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Shoot: George the Rabbit Part 2

Lesson 15 from: Animal Photography

Rachael Hale McKenna

Shoot: George the Rabbit Part 2

Lesson 15 from: Animal Photography

Rachael Hale McKenna

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Lesson Info

15. Shoot: George the Rabbit Part 2

Lesson Info

Shoot: George the Rabbit Part 2

Can I bring in the pale of brown background? I just want to see what that looks like for them and I'm just gonna put it over top of the food so I'm not changing the, um the texture forum he's starting to feel like he's got the same sticks here but it's going to be a different background, so I'll go on look at them. So what do you reckon? You can have a garden picking because I'm gonna need to move him off the background. Rachel, just a quick question. What was it about that background that that was not working for you? It's eye? When I found out I thought I'd be gorgeous to have food with the rabbit. I was hoping probably for one which is ahead a little bit less color model nous throw it and that's what's not working for me is the fact that too much tonal range through range to the background what it's distracting me with the with the image? Because that the rabbit actually has got quite a model nissen him as well. So that's just too it's, too much happening. I needed to be more simple...

so that your eyes going to be taken to the to the rebel a little bit more so I was going to try this thanks put a few little treat around the that's right it's always good to like bury the little treats in amongst what I'm trying to get him on because he's goingto smell them and it's something which he likes and familiar with so what you see hey, look see oh it's just it's just so relax you're gonna be o yes if you just problem down let him walk around cause it's going to feel a little bit different so he's gonna need toe and he's going he's going to smell it make sure that it's he's comfortable with it I'm going to see what fight five like um yeah it's funny how sometimes you envisage what the coloring is gonna be in the know that she doesn't work but I'm thinking this not sure whether this is going to be quite right as well but in post I can probably make it look exactly how least he stands out a bit more on this now so sometimes my monochromatic ideas don't work as well nobody that's right he's going to take a little bit of time to get used to this fabric now that smells different feels different so we just let him do that. Have you got any questions? While we just wait for george bailey to be in the right frame of mind to work with to have any questions in our studio audience? Yes, right in the back there my question was about like there was a moment when the light wasn't quite right in his eye and I worked with a lot of rescue pets and they sometimes have cataracts or are blind deaf any suggestions maybe about howto do the light or post the kennel rex always a difficult thing but it is thea animal so I'm never trying to hide something which in the characteristic of an animal anyway so you just need to try and just have a look at you working in natural light just look at the angles how the light hits it's it's that sort of thing because they were the kendrick that the ai's got quite a I have washed out field so you pray don't when I haven't really direct in the bright hash light because it is going to reflect even more and probably looked even more overpowered ethan so probably if the if the animals got what only one cataract which is worse than the other maybe put the kettle wreck site on the dark aside so like change the lighting and the direction of the natural light so that the correct is on the dark aside just just have a look and to see just really really look at the light and the way it's heading the animal for before you actually start working with it yeah, but it's it's a difficult one when you've got cataract is to deal with you he's chilled again I'm just gonna try and pop you back on my little teddy bear all my mom's tdp so if you come in can you get to stay with him with brighten it up that you cruise eagle and tom's gonna do it low teeth to see whether we like this coloring better so you just take your hands away for a second thes looking this angle is looking a little bit would hunched up so I think we even brighter yet I need to come down toys he's very, very cute. Hang on. I'm just gonna can you do me a favor, cathy? Just the tv just bring it round so that sort of thing you're gonna stay there. It would be so acute to get him. I'm going to just try a few more here and then we might actually put him on kathy's and left and see if we can get him to really relax in there position how I thought it would go this popping back again he said he's really he's gonna be great to handle the fact that you could do that hey, yes he's trying to make a little mist you're not going to be able to get through it, you know, not possible sorry, george what just straight in the background that's great, sorry, buddy back on the on the just as he hiding your treats sorry alright look hideous so cruising thing is I can't believe that you haven't picked him up already I think it's just I've been so nervous yeah I'm sure that's very what it wass yeah he's busy he's busy but as you can see we've only had gotten air and I have to work within the segment this working with a rabbit can sometimes take five minutes if you've got one which does the freeze frame or you've got a more confident rabbit like this who is it can take a while to get that shot because he's gonna wait for them to suddenly be able to in the right pose to um to get them but we're going to see if we can get a magic shop it's just perseverance keep putting them back keep putting them back so what I wouldn't mind e he has got a job today and I was not much but he's not hungry either anymore that's right come on come on dig deep beer dig the beer you know when they get a one treat mind it's really had to get them to stop during these sort of things he has no idea what we want him to do if they knew that we wanted to just sit on the beer into a father who said I can't do it and then nothing is going to what I want to do it but you just gotta be patient rachel bluebird in the chat room says that the