This week's blog theme leaves it to us, the photographers, to decide exactly what we'd like to feature.  I have decided to talk a little about the phenomenon called: what-I-like-isn't-necessarily-what-you-like.

I often am asked by clients, "how do you decide on which photos to keep?"

I go through a selection process that involves getting rid of photos that do not showcase the subject well.  Perhaps they moved when they should have been still, or they look worried, or they are crouched instead of sitting pretty, or their eyes are closed, or one of my lights did not fire on cue, or a multitude of other reasons that are so evident you know the photo will not work out.

The remaining photos, I categorize into the following 3 categories:  (1) BEST, (2) ACCEPTABLE, (3) I MIGHT NEED A PIECE OF THIS SHOT LATER.

While the photo on the left, above, is a completely acceptable photo, for an older pup with older bones and issues with sitting, the photo on the right is really the best representation. (When viewing this blog on your phone, these photos may appear one on top of the other.  The left photo is a full body shot, the right photo is chest up.)

For the owner, however, who sees their dog every day, the full body shot may be the best world.  My job is to make the owner happy with the final product, while still feeling comfortable knowing I have given them the best quality photograph.  We work together to make it happen.

It's important to have honest conversations with clients from the start.  If I don't like the photo results at all, I am going to offer a reshoot.  Sometimes there are things we don't see in camera that are so evident on the edit screen.  I guarantee satisfaction with my work, and that is my goal for every single person and pet that walks into my world of photography.  I am my own worst critic, so while a client probably would be satisfied with something, I don't just want satisfaction.  I want them to be ecstatic, overjoyed, moved, and connected to their photos.

In answer to the question: "do Golden Retriever puppies move around a lot?" the answer is:  holy whirlwind Batman, do they ever!!  That's where saving a face in focus from one shot, a bench from another, and paws from a third come in very handy.  (And another case is made for why photographers need to be well-versed in some type of good editing program.) Taken at the same focal length with a tripod, these pieces of the puzzle make for a complete, and very acceptable photo.

I am in the group of photographers who does some editing before presenting your gallery, then once you have made your choice, I finalize the image for print or artwork, whatever you have chosen.  For in person viewing, I may even edit a few photos completely and print them for display, so you are not just seeing photos on the screen, but what they look like in person.

Ultimately, the choice is yours.  While I did the initial triage, I did it after talking with a client extensively and learning what they are looking for in their final photos.  My choice is to always listen, and do my best to meet the clients' wishes for their final selection.

To see what others in the blog circle have chosen for this week's theme, start with Kim Hollis of BARKography based in Charlotte NC and traveling the US and Canada.  Look for the links at the bottom of each blog to move forward and read the next.  I hope you choose to have a good weekend!

It's somewhat true that when you specialize in pet photography, people think that means you exclude them in the equation.  The real story is, there is nothing I love more than to capture people with their pets. 

Even though people are way more critical of themselves in photographs than pets are (hey, Lady, you made my tongue too red is not something any dog has ever said to me), my job as a photographer is to MAKE YOU LOOK GOOD!

I did this photo in studio recently.  It is a testament to strength and softness at the same time, and may turn out to be one of my very favorite portraits ever.

Many times when clients ask for the focus to remain solely on their pets, but their pets might be a bit suspicious of my equipment, I might use a different perspective in a portrait to make it all happen.  In the examples below, both kitties were a bit afraid of the lights at first, and I wanted a relaxed expression, so their owners held them to make them more comfortable.

This is Cami, the same kitty you see in the first photo, but early in the process.  Below is Smoke, who was even more fearful than Cami, but very happy in Mom's arms.

Now that winter is finally over, I am excited about getting back outside and capturing some pets and their people enjoying sunshine and spring/summer activities.  I take my hat off to pet owners who want a lasting memory of their pets that can be hung on their walls! 

To see more pets and their people, the blog circle is sure to have many wonderful photos to share.  Start with Angela Schneider of Noses & Toes Pet Photography, putting your pet in focus for your family portraits.

Have a fun weekend with your pets!

I took a little hiatus from the blog over the Easter holiday.  Despite the never ending every-other-day rain saga, I am happy to see the very green grass, even though it needs to be cut, and I'm happy to report most spring flowers are in bloom.

Our little Luke has wasted no time in resuming warm weather play activities, which made it easy for me to fulfill this week's blog theme.

