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Shoot: Penelope Continued

Lesson 22 from: Animal Photography

Rachael Hale McKenna

Shoot: Penelope Continued

Lesson 22 from: Animal Photography

Rachael Hale McKenna

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Lesson Info

22. Shoot: Penelope Continued

Lesson Info

Shoot: Penelope Continued

This will will be easier for her to not slip yeah I'm just gonna get can you just pull it? I'm just gonna only have first I'm gonna try and keep behind tio we'll just move the camera out of the way so I'm gonna bring that basically get the peace of runa toe stop here there isn't any way we can actually cut this runner that can we cut the runner oh no no way ideally what I want is just like a little square pitch which I can put on there for you to sit on because I need I'm ideally wanting the plain background round so all I need is just a small piece off the end sorry to cut your e just will be easier than having yeah just a just a small square doesn't even have to be in that big she's only yeah about that much thank you mind your fingers yeah so now that was brilliant thank you just then we don't have such a cumbersome piece of piece of run it'll work with but this will be great. This will make penelope muchmore settled if she's got something more secure and as you could see before wit...

h the fabric I'd put down she realized that she was better on this toe work on there so this is a similar color to the background and we're actually gonna bring it a little bit closer to the light so we're gonna bring her in I'm going to take keep the tutu off for a second and just do it with the rose and just just to see if we can get something which is mohr because the tutu I think is obviously she keeps standing on it and she's pulling it off which but well this time I think you're trying like maybe give you a list food and just see if we can get a subtle and just not if we give you so much food she's just getting yourself worked up so much just yes she has come down now which is good so she's just wondering around cam on penelope come on back in here I love the little noises they make me so adorable hi gorgeous. The tail's still going she's a happy little pig straight on to the spot this is your spots we need this's we used could you already? So what did I do with my camera that's right? You can actually stay off to the side here and even just take a little discovery little I'm just gonna get the police sure issues with two two on the pig would you ever a photo shop it in I mean photograph to you separately and then put it on later yeah five five minutes to get a ship but possibly depends. You'd have to have the exact same position of the pig and and the shot so to say, the expression wasn't perfect on one image on ben and she happened to be sitting an executive same position not wearing the too too but I got the execs like got the perfect expression then possibly here but it would need to be the exact positioning like for example, for safety reasons I fought right hello, good use in them and it's a zoo out there there's an image I creation of a of a clydesdale horse with a miniature horse standing underneath those horses would have done that in real life. But I didn't digitally this was before digital came results. It was all done with film and hand retouching so but what I did is I made sure that I photographed the horse and exactly the right the same position, the miniature horse and exactly the right position because it had three kleist our horse just accidentally just left is that foot up and just clipped their little miniature horse. It could have broken its league purely because of how delicate miniature horses are. So I didn't purely for the safety of the animals did that separately and then put it together digitally but that's something I would normally only doing purely for safety and things. If it's that's fine, then I would try and try and created and camera but now in regards to a teacher is a site would need to be the exact position to be to work yeah beautiful oh you're gonna do some pitches for me yeah I love tale she's the happiest pig is it you should be happy without two yeah yeah when I have her wear one downtown I had to cut off the bottom part did you yep yep fair enough here she looks gorgeous in the rose anyway so we'll do that and they will bring the wings and do through the wings anyway you gonna come back and have a photo penelope what yourself one leslie she's good smart takes you need to weigh just get it over into the game great right oh, how we doing from yeah, the light is better now I've differently got more the whole eyes quite a bit more can I just give you a push the rows down so it's not directly up on top of that he just put a probably round on this side down on the side to spring around yet great so we'll just get a signal there again she she is being a bit better now that we're not continuously feeding yeah yeah if you just come forward this way just a little bit you're doing a great job they actually william if you just stay close to me she'll feel really secure with you the great maybe kill hey she ain't getting a little bit of a connection now she is actually listening to me and she's really? She definitely likes you. Does