bear is being very quickly have been incredibly cooperative can you keep him there and just keep a foot and a hand there I want to see if we can just gonna need to sorry to keep him there for a second just put them back on again it's determined to get the beer out of the makings pushing it other way with his nose spirit cute you just keep putting him back let's keep getting a bit but you don't and if you can slowly go yeah I'm just gonna see if you watch my nose he's got so confident now that he is he knows that he's not going to be in a he's not environment is going to harm you yeah it must be really good from two just dig dig dig dig down on there to start again well just perseverance keep putting him back already refused a hand off boy you can hear me why mikey noises I have no idea if you just get your hand off again to see what he does what that's too much money went in there once s so funny so funny you're delirious george you've got character and a half avenue yes you do didn't train him with it's no way just tosses it out of the way she's like get that thing out of here, huh? Okay, well I'm training yeah so we can I just bring the cheer and I'm just you know sit and I'm gonna put him on your lap and to see if he will respect into your and because we've got to distract him from this he's determined to make it big so I'm just gonna bring it here in and I'm just gonna get cathy to sit down what fabric I'm putting the brown one yet but I'll just wait for seeking cause so let's get the camera out of the way so the weekend I just need to make sure we've got the right and I've got a light to do it exciting treats all right so what I need you to do cathy if you just pass him to me for a second it is great you know it's just so so what I just need to know what I'm going to do here is to place the fabric over you so just put it round you put it the other way so you've got more to work with at the top yeah yeah yeah probably just even a pig or a clamp or something just yeah I'm just I'm or positioning you for the natural light sorry guys hopefully maybe if you can you can stand up if you need to see or anything but I'm just gonna pop him and kathy slept for now just keep him it's like yeah, he might just see how he flipped himself over then he's probably going to feel a little bit more secure on his front and his back but would see it just give it a go how nice you can have cuddles with your buddy now you just wait here until I can see whether I can get him on reason. Yeah, so what we want to do is this problem when you let minusca I was gonna say what I'm doing here but his front and his back and I was thinking that I was gonna lie and back yeah, I feel like me and just just watch that year because he is yeah he's no he's possibly not gonna feel that look it in the little q t that is his call is the thing I want to go back up to running around free good boy, I'm just gonna pick him up to see if I can see how I had him before we just put him in here and just keep him like a little baby good, very cute. So ideally what I want is to have him in this position and then be able to place him down and, um we might actually have to like a few head bit um underneath the fabric there and you'd be able to fly him into the crook of your arm might have that might work yeah as the transportacion of him onto the lep is where the problem happens because he's he's not used to it that he's trying to flip himself over straight away because he feels insecure when I'm letting him go to go down in there so but he's fearfully relaxed like this and I yeah you you'll be able to walk around and I can't let you go and do your housework because think kathy posted a video on facebook of george with the vacuum cleaner mixture and that's how she discovered he was def he just doesn't even react to the victim clean and whatsoever which is amazing to be ableto cry it'll do you bet coming while you're trending and wanted to get a bunny bjorn that is much better but see I relax my hold on them now and he's just really is faithful hearts oh he's so cute yeah so this is this is going to be the fun but trying to get him toe oh yes I just told him oh police um it's a bit hard for you because you haven't got full control of your out yeah that's right no body oh maybe he also because he was playing on this fabric before you might be sensing that's the same fabric and wants to start misting again in it so it's there's all sorts of things you never know what's going right around the mountain mind of an animal but the ideal thing here the ideal thing here is that I get him laid back with a really cruzi shop but with the teddy bear in his arms but not quite sure with it you're gonna going to get better I want to see if I can get more time we'll just keep you there for a second so ideally what we want I don't want him to look like he's being cradled to match so but I'm not sure whether he might relax just keep him there for but just to see whether we will relax it looks like you might go to sleep it's so tempting in the situation to go in and struck the nose and the eyes and things because that's what I would often do with a puppy and a kitten but rabbits don't like it we'll probably upset him so I'm not going to go in and touch and while he's doing this to try and get himto relax even more well they've got that cute little focused so there's little mouth is a horrible isn't to just gradually see if you could just ease it that's cute I'm just going to put a little beer see what he does with you oh look at you think you get it kill always this is outside just going to go to sleep that does really cute what I need a lot of that is cute I'm just gonna hang up get that out of my way so I got more space there's probably with so much of the fabric happening here and things were possibly gonna have a bit of post production to do to make it look get the right sort of yeah it's alright, I can probably do a lot of this on post for finding it but this sort of thing is just going to sleep or bliss um I was going to see what that so one of my normal shots it looks quite missy and all that stuff but I would probably go on and do a bit of work and post just to smooth it out, get a smooth background on their sort of thing but I'm also gonna it was very cute now it looks like