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Shoot: Jenny in the Tub

Lesson 26 from: Animal Photography

Rachael Hale McKenna

Shoot: Jenny in the Tub

Lesson 26 from: Animal Photography

Rachael Hale McKenna

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Lesson Info

26. Shoot: Jenny in the Tub

Lesson Info

Shoot: Jenny in the Tub

Johnny I was gonna be my animal wrangler because we have got erica whose jeannie's owner but he's just had a knee operation so we don't want teo make him do too much but jenny is so cruzi that she uh just get a wonder yeah she is pretty chilled so she's probably gonna sniff around a little bit and see what what's been in here before hey teeny surely have a bath do you know that word? Thank you jenny has a bull what she's completely fixated on so if we need it need her to look anywhere we could just use the ball apparently so what we might do is bring in some little steeps which we had just of the whole genie eighteen chemistry you can see your daddy over the account you come here yeah so just to see with them what actually what would be is a piece for us to put up the steps so can we pick her up put her and what's the best thing just pick her up jericho is she's going to be busy with it than um okay let's go unfairly find to pick her up we're waiting we're waiting on bubbles okay, well...

I would I'd like to do it a teashop with jeannie anyway so we'll take the lead off hey teeny you think she'll be perfectly fine for me to pick her up she's not yeah yeah yeah yeah what have we got some treats which we can give jenny she write with street yet a new sweetie could kill you gonna sit there could gil what a special little girl you waited a little bit we did a little bonding out in the hallway before you're a good giggle at you yeah you're beautiful. We're gonna bring you a treat so that when you get in the bathtub you can have a treat does that sound like fun? Yeah, maybe if you can open the packet she's listening she's that spanish gil so I'm not gonna I'm not gonna teach you know in the bath until I've got something to reward reward to what she's in for she knows that it's a good good thing yeah no she's she's a she's shaking as soon as she had the package she society treats you wait oh, probably what I've done here if you can see above the bath I've got a to see stands which you're going across which actually hold the shower curtain which is going to be just out of shot which will then we'll drape around the bath so what we're gonna do come on down the street here just what's this what do I have but it's good theo that tasty good girl you're a little bit unsure on you good girl you let me pick you up I must say I've gotto afterwards let me remind me britt was and I were talking about working with difficult dog the other day and I just I've got a story of what a silly mistake I made when working with a very, very pleasant dog, so just remind me afterwards to tell you what I did, which ended up with me getting snapped it by the dog, so I need to I need you to think that even people was a bit like me who have had years of experience of working with animals do stupidly make mistakes occasionally when you think everything is going perfectly approval fine. Hey, sweetie. So even though I know jeannie's really place the dog, I am being very careful the way which I'm gonna left because I don't want to suddenly feel insecure and and maybe turn around and doesn't put me or something. Not that you look like you'd be that type, but you just you just have to be you don't have to be careful. Well say we might need you in here, eric, just er sorry, teo, be careful on your just so that she feels a little bit more came up because she knows you and your trust big here for you, but I just had a knee operation good girl that's, right? You can't kill what's that so see what I mean when my concept was to have a big dog because she does look quite small in there but it's still going to be quite cute once I get the shower curtain around I'm sure she'll look really cute so for you to stay right there with her and just if you were even eric if you're happy just to stand off after the side here just so you close with her that would be great so that she knows that she's here I will have to bring jeannie tuner around but she's okay at the moment I'm just gonna bring this so this is just on a sliding system where I could slide it over hopefully it's going toe slide can you get up there what comes oh I might need a stepladder okay thank you has she got another give you another little treat she's got one that she doesn't want she doesn't want one she's concerned with president alright yeah she's a good good gail sweetie thank you pick your status but she probably thinks that she's gonna have you write can you get that you're old enough know germany germany get up here I can get it if you just if I get it if you could just slide along one hundred I think it's just god just he's gonna go I can't reach it anymore ideally we probably should have put this on something which is a little a broom or something? You just yeah you're doing a great job. You know I can't help you much from here move that's all you got on there done eggs. Thank you, jimmy kick you hey, sweetie, could you so this is just a keeping a concept stay, sweetie. Thank you. So if you just come around and just even eric if you're right, just stay with just for a little bit just to keep gil and then I'm just gonna have a little bit more. Thank you. So I'm just gonna do it just with them did we get some fresh bubbles? We got fresh bubbles coming cope. I probably got a few here, which I'm gonna bring in. I'm gonna start without jenny actually would be a great dog is you have some water on a swell purely because she shaggy it could look quite cold, just heavy wit, but I'm going to start with dry first before we bring in any concepts of of putting any water on gilles. But the longer bubbles sit they don't get get really sticking but that's really, which is the bubbles are setting