he? That's good waken tell when she writes I love pigs is well, you're a beautiful girl too yeah, something smell but oh yeah peanut butter don't you it's adorable noises that's gorgeous eso here again, they'll be a little bit of retouching I need to do with the obviously the background. I'll turn that into a a smoothie claim gray to get there, I reckon let's bring that that's take the path I'm gonna bring the wings and because I think the ideal situations that we try and get a shot for you, for your love for the for pigs can fly, which would be really good side sister from school. So here I just got something really easy, which should just flip down either side of her front legs and then these little wings or to sit on top. They got a sort of these online, just a it's, a photography problems and then they've been double, but why are so you can put the mom I've used these old cats, dogs, all sorts of let's get rid of that stray fear the witches, thanks so same scenario, maybe we'll try it would yeah ceo dislikes but and this is I've measured this so it's exactly the right size to fit underneath her s o the world when she's got it on there's no pressure on her at all but to get it on its elastic so it's easy to stretch over talk over here don't become come come for mom so that at ten months so old a lot of puppies wouldn't wouldn't come on command like that she's fantastic she's a great pig so what we want to do is one of these is gonna go on one side and wait for you so it's just over one legal do one song one sign first and then the other she spoke so that's just sitting really neatly on her back there's no pressure there and the elastic I will just retouch and post production afterwards so just make sure that we've got yeah they do fit perfectly yeah that's right I might even give these to you so that you can have it because there's a big great little thing for her you were if you ever have to go and do something for promo for yeah it should be perfectly fine with that that's not no uncomfortable at all now now what I need to watch here when I'm shooting that the that that's allright talk over top of the ground and when I'm shooting that we don't overexpose and the wings lose the detail the beautiful feather wings and I want to be able to make sure that we keep that detail in the wings sitting twenty back good yeah, thank you. I'll just see you see how we're gonna ideally it would be great if we have to decide on just like that put that perfect I'm just gonna come back but you might just have to back up just a little bit actually but it's keep your hand on her so that she knows to stay there shoot this way actually justo and elope well, it doesn't matter what twice she's facing it you just you just want me to put it back up just a little bit there okay? What a poser you could get a oh you're a beautiful girl. Yes you uh yeah maybe straighten your wings. Yeah, that just I can probably in post twice that they don't don't go to bed and say we're keeping plenty of detail and that's ideally I actually probably would bring in a reflector on this can I bring a reflector and on the sea how we getting on? Very, very dense on the right hand side here so I need to bring a reflector into pouncing like beck and so sorry guys gonna blocked your vision for a little bit but you can see she's perfectly comfortable wearing wings on here nothing you're just quite close it's gonna need to be I'll tell you right about there so you're probably gonna need to hold it there and probably stay back and then bring it in when she's in position you can have plenty more treats after us but I think you had enough to eat before yes you did sorry yeah yeah I can imagine huh so if you just give a repentant and so she knows to stay I think she realizes that's your spot and say pigs are really smart I know what penelope for baby you're gonna be good we did a smile for me you gotta smile well really penelope could gil what's here and so I'm just letting her wander around if she wants to wonder off it's perfectly fine they've got accused bottoms love their tails on a love that actually love that one on the monitor now where it's gone the tail up this really cute yeah is actually a really cute little shop so what I might do now is try and get her in the similar position and then actually I could probably bring detail into who I understand look on the screen make sure it's pretty pretty dense so ideally what I might do now is that she get her in a similar position which I can actually be in create some fur on the right hand side of that if it ends up being the perfect image I've I'd want a little bit more detail so let's just good thank you go on your spot when you spot a good deal just bring a background amazing. So amelia, just make sure that you don't get into the back of the things that when you you're just getting coming up when she's ready in position is coming you wondering our sister patients came waiting for her to see you again on the spot you know actually can you just give your wings just a little twist for me too? So that yet perfect thanks it is sort of sitting a little bit crooked magnets that's called taking to awaken twisted tio turn around don't want any bottom shots your face is far more pretty than your bottom yes it is