he's really? So I think I like it I'll extend the background out to the right a little button things so I'm just gonna come up even through them he's so relaxed I've got time to move around with my try fired and change things changed the angles try to figure out what's gonna work best thanks he's in court his little bunny I love a little bit links those well sorry, I think you are going to move. Yeah, because he looks like he's just a beard having a nice little there is to see just a little bit too much dot mess behind us it's so relaxed I can't even move his years and everything cruzi chick and it's a better angle so just put that a little bit oops be appetite even hire me for the focus again I can't focus close enough don't come back I'm just gonna do one um going a little bit more on to save five point six epic too just to see if I could get a little bit more of them titty beer and focus as well breaking more of my rules, but it might just go to see with them so then if that when I was on five point six out of fifteen, which does get the t b a little bit more um in focus in a so cute I've got to get a shot actually, of the full that's full rabbit is this can you guys at your core you can see on the thing? But did you see it in real life is adorable. Are they allowed to pop up and come and have a little look? Is it possible in a minute? Once we're finished, let me get the shot before waking up here it's just going to sleep now sora kun was gonna do that one on the shallow depth of field just to get his butt with a full body I know it was really cute hey it's just so precious so I'm just going to see what happens actually you just ease it off a little bit now sorry where is that? Is that your thumb there? Uh this is my yeah just ease that often to see what happens I can't discuss that allow me to see a little bit more about him man this's what I mean about rabbits they are amazing to work with and when you get them into the right positions just don't do that I am going to break my rules again and I'm just going to catch his eye and just see if you'll shut up and he did that is a sign of really cruzi rivet though and to let me to go in and just touches I am things he's got a fantastic personality he's really, really good I was going to get one without the gear as well you've got it recorded when you first ableto hold me oh gorgeous so I'm just gonna disqualify so crazy I'm just gonna just he's probably quite hot too you probably call it what it is he's like a little hot water bottle listening just can you angle yourself up that way magic doesn't a husband is up like that that's cool with you little big feet so cute as well I do I do really love it with be there because they're just like sleeping with this little let's do one more and then I think we probably got my actually this is gonna be differently more off, eh? I was gonna actually under portrait were still tethered up nora okay, one last shot and I promise then I'll be free for questions can I just get can I get you? I'm just a hold out just a little bit and then I don't have to worry about people shoes in the background that's cool wait give you a bit we could just probably lie about the on the thing now is that sleep good heavens but I think if we move in we're probably yeah but well done waken actually probably clip because he can't hear us wait please please oh that's a shame to wake him up you know I don't know one of you oh my god look at how that he's being so sound asleep he's just like oh uh dopey little boy you go have a little run and now you know strike taken to him well, thank you so much, cathy, for your perseverance is well, lovering glad you know you can cuddle your bunny now. Thank you. He's good and it's a pse precious to cattle toe his gorgeous yeah, lots of currently yeah, exactly exactly excellent. So so many questions that I think that we don't we do have one here in the studio audience back well, it is kind of a to question originally you were talking about shooting, changing a term won the crown, you're still thinking that you're going to do that now that you kind of changed on and probably because I'm not I'm thinking for me personally, I don't particularly like those colors, but that's just my own personal and because george bailey is gray anyway, black and white is not really changing his concept, so I'm gonna try probably trying both because what I can probably do, I think once he gets to the table, he's probably going to be okay, but I'll probably dio probably try both, but I think I look that's really cute. So what I will be doing in this, though, is I will probably smooth out some of those creases, so it doesn't look like it's quite so bunched up on things, and so it would be more appealing to look at because it's, not it's, not so obvious that he's like that's kind of my other question was, how often do you good turn to doing something like that? Where you end up having someone hold and have the backdrop on them and that get it happens? We know, yeah, yeah, I've got often with tense because they feel more comfortable being stroked and cuddled in things, but yeah, with george that was the way of getting him that that's the first time he's even done they're gone on this backlight there and so I think we did amazing job to get him get him what then? It's it is very, very cute and it's not a lot of wrinkles to remove from there just to make it it still looks like he's in bed with his favorite tv beer which is really sweet, so it's yeah, I'm really really pleased with it and I don't I think even what you're seeing the postproduction sinton this afternoon that what I often due to my image is that dack in the ages so what I do in this instance as I will on dure see the affixed that his on drawing your eye into the subject matter within the image but what I would probably do is choose a california from within george bailey for that which then ties if I was terrified treat it as a color image which then ties the image and the actual overall coloring into george bailey as well. So you've got a little bit of those grey keller's coming in from the age of the image yeah, you get what I mean later when I show you on person in post production now that I can make that work but I will also convert this to black and white and see how it works