much better on her because of your shady food than it did on the great danes kill now we're jenny's ball because you think that that might be better for her well done right the old bubbles get a law I'm just gonna get even more because we might get this shot I'm just gonna throw a bubble everywhere make it look that you've made a big mess on the bubble department because I know that jeannie is a little bit will come in a bit more settled in this sort of thing she's a little bit anxious but she's not too bad I had to have more time to work with this sort of thing and actually create a more of a bathtub perfect with her I'm avoiding making sure it's not going to go in your eyes or anything so I'm not gonna put any on your nose right good girl what I need to do is try and get it over to the middle of the path a little bit more that she can I just get someone grab it steep later out of the shark you stay with her I'll get the statement you got it oh she's got a fever it's quite cute you think she'll stay like that with their feet like that kenny bush is hiding in the tin e o mmm she's just gonna watch the ball you know what if you come to me actually just if you just tell her to stay and then come to me eric with the bull just get what I need to do this I need to try and get it to relax a little but she's a little bit anxious with the painting so janey what's this what's this is there anything you think might get teo don't you might just jump out okay we'll see what she does wait you tea business okay good girl good gil and tell me how do you know what happened to my pig or their little yeah there's a picked the pink pig somewhere she might react to that noise cool just see if she reacts to know what a good girl you bring me what is it mmm jenny I'm gonna try to see if I look down might work better with the genie was this who's in hey uh good gu what's up e this was it was it you just bounce the ball in to see what she does do you know what this even just walking a little bit closer to her face pretty okay now we've got the complete opposite with a dog which is completely oblivious to the situation thank you what's this might just even if we discover I'm just gonna go in and just see if she just moves position just a little bit too much just like you this my friend little bit could kill kill kick you go stay stay go kill you thank you that's it oh yeah thank you. Can I just get you put a few more little bubbles just up on the edges because they just dissipate when they've been sitting there for a little while she looks gorgeous though I had thought of other elements all the table when all that stuff but I actually really like the simplicity of just the bath with her and the shower curtain is really nice sorry joyce for all the effort you went into for the other props but timmy what's this we owe you wait we need like a live cash or something like this to get teo kenny what's this d'oh d'oh d'oh d'oh get visible jenny look this jenny look what is it what uh he's gonna come in to see sweetie stay he said mmm mmm mmm mmm mmm mmm mmm mmm mmm mmm mmm I'm just gonna let's glittery out for but you did have a run around and just sort of get out go okay go gill have a break have a break e q q how old is she? Nine all she says he's an older girl yes it she's like don't listen to me for oh she said happened she got in ball again she's over so that one little have right there any questions or anything? What do you have a comment from online? Uh andy mckenna who can't seem to get online is in the chat room and charlie says loving the doggies in the bath and her and daddy are fixed to the tv no, so that would be your husband don't yeah joining us a question from carmen I love how you emphasize the comfort of animals have you ever worked with a dog that won't stop barking? And if so, do you have any texts and don't dog some back? I've had differently very, very excitable dogs, which I've had to work with and it's just a matter of calming them down and getting just waiting for the right time to work with, um, you do get a lot of barking dogs and what I was going and also the other situation before brooke was one of a studio audience members was telling me the other day he has a great report with dogs, but he hadn't episode the other day when he walked into a room and she brought, do you want to tell what happened exactly with the, um the bull mister number dogs in there every day, but in this case it was a giant male bull mastiff and I walked back in the bathing area and he was in one of the runs, and as soon as he saw me, he just went ballistic and I'm like, oh, that's not good, so then I just carefully backed out and he was fine around my mom are my wife, but you never time starts with them, you know, um he was fine around my wife, but uh, he just he was highly upset when he's seen me and so I don't know if he was traumatized in his past by a big male or he just I thought it was something alfa yeah that's where when you talk to me about that, I that's what I thought process like I'm not an animal psychologist, I have no idea what was going through the dog's mind then, but what I think might have happened as he might have had something happened to him in the past of some would someone off your size. So when you walked into the room, he saw a big presence there and just instantly recalled what had happened to him in the past and that's what? He had a reaction so you do need to read those sort of things dogs sometimes even if you are wonderful with animals, that might be you might look or have a mannerism which is similar to somebody else who did something to their animal in the past. So don't feel offended of sometimes a dog doesn't relate to you very well, it just possibly is something which maybe happened to them which they just recalling and then if you just think maybe in that situation you possibly could have kept on going about your own thing totally ignored the eye, but because you had that eye contact, he really like homed in on you but if you had just probably