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Tips for Your Pets - Getting Started

Lesson 27 from: Animal Photography

Rachael Hale McKenna

Tips for Your Pets - Getting Started

Lesson 27 from: Animal Photography

Rachael Hale McKenna

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Lesson Info

27. Tips for Your Pets - Getting Started

Lesson Info

Tips for Your Pets - Getting Started

A few ideas of how you might be able to get a few I know you guys already most of you do work already in the car and the animal industry for photography, but this might be a few of you out there watching on line who I'm just starting out when you start out, so I'm just going to give you a few ideas and things which it sort of things which I did when I was first starting out as well animal shelters which he goes to is a fantastic way to get involved in the animal seeing eye and it's also a great way to help the animals as well these these images I'm showing here actually images I created it the humane society of new york for the new york dog so some of these are are in the new york dog book but it's a great waited t get known because what happens is so many people these days do go to shelters, turn it to adopt animal so if you wanted to get into the portrait field if you donate your time and donate your images so like I still now twenty years later spend a lot of time haven't for the la...

st five years because I haven't bean in new zealand but I will continue to do it as soon as I get back but work the r s p c a in new zealand I go and I create images for them to use and brushes magazines every advertising I don't charge them anything because it's just my way of giving back to them I wouldn't so that they can actually get more advertising and great images which is gonna be eye catching for them for to give help for the animals really but it's a great way for you if you got don't donate your time and tempt some images for them to use they know that they'll let you advertise maybe at the shelter so when people come into a dock they might think hold big or just to get a portrait of round new poppy or something so if you've got cards here then though and maybe if you've got a really good report with them though we comeon take this photographer would be fantastic person toe capture some images of you you and you and your poppy or just your poppy or whatever so it's just really good tio to build up a really good relationship with a man animal shelter within your area I also what I also do and I've done it for years now as I donate prints to charity auctions it's a really good way to get people to be aware of your work because all the people within the the areas which you're wanting to tag it for your private commissions and things go to these charity options could see the ones who are able to afford to donate money to these shelters, but they're also the ones we're gonna want to have family portrait sandpit portrait's done of their own animals so if you donate images to auctions and things that people going to recognise your name and they might see some see an image which they think wow, I really like that I'm going to commission their photographer to do something for me so these are just some of the shelter ones I've done for the humane, humane society it also veterinary practice is always a great another great one toe workin with I've if you approached local clinics and say, do you mind if I give you some really beautiful images for on your wall too for display prints and things and they'll of course you're going to need to supply them and then but it's a great advertisement put your cards and things that people might come in and you can possibly and in the past like upset here we can offer a discount to clients maybe people from the clinic if they if they come to you, they can get a team percent ten percent off on the portrait station with you affair actually approaching from that clinic encouraged them tio to deal with that big practice approach a local pit magazine they always kneading images for the magazines and things create images for a magazine and see if they'll do it for an exchange for a ned brutus mint advertisements like some of you might be aware of how expensive it is to advertise in the magazine but it is a really great way to get your name out there for for private commissions and poor traits and things but if you maybe approach them just don't be shy going in such either me work and to say look hey, would you be open to me? I'm creating a few images for you for your magazine shoot a couple of features for them and things on dh then they might give you an exchange instead of pay you for that job that you advertise for one or two months within the magazine and offered her do some promotional images that a doggie daycare doggie daycare is a fantastic thought these days saw meaning people whose them it's an incredible way to get people in the people who use doggy day cares are the ones who absolutely adore the animals they're the ones who are gonna want to have that beautiful image on the wall. And so if you approach doggie daycare in your area and in exchange for maybe displaying some images on the wall just say that you'll shoot some images for for them for maybe they've got a brochure which they seemed out maybe they doing it but advertisement in the local magazine or something then you knew need new images for, but then hopefully, if you do, in exchange for displaying some prince or having broken some things here have issued water on that ice, anyone else got any other suggestions we can share with the audience? Who what you things you do, which might help? I am actually worked with the doggy you wash so my images air display, and I know that's kind of challenging because we were actually talking about it because you're thinking, you wanna put canvas up dog washes, all that humidity and stuff, so we did vinyl and it's actually, we've got a lot of clients from it, but I just did it and it's the same kind of thing you were saying if you're going to take your dog to a groomer dog wash and you probably could be in the market for pet portrait yet that's what you said the grouper was a great idea. Yeah, very good social media we've just been talking about social media, I do like it great for