Class Materials

bonus material with purchase

Keynote
Black on Black
Photographing Kitten and Puppies
Shooting for Licensing and Publishing
Working with Adult Cats
Working with More Challenging Animals
Shooting on Location - The French Cat - The French Dog
Taking an Idea and Working Through the Process
Ways to Get Started in the Animal Photography Industry
Rachael on Location - Kelsey Creek Farm

Ratings and Reviews

a Creativelive Student
 

This course was definitely worth the investment - both time and money. With about 15 hours worth of video sessions and amazing bonus handouts - Rachael provides some really useful, practical tips that you can apply straight away regardless whether you're just beginning your photography journey or are a seasoned professional. It was great to see Rachael at work in session - especially her techniques used to calm and quieten her models if needed. She had a potpourri of helpful suggestions such as remember to take both landscape and portrait shots (if possible), know your rights to take and use images - don't assume, be extra vigilant with cleanliness especially around kittens and puppies who may not have been fully vaccinated, keep kittens and puppies isolated in pens or cages if not in their own environment as they're escape artists etc. Her extensive experience with licensing agents and publishing houses was insightful ... and not for the faint-hearted, so it seems! Thanks Rachael for taking the time to share your know-how, tips and techniques and giving us a peek into your world and workflow you follow to produce awesome animal shots.

Shawna
 

I loved this class! I don't I tend to be a "pet photographer" but I do want to be a "Pet friendly" photographer! I have gotten lots of tricks and tools to use while photographing occasional clients pets and my own! ( I have a horse, a pony, bunnies, cats, dogs and ducks) I'm super glad I watched the class live and I'm even more glad I bought it so I can re- watch it whenever I want :) (The shoot with the mini horse, dogs, chicken, duck and people was awesome! It loomed like my family picture would look if my husband didn't say "no" on occassion! lol)

Rebecca Potter
 

Love, Love, Love this course... Rachael is so down to earth and inspiring and I enjoyed all the hands-on shooting which shows you how patient you need to be for this type of photography. Truly an amazing course... Thank you.

Student Work

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