walked off did your own thing state you could have stayed in the same sort of area he probably then would have relaxed and realized you weren't a threat to him but jesus, I am not the animal psychologist, so but that's just my theory that's what I would have done anyway, I've worked with lots of different and what the story was going to tell you before I was photographing some dogs and germany for a cover for dogs magazine and the beautiful really come gentle nature dog eggs and that too I had two dogs sitting together and they seemed perfect find all I wanted was the male dog to move over a little bit, so I thinking the dogs were perfectly fine I just went in but I went in behind the male dog and I lent in over top of him and I know that there is a foolish thing to do and I should never done it but because the dogs were really place that I didn't even think about it but that dog immediately took offense to that thinking I was trying to dominate him because it's a dominant dominant situation and he turned around and snapped at me thankfully he only next to me just on the ivory and I only got a scratch but it could have been a much worse outcome with that but the owner was horrified and so apologetic I see please don't apologize that was purely my fault I should never ever have done that with that dog even though he'd been probably fine didn't show an aggressive bone in his body but you just even that too that's when I was I could tell with jenny then she was a little bit anxious about the situation she's in so that's why I bought his owner and to lift her into the bath because I didn't want who would even get even more anxious with a stranger doing something which she was a little bit unsure about so you just have to read situations and just make sure that you yeah it's always animals are very, very sensible, sensible and sensitive creatures so yes, you just have to be really, really careful about what you're doing well rachel, you say you're not an animal psychologist but faithful friends wanted to know if you've ever taken a course on how to work with animals or him have you just learned howto work and read their behavior over time? It's purely being over the time over time and I have I've had the the experience of working with many animal trainers who have done a lot of training like proper training with animals and things and done animal psychology and things so I've learned a lot from dealing with those types of people in the past so I've had the privilege of having one on one sessions with animal trainers so affluent and if I've got it, if I've got something difficult, then I offer under just cool people who have no experts do you read books? Or do you have a tv shows that you like to watch? I love watching some tv show is that anything to do with animals and things and it's great toe? See how other people work with animals and you do pick up tricks and things of how you how you should actually be around certain animals, but it is seriously, it is animals that individuals, they're just like us humans, they have, like two labradors might be so completely different in the way you handle them, so you can't just learn about one breeding expected to be exactly the same for each teach dogs, so you just need to do research and learn about it. Yeah, you have any more questions and the studio so we try to get yeah, do you think junior b rightto go in there again? Yeah, yeah, I'm just saying I was just wondering anything which we might be able to see obviously not she's a little bit anxious in there, so and she's not reacting to my noises visually she's not even watching her ball she's normally pretty manic about so she's obviously just feeling a little bit unsure and she's not even wanting treat so this is a challenging situation for me to actually get in there to try and connect with this dog to get that image I'm after so I will bring her back and again and see how she goes but if she's still really anxious and I'm not gonna push it either and regards tow it is a strange concept I came up with putting a dog in a bathtub but I thought it would be something fun to show you something completely different from what we've done before so we'll see how we go good girl she's not refusing to come back so that's a good thing maybe she is maybe she is I love it she's just it's ok sweetie it's funny what I did what I did with the great danes when we first put them in the bathtub I actually got the owner to get in the bathtub first so I'm not gonna I'm not gonna get you to do that because you've had in the operation but police here oh no no no that's not a good scientist. Oh waiting oh, darling have we got anything really really scrumptious which he'd like to eat which is just like my poker up this little bit anything left over from lunch which was really tasting she's great she's great I don't know what to see what yeah, we need of those liver treats that all those of the liver treats and only going nuts with yeah, just hop in the bath, you know, back in the bath, sweetie, do you hold your little girl here? No, melissa, we'll say this would be a really cute concept actually, which I might repeat it and I mean, you've got like three or four dogs of who's sort of size sitting and they're all really good together, so, you know, I've got the right personnel he's dick open this so it could be quite a fun thing wasn't really beautiful concept, but I actually feel that that genies actually getting a little bit lost in there as well being by herself, it's almost that you do need more hints, my original concept of two great danes in the bathtub it really wasn't going well and you completely reversed it to be these dogs don't want to get in the tub and you've had to rework something like this completely to be an opposite like the challenge of showing that these dogs just do not want to get in this tub and you know that I hadn't thought about that whether there could be another angle mentioned humor like tokyo an element of humor like too changes from sweet toe something else