixed lens, start with the lens zoomed in all the way, and then simultaneously take a photo and zoom out. However, you need to drag your shutter speed, and if you want the result I have here, you also need to drag your flash. This creates an instant freeze in the middle section of the image, but the blur effect around the edges. While you can accomplish this inside, the brain thinks: motion, action, sports, outside. So it was important to me to use this technique outside.

Intended ambiguity. It's pretty obvious that this image couldn't be created inside nearly as easily as outside. But I want to expand on the idea of imagination for this image. You can see that the dog is focused and possibly a little warm, due to the mouth being open. The rest is left up to your imagination. What do you think she is looking at? What do you think her expression looks like? The need that we have to create within our imagination is super important. I like to capture images that leave some things up the imagination because of this.

Color and association. What if this water was Bahamas baby blue? Not quite the same image, right? If you know doggie body language, you can tell that she hears something behind her, but is watching something off to her right simultaneously. Most people comment on this image by saying, "Aww! Poor little guy." The whites of her eyes make her look sad or cold, even though she was truly just distracted. The dirt in the water contributes to the "poor little guy" comment, because who wants a dirty wet little dog? Especially a dog that is normally depicted as well groomed, proper and clean: the yorkie. However, this was my intention. I like to play with the ideas we have associated with specific breeds. In my mind, they're all dogs. They just want to do the next fun thing. And swimming is this little yorkie's favorite activity!

Natural elements. This photo was nowhere near as successful in color as it became in black and white. Sometimes color adds to the natural elements, and sometimes it takes away. I would recommend that if you are working with an image and simply not feeling it, try making it black and white. 

Lens flare. I love creating lens flare, but let's be honest. We all know people who abuse lens flare. There is a time and place for it, but one thing I love about it is that it creates a warm feel. I can hear a high pitched simmer noise when I look at an image with lens flare, and this makes me really happy. The warmth of the light is extremely important to create the feel you're going for in any given image. Here, I wanted to create a lot of warmth because I want you to feel like you can be friendly with this horse. 

Can you see how photographing outside can be a great decision for many reasons? What are some of your favorite reasons to shoot outdoors?

Photography: Droopy Hound Dogs

How fun are hound dogs?! I absolutely adore them. My favorite thing about a hound dog's expression is the character that comes through their eyes and ears. I can almost hear them responding to their name, "huh?" and it cracks me up every time. 

I want to share with you a few tricks I use to catch the droopiness of hounds at the right angle. Every time I photograph a dog, I catch "expressions" and I catch "in-between expressions". An in-between expression could be them licking their mouth, half closing their eyes or half yawning. Whatever it is, there is potential for great photographs in both expressions and in-between expressions. 

When people are photographed and in-between expressions are caught, they often want those photos deleted. However, when animals are caught in an in-between expression, it's often hilarious or exemplifies how that animals owner sees them in real life. 

Because many hound dogs have a longer face, I prefer to catch them at an angle rather than straight on, if I'm trying to photograph their whole face. It's important that I catch the elements that the particular owner loves about the dog, which often include eye expression, coat color, ear positioning and common breed giveaways. Common breed giveaways such as the profile view of a terrier (with the slight lift in the nose), the focused look of the herding dog, or the drool of the hound. 

These nuances are so critical to catch if you're going to help your viewer understand the character of that dog. Can you guess this hound dog's breed? I'll give you a hint: he is Italian! 

Duke was a blast to photograph in his owners back yard, and these are just a few angles I caught of his beautiful droopy face. 

Photography: Domesticated Exotic Animals

Recently I took a trip to an exotic bird viewing location where you could fee, talk to, and take pictures of these beautiful animals. I must admit, I'm much more comfortable around four-legged animals than feathered ones, but I enjoyed seeing these gorgeous creations as well. 

Sometimes it can be very difficult to get the shot you're looking to get in an enclosed environment, such as a zoo. Many times you may really want a specific photo, but lighting or caging does not permit it. I want to share a few tricks I use in these situations.

First, it can be important to ask workers who are standing by how close you can get to the animal to get a photo. This will determine which lens you choose to use. I always recommend shooting with the fastest lens that you own (the lens that has the lowest aperture). I'm all about clean backgrounds. I have worked my tail end off to achieve this look in all of my photos, and I'm still improving at it constantly. But if you're shooting with a wide angle lens simply because it's your fastest lens, and you end up with a very distracting background, you could have gotten a better shot in my opinion.

In photography school, I learned about an artistic element called: dominating foreground, contributing background. So I suppose if you juxtapose the image content correctly, you can end up with neat shots without a perfectly clean background. I believe that your images will look more natural and authentic, however, if you work to soften out that background.

One technique I use to achieve this look is to hold my camera above my head and "guess shoot". That is, if I can't get the shot I'm looking for at eye level or below. I will often use this technique if the animal I'm working with needs eye contact in order to maintain interest in me. These birds seemed to be fascinated by their image in the reflection, but they were also used to having people in their faces.

Fortunately, I was able to get within inches of these birds, making it much easier for me to get the shot I wanted. If ever you are unable to get within inches or a few feet of your exotic animal subject, I would recommend using a good telephoto lens and turn your flash off. Telephoto images with on camera flash really never work, unless you're just looking to document the event and don't care about the image quality. 