hey, curtis just hey, penelope what's him you're gonna give me a smile it's funny talking to a pig but she probably can understand and listen she's listening to everything I say and I say she's not really a picture not really gonna reactor noises come back like a dog to get a pig to look at me and things so it's just really is a patient's game of waiting for that to actually connect with you and realize what you're doing can you just see if she will sit for one of the pig the wing just bring it forward about social when she sets she sets on the met and just be more and just keep make sure she keeps her front feet on the mat as well hang on just wondering see if I can that's right yeah she needed it she needs to be on a little bit more of an angle to may when she said so if you see a few yeah if you bring in just back up just a little but that's set for effect yeah thank you I want to see I'll try I'll try that but and what their position I'm going to lose the wings there went your bet goes down so she needs to be set on a slight angle so I can see the wings yeah like where she is yeah yep she knows it's coming soon for you to stay yeah if you sit right there perfect that's right and you come in as close as you can amelia with those yes we're trying trying to avoid you know I'm just saying she's going to start no nose I don't mind the choice because aiken white but she's gonna start getting into a frenzy again with too much food so we'll just wait do you need the food for the sitting the catch to situation here so just bring a background then just stay together no that's not that's not too bad if you come in she's gonna move again works best with from voice if you teller ok day yeah all right you can go around and help ashley if you want yeah just make sure we are so sorry stay stay stay close pose pose pose pose poe's a good pose good pose pose e I got one which is ready yeah, I mean yeah there's something a little bit twisted but that's right that's ok that's good just that's right? I'm just gonna get over there standing again if you just just but no if you'll tire again sitting just play it by ear see how she goes is there any questions that you wanna ask me? Well, I'm just doing this hey ridden the choice that questions questions from chad's mom with the pig being black and the wings being white are you meeting for the black or the white? I'm just be worried I'm keeping an eye on both it's very a very difficult situation but in the last shot the wings potentially looked like the real but bleached out but I might be able to take wings from another shot which you've got detail and put more detail into them and that regards so that's just the sort of thing you've gotta watch but it is difficult to get black and white yeah I'm ready I'll just come gonna keep shooting said she doesn't better for ashley here get her to sit and I'll get her to stay get set says bring it back for the ford because she's going to slip off yeah that's that's it said she knows she's gonna twirl because she thinks maybe that'll work what you win she said oh you can't see but when she said she crosses the league's that's really sweet to put two leagues cross when she goes down that's adorable back up okay you're all doing okay caroline I'm doing everything I can get this stay stay stay, stay, stay, stay stand now thanksgiving's just maybe later heaven yeah because she's going to just what you want to do and then she's watching the food so he is now rose which means I'm not getting not going to hear you put a sitting now so good job good job just following around well done, it's great you want let's go for standing? I think something's probably a little bit let's see if we can just actually few response set whether and they're in disputed toe I just said look, if you twist the wing spent round again treats yeah we'll try and try not to do it with sweet treats and I'll just get it oh, it doesn't matter which way she's facing and why is it I don't want the farm but it doesn't matter if you're facing that way or that way and gods penelope just back up just a little but actually if you can penelope what's this you're going too small for me again you gonna smile good girl assess who really penelope baby what's this come say hi but she's sleeping it was nothing yeah we just need to have another break wondering around that's cool you have any questions in our studio will go back to the internet I have a question from telma who's who would like to know that would you ever consider taking a pic from the back of the pig like just showing the tails and the wing without showing penelope is face well clients commonly like those types of pics like showing only pause eyes or tails for example and telma is from argentina definitely definitely fun during a poor trade commission for a client then I will try and get as many different angles and different compositions and different aspects of the enemy is possible yes oh I do I do do little detail shot side there and people do like them yeah, they drew their love them okay there's so many parallels between photographing babies having animals I just want his back into it he's great. Thank you. Hey baby what's up you're gonna say they say go back go back good kill gil from voice yeah yeah no stay back she was