very true that it could be a good way to do it and get danielle in the bath and with the treats and c is that she's like sort of like going pushing away from it but no let's see now we won't put you in the bath danielle don't you work? Yeah, rachel a really interesting person in the chat room who's animal artist who is an animal communicator and says idea tell the dog what a good job they're doing tell tell her how how great hear her it's her she jenny tell her how great she looks just like a person of the dog a stress perhaps because you're not sure what to dio talk to the dog like a fashion model plane the look that you want it would be fun to see if the dog gets it it has worked for me with deer and peacocks so very, very interest really maybe she might be an animal whisperer I have I do sometimes talkto animals and tell him exactly tell them what they're doing in all that sort of thing, but yeah, they do I'm not sure they wouldn't listen to us if I treated them like a fashion model that was just very interesting idea. Yeah, but you know, she sounds like she's got a way with a different way with animals yeah, yeah, but we'll see I'll try willing to give anything and try jeannie you look gorgeous, you're gonna look beautiful in the bath jenny committed in the bath I almost die so they mummy I'm not your mummy I'm I'm gonna try and take your photos make you look gorgeous doing hoping just turn it around this time uh you know should happen yeah it's good that you're doing such a good job come on showing up in its good to go I feel mane come on that's not harming her it all she's just a little bit anxious about it but she's just you know we'll put her on one more time but I'm not gonna do it again if she's are you all right with your money? What people? Good gil was pretty she's spicing it good to sit down go she immediately saw that painting and just like very anxious in there so it's do you give your bags in the bath at home or yeah, so this is yeah this is possibly the reason she possibly does associate it where is the great danes don't get bathroom the bath so they didn't even know what a bath laws. So this possibly is the reason why she's a little bit anxious because she associates a bath with a bath and most dogs even though they love to jump in the water they hate a bath it's crazy I don't know why that is because they normally love to get wit but they don't like being in the bath so if you just stay with you for a mysterious people comfortable we might see if we can no to see if I could get um yeah we'll just put a few bubbles on them to see how we always still tv should be on just yeah I was just checking to make sure it's good come and give you a good hand yeah sorry that wasn't very that was just a test to make sure I'm still gilles don't panic about down the front I can always use those from another shot yeah auntie annie would be really good and then we'll see have you got eric have you got seeming to use your dog you know what she's like any suggestions first yeah, she seems she's five don't put too many around rather actual face to suppose we don't want to hey give me that look yeah I know is I think god's like this is ridiculous dead what are you doing to me? Just more subject likes a distance really to get our attention to camera do you think she's a squeaky toy dog possibly okay mountain she wasn't into the pig but I do have a in like thinking I should have a tiger yeah that's gonna can I get you to do that behind me? So what we're aiming for here is the certificate that is picked up a little bit fool that's loud can I j present throw it up in the air a little bit as well to see if getting a little bit right down to save was this what was it but here I'm just gonna try something here for a second I knew that within one year old this's what do with kids sometimes this rack them apple up she didn't feel like we just received what if she wants? She said I would know not normally do this with dogs because it does get them over excited but I actually want her to put yourself up a little bit so we're gonna try I wanted to see if we can just give us a running trying to get her mind to switch out of what she's thinking about into something else but not sure where that was gonna work but it's worth it kid what? Kitty sorry, sorry cat lovers get the kitty kitty kitty jeanie with the video did you get some bubbles with the kitty kitty? The key is this how about the fever's described and see if you watch those what? Jenny hey any, uh just walk into it with him and to see what it was she reacts that's it she is being challenging into the connection regards jenny she's being absolutely perfect and sitting still in there but she's just not don't eat the bubbles tweeting any who I'm a monkey hey I think we're just gonna I'm just gonna go with what we've got because I don't want oh, I don't want to force her she's obviously not goingto completely relax in there and I just want to kimmel studio thank you. I'm just gonna help you out good girl she's so gentle the way he is every belief, sir, but no, that was great, but I'm not going to push it anymore because I comptel she's anxious in there and I don't when obviously not going to break through that, so it does happen sometimes it just doesn't work. That concept is obviously not the perfect concept for jeannie either, but we got some weed we'll see auggie and rocking actually did put the heads up on we're actually we're we're fine, but then we had the other the opposite problem with that with the fact that if I possibly could have brought in the shower curtain and brought in those elements as well, but it was risky. I didn't want to do anything, which was going to say gear the great danes because there's such big, lanky dogs had they slipped out of the bath really quickly, they could have easily really injured themselves, so I'm happy with what we've got, I'm sure we've got something really ah what's coming up, sorry, I've just seen something on that on the screen which is really really cute before