There are so many shots that I took at this location that I hoped in the moment would work out, but in my minds eye it was clear that they wouldn't because of the light, background, or expressions. So many beautiful birds, but choosing the images I wanted to display came down to best capture of simplicity and character. 

So go explore! Go to your local zoo or domesticated exotic animal location and shoot away. Learn how to not only edit and share a photo because you're excited about it. Instead, learn how to share the most quality work you can produce with the tools and techniques you have. 

Photography: Noon Day Light

Ruger is a beautiful Chesapeake Bay Retriever who I had a blast with in his back yard while snagging a few playful shots. I want to explain to you why you don't need to be afraid to shoot in noon day light. When I went to school for photography, I was taught that the best way to photograph in noon day lighting was in the shade so as to avoid harsh shadows. 

Harsh shadows provide a dramatic quality to the overall feel of the image, and I want to share with you why this is not bad. You can actually harness this dramatic effect to your advantage to depict someone or something in its natural environment. Personally, I don't avoid shooting in noon day light because I photograph animals and animals often live outside. 

In this case, a sunny happy dog with sunny happy looking eyes and a sunny happy smile lends to the feel I wanted to create. I took another image of Ruger that had spectacle highlights and it had nowhere near the feel I wanted. It felt scattered and poorly timed, and this is not how I experienced Ruger. I experienced him as a fun, curious and friendly pup who just wanted to play in the sun all day. 

I played with him in the section of back yard that had the most highlighted pine needles in the background, so I could work off of the golden idea. Your eyes go straight to his because the colors all blend so well. 

Try shooting outside during the noon day light this week and see what you can make work. Sometimes these images turn out to be some of the best keepers.

Photography: One Cat In Multiple Settings

Leo is a beautiful Russian Blue who I could hardly wait to get in front of my camera and capture his many characteristics. His owners brought me in to capture his image in the way that they see him: calm and princely. I'm going to let you in on a few tricks up my sleeve that I used in these images and that have stumped other professionals for years. 

When I first met Leo, I realized that the color of his fur varies greatly depending on the light and color properties, so I knew I wanted to capture this. Also, his eyes and gaze were so stunning, so I searched for ways to highlight them. 

In this first image, I simply followed him until he comfortably sat in front of a brightly painted wall. Most people can tell whether their cat looks natural or posed in an image, so I like to let the animal get nice and cozy. I waited for him to look to my right in order to get the light to fall on his face in a cross butterfly / 45 lighting pattern. I wanted to highlight the different shades and tones of grey that his fur had to offer. Using the gentle penumbra fade of the back wall, I wanted a sort of checkered look in contrast between his face and the wall. Otherwise there wouldn't be much depth perception, and it would almost look like his head is plastered to the wall that was a solid three feet behind him. Sometimes depth of field can accomplish this, but I prefer to create tonal depth to give the eye something else to draw from. 

In this second image, I once again waited for him to get settled in one of his favorite places to survey his kingdom, the living room floor. When I revealed the tricks I used in this image and the following image to a class of photography students, both the professor and students were equally surprised. One trick up my sleeve that I often pull out is underexposing by 2-4 stops. Yes, if you took a B&W film class in high school or college you would have learned about exposing for the middle grey, but I like to break the rules once I've learned them. Instead, I actually exposed for the light falling on his eye and did a fair bit of digital dodging / burning in post production. I wanted your eye to go straight to his expression, and secondarily to the fact that he was lounging. I brought faint hints of the floor he was laying on back in post production, just so it didn't look like he was in a black abyss. However, the background was not a focus for this image, so I tried to make it as subtle as could be. I believe this image best depicts Leo's personality: resplendent. 

In this final image, I wanted to depict Leo as the anti-social cat that he is. I disregarded a few of my preferences for this image by setting up lights and a background, but these additions definitely worked for this image. The look of surprise on Leo's face perfectly shows how he feels when he sees other real cats, let alone fake cats. I laid on my stomach and shot with a telephoto lens, lighting both Leo and the background with studio lights. The part that stumped other photographers in this image is that someone is actually holding Leo and firing my second flash for me. When I took this image, I had two flashes that fired, but one had to be tripped by the other, and the angle at which I wanted to face the lights wasn't going to accommodate for this. So I had a second shooter trip it with a telephoto distanced light. 

When photography enthusiasts chat with me these days, they are more curious about what type of equipment I use than how I shoot. I don't think the message is getting across boldly enough: the quality of the image does not depend on the camera, it depends on the person holding the camera.

I went through photography school with a Nikon D40. I still have winning shots from that camera that people still purchase from me. Sure, I don't still shoot with the equipment I had for this third image (taken at a separate time than the previous two), but I want to hit on the point that you can make the shot happen with or without fancy equipment. 

I had a great time capturing Leo's image, and I'm really thankful for the knowledge of techniques I have when it comes to photographing animals. It's always my goal to catch the sides of the animal in front of my camera that the owners most love, and I believe I captured the calm and princely characteristics that Leo so regularly exudes.