keeping people up to date with the things I love this one of shelly. This is my current dog at the moment, my dalmatian and dressed daughter, she loves the net so that's, so that's, so cute, but it is it's a just a great way because you don't and it's also it's really nice that you could just on social media just bringing what p I phone in your pocket and tricking and shoot shots and think that it's great it's a really nice way to be a little bit more relaxed you still think about what you're what you're creating you can still create amazing shots on on your camera fines and things and your little happy snap peas as I call them but because it's a bit but I find it's impossible to walk around with a really big wait camera ll the time so these days it is fun tow but if you've got your phone on you can do social media from wherever you are whatever you're doing and it's great great weight is to keep people um whoever following you just up to date with your with what you're doing and, um way you are and just everything it's good toe despite communication with other people as well and actually talking about iphones these air the show I'll show you in person the end papers of the book is actually all created of the both different at both ends of the book different shots they're all shots I shot on my iphone during my time in new york so that she was really effective way tio to illustrate something they're not good enough quality to uses a full page within a book but they great for a little little icon shots like this so here we're just going into a little bit about capturing images for the iphone. A few I usually find still keep the same contact in mind be really like if you could enter participate what if you're out for a walk with the dog you think and see your dog's gonna run down the hill towards you heavy? Can you really get down low and capture them? Just sort of think about what you're gonna do actually don't don't just cook, click, click and snap away actually really do think about what you're doing because you want to still keep that creative mind flowing and things like that and be on the lookout for interesting things don't just walk past in this you might walk the same way every day trying maybe put give yourself a challenge find something new and fun to photograph on the same place you walk every day and just yeah have some fun projects to actually keep yourself creatively your creative juices flowing as they say and it be adventurous tried different compositions and test out the filters on your laps. Is, well, it's really fun like it's? Not something we do with you, your actual images, what you actually promote for clients and things like that, but maybe on your on your iphone you can have heaps or your samsung or whatever when you using shouldn't just promote I find this happens to people I have yeah and most of all just have fun yeah have a little bit more freedom was doing doing things for social media and this is just a few little tips phil if you're working for those of you who don't do this is a profession for just a home just a couple of few little tips if you wanted to try and capture some gorgeous images of your own pits, just take your time and be patient with you but don't force him it's really had like even I struggle with my when I'm far away from my own pits I don't have as much patients with my own pictures I don't with other people's pits and it's the same with my poor daughter who's always being put because I've got a dog at the moment my poor daughters always being photographed, so I just have to remember that I've got toe be patient don't force him to do anything, and even though you said I think you're my daughter, you should do it, but he just yeah, you just got to be realistic about it and just just be patient true is the right time data work toe work with, um it's the same with anybody's pitts you're working with, but if you're working with your own just yeah you know we haven't had much more idea of what when it's going to be the right time and it's heavy came around you all the time just pick it up if you see a perfect perfect spot three animal when you kept sleeping on your dog something got upside down ones he'd half off the couch that's really adorable just have cameras sitting on the kitchen bench and grab it and get that get that gorgeous shot and to choose a place most houses have got great places with gorgeous available light so um if you're setting something up, you can use a just use an old sheet out of you wantto create a simple background issues an old sheet, the other the cupboard sometimes I've even been known to use tape, stick it to the glass or even jam the sheet in the window well and then pull it across something else doesn't you don't have to have all the equipment of the stands and that sort of thing you can make backgrounds work wherever you are put it on the couch and what you can on the couch. It doesn't have to be perfectly set up with c stands and sandbags and studio lights and that's something that's not necessary I do sit usedto avoid working and hash bright sunlight because it is really hash on the images and you're not going to get really you're always gonna have really, really dark shadows and much more over overexposed highlights so just try and working and either the shaded area of a building or you might have a theory of the of a terrorist which has got a beautiful covering which gives you really beautiful, softer, luminous light to just sort of have a look around to see what you got at home where you can work and I've already covered the use sheets or old blankets and things and also just always have a camera camera really and around now I think I'm gonna just show you what I did last night just a few more of the images which we've been shooting up the other day so I'm just going to run through some of the shots which we did I certainly haven't been able to do all of them but these are just some final images of what we have shot over the last few days so you can see the final things I've actually done to the image to make them make them look beautiful and gorgeous and cute I knew that would get up o er it is very cute lola I know we didn't get that magic shot of her thank goodness I wasn't I wasn't sure if we did what we did thank