we all see what that it looks take a few questions to end up in the back I just really want to thank you for the comment and that you share that story about you getting kind of nipped in the face because yeah I know a lot of people but I think I really want to go volunteer take pictures in the shelter and they'll totally want me but it's your responsibility to be safe like you do not get bit and not get scratched because you're a liability when you walk in there to those animals if you don't so I just I think that's awesome that you shared that because a lot of people would have just been like gamma dog whisperer never happened to me so what does the fact that it happened to you yeah I just love that you sure thing kiyoko let's write I've had plenty of scratchers and all sorts with photographing a kit was funny photographing a kit on and the french cat siri's the owner sued by all means come and photograph oh kinoshita was a beautiful chateau but she said she should use it evil evil kit and they said you will not be able to pick her up and put her anywhere and things and I just went down like she just went to pet her just to say hello and she latched on she was literally like right on my was perfect was fine I had scratches and things but it was that was purely just going to pet the cat and that she was like but I got a beautiful shot of her she's the ones at the bottom of the steer case with the beautiful black and white tiles if you look in the book and she's looking up at me oh, I went quite a distance away from here but down there but yeah, no, she was a little bit of a wild kid, but you know what? It happens to the best of us yeah, we all get scratched and no doubt you saw away in the other day I tried teo yeah, he was a little bit aggressive. Yeah, so you just what you should put a plant by year and just see what? Just be sensible don't try and don't think that you're bigger than them in connection yeah that you're invincible because you're not so question rachel because this is the concept driven shoot. Do you have any set design experience or are you looking where you're getting your inspiration? Do you look in on pinterest for ideas or magazines or do they just come to you? Some ideas just come to me, but often I do get inspiration for colors and textures and things too, including a shot from pinterest and magazines and things like that differently I love flicking through magazines and I'm always getting inspired by what I see in things so and I do go look through put pinterest is an amazing, amazing and being shit will not invention but you know it's just such a great way to shear interest in all sorts of different areas I love us right? The reason I ask is if you have any set design experience the way that you were placing the bubbles on the dog just looked like you had some serious experience that kind of thing seriously just years of years of experience during what token, yeah, and I know what I like to see within an image, so if liketo make it look balanced and and so I'm just visually I could tell what works and what doesn't but we have a question from dry cart if you were shooting in the studio, how much do you pay attention to the temperature in the studio? Is that something that you're thinking about? The temperature are definitely definitely when if I'm working with with animals supposed to keep it much cooler other yeah, and then what? Because they get well, they've got four and things so much it's better for them to be have plenty of ventilation and things like when my studio back in oakland you can open wide open the doors if you open it all up and you've got poppy's here so all I do is get like the pin we head for the puppies the other day I've got lots of those and I just put them across the door so you got ventilation running straight through, but I just got cages so the public can't get outside but there's plenty of beer flow through the hole I think I put fans on uh that sort of thing with maybe a conditioning the few half if it's really, really hot if you and somebody like new york through heat wave, he would need your conditioning because it gets so hot there, but we don't we don't get actually their heart in new zealand, which is which is great, so normally this ventilation is fine, but you do have to really consider the temperature for with working with animals and completely the opposite with something like that with babies and things needs to be yeah, so a fashion tv from singapore who's, a regular here on creative live, has a great idea of maternity shoots for dogs, so fashion tv says, do you have any practical tips for advice while capturing pregnant pets or capturing a new mother together with her newborns? The mother is usually very protective over her young and could be hostile towards anyone touching them during the initial weeks have you ever had to shoot like that or I don't even actually have photographed a pregnant animal are not live fire of pregnant horse before, but yeah, I don't I just treated like a normal horse. I was a little probably little bit more sensitive towards you on dh things, but if you could be any more sensitive than I am, too, to a good tenant moves. But then was, you know, I've never actually photographed a new newborn litter with its owner before. So yeah, it's a new genre, it is internally share sentiments it's quite a challenging thing, because when they're really, really newborn, he probably wouldn't want to work with them too much because it's so precious and new that you probably better to wait until they're at least three, four or four weeks old before you actually did something, and then then the mother would be a little bit more relaxed with you anyway, so, um, yeah, and wouldn't be quite so that's still be protective and me watching the babies to see where they are, but they wouldn't be is, um is cautiously worried about what you're gonna do with you little newborn babies.

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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