just gorgeous we could actually get a cute little just hear the wings are sitting exactly exactly strike they keep twisting around yeah e tell me if we've got some really cute shots of she's you know she's right man teo ever yeah coming you want treat it's not working you know she says there's no treatment and maybe just living having something little just so that she knows that she's a thai dont believe the tale though it's still going georges ready great look can you just twist the wings for mei this is sitting really maybe they've actually got a bit flat two minutes right good girl just what you don't stand to wrigley in front the light because I am gonna he's rather just can you just be in the wings up actually just it was a conflict yeah I can't believe how gentle she is unbelievable sitting oh good chick can you write we'll just try a couple more you can keep asking me some questions in between where we were a quick suggestion I keep seeing the pink pig do you want to squeak out to see the reaction you want todo lovejoy jenna grab the pink paint that makes the pig noises on the second shelf just you wantto yeah just that if you come over here so actually if you just get back on the spot just see what she does she backed away from it alive no it does sound a bit more like a duck doesn't live in a pig when you hear a real pig it's not really a pig gather so internet suggestion was the feather the fifth issue might actually to them that was from joanna calm reflection yeah, now I just want to grab the favours and you just see if she does that she might be watching from the green ones is the green that big long one yeah skin actually you might need a back up just a little bit e she came over for one night yeah, she does like that good suggestion who would seduce a bit thank you. That is cute hey yeah, yeah it's aiken twist them I can get them in it's been away she's standing slightly on an angle and it doesn't really matter so much now just come round behind me with the fearless so that she watches you this way because if you just move yourself over its great b what's this ggo huh? What's up gil this way I definitely weaken we've got some shots here I'm really happy to meet you have a break awesome waken let her go yeah elope just we will act we would give penelope a big round of applause right now what? We dont want teo to make her even more way can ask you a couple questions rachel before we go and if you have any questions in the studio audience feel free a tiller with would like to know how do you contact private people when you wanna shoot more exotic animals for a project or a book, and so on, and how do you research that? Are yu looking online in your area for this animal lives close to me, or how does that start? Yeah, sometimes I might be approached by a personal private client who actually wants me to photograph the pit, but if I've come up with an idea and I need a specific animal for that shoot, then I will maybe go to local petting zoos, which often have picked pigs, goats, sheep, all sorts. So those great there's, a right way places start andi also, maybe, yeah, and I've had I've had such a long standing relationship with animal trainers that I know, I know a company which works with animals and television and things, so I've got a great exists up to a huge array of animals, which have bean worked and trained specifically people off the type of thing, which I do, but a few indian or just I've even approach to ranga zoo in australia, and I've been in and photographed a one bet called wally, who I've gotta tell you the story and she's hilarious it's I was photographing, photographing wally, and he was gorgeous got some great shots, but they failed to tell me that, if when you go to the toilet, he loves going into the girl, the woman's toilet and I failed to tell me that he loves to go under the cubicle and start pulling your pence off you when you're going to the toilet. So therefore I win in, and I was just got the pants down going to the toilet, and then I could hear what I want. What are you doing in here? Next thing he comes under the underthings and he's like pulling my pants, my mike yelling from in the twenties when someone can't get what I couldn't get my pants off our minds like the cubicle kai was leery. I was very funny, but we had to be there, but that was you I wouldn't want to be me and, you know, but it was very entertaining to be trying my clothes stolen from me by a one bit, but but so then, that regards I was working with zoom and I have done and that's how I photographed cash in the elephant as well was at the oakland zoo in new zealand often there's a fee involved when you do that, so you have to realize that you're going to be having to pay for the use of the animals, and sometimes they're a little bit more restricting and how you can use the images like cash in the elephant image I can use for books and I can use it for my own personal portfolio, but I can't license their image so that image is not available for cards or things like that. So, yeah, so it's an order peons, but this differently places you can go toe work with animals, but p singh's there's a great for the farmyard animals and for more exotic seacon approaches oohs and things but it's very difficult, like