goodness he's got intense eyes hasn't a really, really intense eyes he almost looks like he's gonna jump out and bite your buddies he was looking how I just love the ways arms up he said he was so relaxed in there but he's just you know, comparing it to apathy still comparing it to the other one I must say this little guy merlin was the cruzi ist kit even you could do anything with him and he just hey hey was hell areas he was swinging back and forth and then just r he was just having so much fun in there and then it was yeah such a dream to work with merlin but this so was trapper trapper was amazing is today really, really pleased? George bane eyes gorgeous that is really, really sweet sort of um it doesn't look the best on the because of the lower picks elation but he's just always so sweet and then we've got a good old cookie yeah so the eyes of the only ones I haven't had time to do any of the others but that was just a few just to sort of see see what we were able to emit she kept her in the last few days which is from so it is it's a it's a new new time now for me a new adventure going back home to new zealand after being away for five years so it's gonna be it's gonna be fun? I'm not I haven't got any plans to do another book immediately but I'm different I'm not saying that I'm not going to do one really I'm actually really excited about starting to do maur private commissions because I haven't had much time over the last few years tto do that sort of be really nice toe to get back into doing more private commissions and actually creating beautiful images for for people of the treasure pits which they can hit keepin last fever which is which is amazing as you see the new york dog book is one going to be one of the last books I'm during for a little while but I'm not gonna say that's gonna be anymore I've got so much more I want to photograph I still haven't done beers panders I haven't been to africa yet can you imagine our does I would love to actually one of my dreams for a long time now is to do a book in africa working with all the animal st truth here like do you know that even an annual check truth here which deals with giant rocks like these frogs are enormous enormous really, really big and they're frogs they're not tones which I find really weird than actually frogs yeah, but anyway but I'd love to do a book potentially I visit all the centuries do it in relation to raise money for these centuries as well and actually being photographed some of the animals which have being rescued and we have come to the same trees but they also do a write up about all the sanctuaries and a little bit of information about them so I'd love to do that through africa and africa is a huge thing at the moment that's so whole much poaching and awful things happening there that I really really I'm hoping there's a petition on at the moment which is trying to stop any animal safaris and list the photographic so which I think would be a huge thing if we could get that definitely happened because there's far too many pete hunters who go there and kill these poor animals for no reason what so either it's just horrific what they doing so it would be it would be really great toe try and do something in africa they're actually really promote photography and to promote the amazing thing some of these animal centuries doo doo for the animals as well so don't be surprised if I do do something like that and yeah maybe not too distant future maybe we'll get to africa here's me saying I want to settle down for a while but so knows who knows what'll happen I've got so many things going through here yeah but yes it is there's all sorts of things I've got a great idea I wantto have also had a vision for many years now off creating sort of incorporating my humorous simplistic style with my environmental style so like having during created set up shots, an environment but in a humorous type kind of way so it's really it's hard to imagine, but I've explained without showing you images, but I'm going I might start trying to develop that sort of thing so keep your eyes out on that as well you never know what's going to come out of it I'm gonna keep it when you're a creative it is good to just keep expanding and try and develop ideas and doing new things, so yeah, otherwise we can easily get stuck in a rut but there's, one thing that I want you to take away with you from this workshop is to follow your heart and do what makes you happy it is real it's the one thing I do know I don't regret at all walking away from the rachel hail brand even though it still upsets me to know what I had to leave behind, but it was I'm so much happier in what I'm doing now, then what I was when I had was being I felt like I was being boxed in and it's just yeah it's just the most important thing to be happy with what you do a few yeah if you seriously if you believe in yourself, I think that's part of my next slide is gonna be insane someone out there but and if you believe in yourself and what you do, your energy is going to shine through your images it's really going toe I suppose I've seen people have seen it with what I do over this workshop it is I've got a real passion for what I do and I do does seem to evolve through my images as well, which is great and if you could just really really hold it to your heart and photograph photograph from your heart really just make sure that here and just keep happy and love what you do you can't go wrong mother you go I've written it down I didn't put pinterest on this so I have no idea what interest is all right? Yeah so that's where you can find me I'm actually I think I was hoping to have my new website really by the time my creative lives came on but I don't think that she's got up in time, so I think you've still got my sort of slightly disjointed old website at the moment, but so very soon I will have a new website up for you all to explore my images and keep in contact and stuff but it's yeah, but you can follow me there I'll be keeping everyone up to date with what I'm doing and who knows what my future holds, what little exciting projects I'm going to be doing next I'm excited who knows eisen that the case in life always yeah, I actually sit assignment for you guys, which I've had I had a quick