He found this really disgusting chuck it ball under a pile of leaves.  This photo does not do the "disgustingness" justice. But, dogs do not care what condition their toys are in.  They just love to play.  I traded him the ball for a new wubba toy and life was complete.  You can tell because he went through all of the poses of a very happy dog.

First the classic butt in the air pose, or as some yoga enthusiasts might say "downward dog."

Then came the ever popular, upside down flailing leg pose.  I think dogs strike this pose when they are at their happiest.

You just gotta love a little dog with a big play heart!

Don't forget to check out the blog circle this week to see how other pet photographers interpreted the theme!  Start with Susannah Maynard of Pet Love Photography serving Greater Cincinnati, the San Francisco Bay Area, and destinations nationwide.  Look for the link at the bottom of each post to get to the next blog.  Have a very playful weekend!

It is often the case that when photographing a dog out and about in the big wide open, a leash and collar are going to be a part of the photo.  In the studio, no leashes are necessary, except for the occasional slip lead to perhaps hold a dog in place here and there.  Collars are optional.  I usually leave that up to the owner.  Most owners like to leave their dog's collar on, because for them, it is a truer picture of their pet.  I will usually take a few photos with a collar and a few photos without, unless there is a reason to not remove the collar (skittish dog, etc.).

With my own dog, Moe, as an example, and using a photo from a while back (but one I never before edited), here is the before and after.

I left Moe's collar and tags in place because that's Moe, and I feel pretty strongly about dogs wearing collars and tags when out in the big, wide world.  You can see I also removed the unsightly branch sticking out of the foot bridge railing behind Moe.

Shelter and rescue photos are also often candidates for leash removal.  Sometimes you only have a few minutes to catch a good photo of a shelter pet.  You are also not guaranteed of the setting.  In the photo below, I had to remove much more than the leash, and do some work on the background.  I also changed the look of the photo by cropping it in closer.  This pup has since been adopted.

Leash removal is a pretty basic task.  Some photographers like to use the healing brush tool, but I use the clone tool most of the time.  I do also use the healing brush tool here and there, but I am used to the clone tool and tend to shift to it more.  Some photographers do not remove leashes.  I think they are distracting and detract from the photo, so I remove leashes from all photos I take, unless it is a commercial shoot and the person I am photographing for wants the leash left in. 

Let's see what others have to say about leashes this week.  Check out the blog circle starting with Terri J Photography, serving pets and the people that love them, in the Toronto area and Southeast Florida.  And don't forget to have a fantastic, unleashed weekend!

We live 23 miles northwest of the city of Scranton, our largest metropolitan area. and the seventh most populous city in Pennsylvania, with close to 78,000 people.  That being said, we moved away from population overload and out to rural American in 1995 and have never looked back.  Now, our small town suburban areas are where we shop and take our dogs for walks and attend events.

It's because of this that I usually seek out small town ambiance for most of my sessions that are not done in studio or on location at a park.  I feel safer with dogs in a less populated environment, where less traffic (both pedestrian and street) make getting the right shot difficult sometimes.

Above is a photo of Billie taken in the historic district of downtown Wyalusing.  I did want to showcase some of the great color schemes of the street, and I was happy with her reflection in the door.  I held my breath hoping her stay was good enough for the duration of the photo, so the fact that she is not looking at the camera is due to the hurried nature of the shot. Still, I am happy with it.

In my past life I worked in the city of Scranton, at The University of Scranton, which is a beautiful urban campus.  I sometimes will take one of our dogs on a walk there in the better weather, and once students have left at the end of the semester.  Such was the case when I took this photo last year.

Animals of Billie's size are often dwarfed by their surroundings in urban settings, so you do have to get closer if your focus is simply the animal.  In this case, I did want a full photo of this beautiful, and relatively new, science center.  However, below I brought this down to perspective for Billie, which brought us a little bit closer.

I used a 24-70mm lens, which accounts for the angle and the distortion you see.  But in this case, I thought it all helped to give a different perspective on the subjects (the building and Billie).

I like the Wyalusing photo much better, showcasing that suburban setting, but it really all depends on what you want and what your eye sees at the time.  Urban can be fun, but I am generally not looking for an urban location, unless a client lives in the city and wants to specifically highlight where they live. 

For more urban settings, the blog circle awaits. Start here with St. Cloud MN dog photographer, Cahlean Klenke of  About A Dog Photography.  Look for the links at the bottom of each blog, which will take you to the next one.

I am off to the Professional Photographers of Pennsylvania INSPIRE Conference this weekend, and I am looking forward to continue to enhance my photographic education!  It's always a fun time with my fellow PA photographer friends! I hope your weekend is full of urban conquests!  Enjoy!