I've for lions and tigers and things I have worked with the tiger island in brisbane, but I think that was more probably. I have developed a reputation in the animal photography industry, so they're probably not gonna be open toe just anybody coming in and doing what I did with the animals. But but I also I've gotten amazing family in australia. Beer probably belt well, three or four generations from, like an old established circus family who they now keep a farm out just outside of sydney. They have elephants in the appendix. A tiger. What you walk into the living room and it's like lying on the billiard table. You can make a cup of coffee in the kitchen and you have a lion cub past your feet it's an amazing place, these animals are so well trained. And so used to human contact of course you still have to be really careful of them sash of the tiger is when goes out walking is always on a chain but I worked for them I've worked with the camels donkeys yeah says hi tiger cubs lying cubs the big tiger sasha who's in gorgeous picture of her and it's a zoo out there book so I'm just establishing a great working relationship with this family to be able to use their animals and which has been amazing in brendan actually works at movie world and brisbane with some of his tigers as well, so but they are it's greatly often people think it's really cruel to work with animals but they actually do lover and as long as they've got a really caring and gentle owner who thinks everything for the animal, they live for the animals like if you went to visit their home where these animals a kid, they're not in cages, they are kept like pits and these animals have a wonderful life. So I always make sure that I do work with people who a really kind and gentle with animals I'm not I'm totally against poppy farming well, that sort of thing really against it, I can know somebody just in the chat rooms on the first day brought up about the fact I can't believe you're using labour doodles but I actually I have to I don't have to talk about this because I disagree with the fake that people were so anti those sort of what would have been labeled design obree it's because if you have a really good breeder who has a beautifully well bred poodle, a beautifully well breed labor door there's nothing wrong with crossing those cross breeds a mixture of breeds what's wrong with crossing to really well breed as long as the bloodlines or not in the same bloodline, everything separate comes in, and as long as that breeder is really good with the puppies, keeps them in a good environment, doesn't cage him and does not over breed it's fine, it was nothing I don't that I have nothing against it, but I do. I am totally against poppy farming. I find that terrible and it's just and I do everything in my my hat to help and we'll rescue and rescue shelters out there, so but I do I do actually, yeah, I'm not I think people need to rethink how they're so harsh on people with their breeding, because if it's a good breeder and they free to do really love their animals, so don't be so mean to them. Well, thank you, thank you for for talking to that way have another question from from beth ninety seven of course penelope is family and owners were fantastic but we talked about this a little what advice do you have for keep keeping owners calm in my sessions, owners get very nervous and a bit agitated if the pets are not cooperating which I confined elevates the pets mood definitely it's on I think over the years I have developed a way of working with people as well to try and get them to come down it's and sometimes you do have to ask the owners and a diplomatic way I think we've talked about this the other day teo help you asked me how I would ask somebody to leave a room um but sometimes you do need to be left with the animal to work with him because the owners do however I wouldn't say a negative energy but it's an anxious energy which is really, really did I did detrimental to what you were trying to create your wanting to try and connect with this animal one of the owners they're flus during tryingto think oh my god come on, come on, just sit you do it, do it then the animals reading off them because that's the person they know the most and you're not going to get your shot so it is really important to actually have your calm demeanor with the owner as well you need to make sure that they relate to you that's. Why there's always really good to meet people first. Andi, just work with them, often working with you. Welcome. When you do. A lot of most of you do a lot of work with shelters, so most people who work at shelters, I great animal people. So they were going to have a camp demeaning with the animals anyway. But it is when you're working with private, with private commissions and working with privately owned pits and things just work with the owners as well. Sort of. I won't say treat them like an animal was well, but just, yeah, just make sure you establish your relationship with the owner as well, so that they can understand what you're trying to get. And it is pure, really, really important that you come patient and gentle with all the animals.

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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