There is so much that can be said about Portrait Photography, that I am overwhelmed just thinking about it, and how to whittle it down for quick consumption.  Between lighting, metering, composition, posing, portrait lenses, backdrops, etc. etc., your head can explode.

It is advisable to choose a photographer who understands the requirements of good portrait work, whether using natural or studio lighting, because it really isn't just about picking up a camera and taking a shot.  There is a science behind a good portrait photograph, and it has to do with the relationship between all the elements mentioned above.

That being said, I am going to focus on two environmental portraits (lifestyle portraiture) taken in the summer on the same day in two different settings.  The first was taken in outdoor light.

Environmental portraits are the best way to go when kids are involved with pets.  Capturing both in their own, comfortable space more often than not gives better results than staged studio portraits.  This particular photo was taken well after the pup chased the ball about 15 times and the child ran around after the ball, and the dog, until she felt a break was needed.  A reflector was used, camera right and below to get rid of a green reflection from the tree they were sitting under.  The pose was natural and fell from the activity (or lack of it) at the time.

Here's the same child, different animal, inside.

The light here is natural only, coming from a large window, camera left, a window behind the chair, and a window camera right.  The sun was streaming in through the window on the left.  Attention to white balance is important to ensure the deep yellow cast of the room does not fall on the child's skin, unless that is the effect you are looking for.  Again, a natural pose, not staged, in a comfortable environment.

Both portraits give you insight into the life of the child.

I do many dog and cat portraits, some in their natural environments and some in studio.  Because I used two photos I did in the summer above, here is a studio portrait done recently as part of a Loving Memories session for a Dad and his dog.  You can see the dramatic difference in the studio lighting, and the story told by the photo is one of deep love.  I usually hold it together pretty well during Loving Memories sessions, but this one was difficult for me, because the subject let me into his life in a very real way with this particular portrait.

While I specialize in pet photography, I love capturing pets AND their people.  My goal is to provide a lasting portrait memory.  It is the culmination of the years I have put into learning the craft, in a moment of time dedicated to the client, and serving them in the best way possible.

The subject this week is Portraits, and my guess is the blog circle will have lovely things for us to see.  So head there right now, starting with Angela Schneider of Noses & Toes Pet Photography in Spokane, WA, and North Idaho.  Have a great weekend!

We are approaching mid-March in Pennsylvania, better known as snow-melting mud month. At this time of year we are just starting to see yellowish/green grass appear from under ice layers in the back yard.  Our dogs have learned which parts of the yard are safe to travel and which offer guarantees of slipping feet and no stability.

It's no surprise, then, that when this week's theme appeared, I immediately thought of and longed for the green grass of spring and summer.

I've spent some time this last week and weekend purging archived files.  I discovered so many I had set aside and not edited.  When I came upon the summer grass photos, my whole mindset perked up, thinking of warmer days, sandals, patio living and sunshine.  It's no surprise that I decided to share that mindset with you this week by editing some unedited photos and sharing them here. 

Nothing is brighter than the grass of Spring.  Photographers know this, as we clean the reflections off the coats of our subjects, to eliminate the green cast grass often adds to the photo.  But right now, that bright green is what I am waiting for.  How about you?

The first photo above is of Tinker, our farrier's dog, who accompanies him on all of his farm trips, and brings mountains of sticks to your feet to be thrown.  The second photo, is our Bethy, who will be 14 years old this year.  Both were taken late day (sunset time frame), surrounded by spring green grass that needed to be mowed.

There's a reason it's called spring, you know.  It brings a spring to your step, encourages you to spring into new projects, and even clean the house.  Okay, let's not get THAT carried away!

To enjoy more of what this week's theme has to offer, remember this is a blog circle, and by clicking on the link at the bottom of each blog, you can see more interpretations of the theme, and meet more professional photographers (both nationally and internationally).  I hope your weekend is Springy!  Start here with Linda Perdue of VP Shoots Photography serving Tampa Bay, Florida.

I love working in my studio.  There I am in control of lighting and objects, the amount of bodies (furry or otherwise) in a scene, and have access to all the tools of the trade.  But there are many times when I suggest other-than-studio settings for photographing pets and people, and there are a number of people I meet who want the most realistic picture of what their pet looked like, or did, in everyday life.

This is when Lifestyle Photography plays an important role. This is when I pack up my goods and go on location, usually at a client's home or to a field where they may be hunting their dog, etc.

Below is a photo of a kitty who spends beautiful summer days on a lovely deck surrounded by flowers and cat grass.  He wears a harness and has learned that he cannot go anywhere, so is happy in his deck garden.  Everyday life.

Lord knows I have countless photos from my own crew lounging around or playing in the yard.  But I took this opportunity to look back through my stock of photos to get an idea of how often I am requested to come on location.

Hunting with a dog is one of the reasons I would be on location.

When people are involved in the photograph, I tend to give some posing instructions, or an objective for the photo.  But when it is just a pet, this is not always an option.  Some direction may be provided by the owner, but in most cases I am waiting and watching to observe behavior and find the best possible shot.

In the case below, the owner had control of the subject, and the objective was planned beforehand.

It seems I do more on location work and lifestyle photography in the better weather times of Northeastern Pennsylvania, which makes sense.  I do love exploring new locations that have a value and meaning to the client, and that help build exactly the type of memory they want.

Above, Sadie takes a break on her favorite dirt spot waiting for the horses to come out on the farm.  When you see a pet do the same thing every day, this could be the fond memory you might want to capture.

There is nothing too mundane or too routine about grabbing the photo of day-to-day life that will spark a memory or make you smile.  For most pets, home-sweet-home is the prime location where they will be the most relaxed and interact with their environment in the easiest way.

I have captured many memories of our own dogs, cats and even chickens, doing their every day things.

The theme this week is No Place Like Home.  To see more interpretations, start with Darlene Woodward of Pant the Town Photography, serving MA and NH.  Find the links at the bottom of each blog entry to travel around the circle.

Daylight saving time begins on March 10th, which isn't that far away, so I look forward to warmer weather and more on-location photo shoots! Have a great weekend!

Thank you to all those who give up a Saturday or Sunday, or maybe even both days, to drive a leg of any pet transport, getting dogs and cats to their new homes from rescues and shelters across the country.  Meeting up for a hand-off in parking lots at drop hubs, ingrained in your memories, from driving the same routes over and over again.  You are superheroes.  You are true road warriors.

When I can, and my schedule allows it, my runs include Scranton to Binghamton and Scranton to Port Jervis or further into Upstate New York.

Finally, let's pay homage to the warriors who walk their dogs every day without fail, driving to parks or lanes or sheltered roads to exercise their furry friends.  Hiking, walking through woods, exploring.

I created the photo below to honor everyone who puts in the miles on a regular basis, no matter the weather conditions.  Just like the U.S. Mail, nothing can stop you from delivering.

An interesting theme this week--Road Warrior.  Can't wait to see what the others in the blog circle have done.  Let's start with Pawparazzi Pet and Animal Photography presented by Shae Pepper Photography.  Then travel around the blog circle, by following the links at the bottom of each blog,  until you find yourself back here again! Enjoy! Have a wonderful rest of your weekend!

One of the very first images you will see on my website is a composite image.

I used this image previously in a blog about bold colors.  The photo of the pup was taken in costume at an October outdoor pet event, but the digital background was purchased (Lisa Blevins Fine Art Digital Backgrounds), and put the two together to achieve the image.

I do quite a bit of composite work, especially with Christmas and greeting card sessions during the holidays. 

I recently took an on-line webinar class with Judy Reinford, M. Artist, M. Photographer.  I love Judy's style and work and she is from my home state.  We were given a number of stock photos to incorporate into a composite.  Below is my composite from the class.

Yes that is a mantis in a cape painting the dog on the hillside.  Below is the image with all the components used.

I would by no means enter this in any competition, but you know what they say about practice...eventually, it makes perfect. It was fun trying to utilize all the components to tell a story.

A little over a year ago, a friend lost her beloved dog to illness.  She had a rough digital image taken with her phone and asked if I could possibly make it into a frameable piece of art.  I ended up doing a digital painting of the photo, using textures to improve some of the areas that were degraded and underexposed in the original picture.  The pup was laying on a patterned blanket, and I replaced it with a suitcase to streamline the image and draw more attention to him.  The resulting image is below, with the blanket removed and the top of the suitcase in view.

This is a cherished image in her household, and why compositing is a much needed skill in photographic work.

To see more composite work in the group this week, start the blog circle off with Jo Lyons Photography, the down-to-earth dog loving photographer for cherished dogs of Sydney, Central Coast, Newcastle and the Great Lakes Region of NSW. 

I'm off to some winter events this weekend.  Check my Facebook page for resulting photos later in the week.  Enjoy!