read over I haven't had much time to read over what we actually talked, what you've suggested in things, but what I suggest we maybe do is because I know jill, you had a great idea off a concept, was it? You're trying to get how many dogs you want to get in a canoe twelve dogs and a canoe that is really, really and yeah, that's you know, my goodness, even I don't even think I six six year idea having two after today. Rachel, can you just explain again for everybody out there online again? What the homework? Of course you're sorry, sorry, forget what I asked the in studio audience to do was to come up with a concept of a shoot which you wanted to do, and I wanted you to think about what challenges you might have would fit with creating that shoot so that we could then talk about things. And actually maybe there might even be some people online who have got some ideas which were wanting to shoot, and they've got some things were thinking about which might be challenging for them, and they might have some questions to ask how they might be ableto get over those obstacles and things but but as the saying I was really taken by your one joe when you wasn't really twelve you'd suggested in the I remember reading it probably about midnight last night going oh my god that's ambitious yeah, but it looks beautiful you see it's important you show head included some photos of the area where you were going to shoot, which is beautiful gorgeous area on which I've never bean too and bean I mean, is it yeah, you get your microphone being billy indeed been bend in the river yeah, it just looks beautiful so I think I've seen some of your images you've got some great images, so I think it's definitely something if you how would you go about doing during that should have you got dogs you would use who you already know? Well, I know I have to get someone that has the most dogs and bend that's who are s o they gotta get on with each other, you can't just put strangers together in a canoe yeah, danger so I have tio facebook, who's, scott the most dogs I have ah website with robin so I can find that person dentists and then I've gotta just time it right in the day with the light because I love to put animals in a scene or a scene with people animals so I want to capture the scene have been with the dogs to make a more interesting. Yeah. So, do you plan to put the a canoe on the water or on the shore or in the water on the water? Okay, so you're gonna have a human in there with them out of the scene, but no, no, not in order. They'll be in the water, but not in the boat. So how are you goingto how are you going to stop the the boat from rocking? Have to anchor it? Ain't you say? Gonna anchorage this good living there? Big, shallow water. So sensitive. So if they actually decided to jump out, they could just jump into you. Wouldn't have a life check it's on because that's color. Okay, you already see, like, so it's good and it's rough. Where in bend, oregon. We make life jackets. So that's connexus those yeah, there's going to be just what you're giving their attention and giving up that connection was here, because if you do, they make condoms big enough to get twelve dogs into. You'd get your medium sized dogs? No. Yeah, not he wants today. You know, bright day. They would want to, but okay, yeah, well, it's. Yeah, I had a very ambitious but I'm yeah, that sounds like it sounds great that sounds really sounds like you've thought about the process and what you have to do tow actually capture that image so good the last issue and being because it's very we don't get rain it son so it's always hardest thing of photographing and bandas the harshness the time of the days okay the mountains would have to be mourning with the angle and shoot yeah so maybe do it maybe do it before it gets really really bright so do it like I love shooting at dawn where it's just that really soft a luminous sort of the colorful light yes oh maybe that might be a really and they often that's when you find the lake so much calmer is it that's where the river or lake a lover yeah is campbell river might not become but it's flowing but a lake would be probably camera in the mornings as well sometimes no wait yes, a normal good luck I'd love to see that image if you do, you actually managed to do it well years and we had was it was it karen? Did you come up with the idea of the boot the kit in the bird cage with the boot outside the boot cage? Yeah, yeah, I yeah I've been looking at at you know I'm just going to the hobby shop and looking for those old fashioned wire bird cages and always thought just jax to positioning the cat being inside the cage and the bird outside so it's just kind of ah a little twist but I thought it would look cute the challenge would be getting them both in focus place you have the wires in front of the cat's face? Yep. So manual focus yeah and you're trying to position them I'm not sure how to get the bird to notice you yeah bud's can be challenging but they just have to be patient with them I photographed henry my you found him with a parrot on his nose what's um but that was many years ago now but I'm just trying to think of how we worked with papi the bird on his nose to get it I think it was purely it was patients just waiting because of booth waiting for birds move their heads around so I just had to wait for the heat to turn to the right position to actually henry was amazing. He was just staring at a biscuit he didn't move it was so funny I had him I had him sitting it was hits a newfound land so they get really hot and it was during summer and so I had him sitting in this big tub of icy cold water to keep them cool. Listen so he was silly and he just loved it. It was certain he'll certain water for hours and so he just sat there watching this biscuit and boots is like crawling a level headed it was hanging under his chin, some stages and the best food, just like all over him. I did have him trained to be able to cope with having the boot do so it wasn't going to snap it puppy and vitamin things, but but yeah, so it's which is another thing why you wouldn't in a situation like that don't just put any bird on any dog or something because it's you could risk the poor old bird not surviving, which is not a good thing. Yes, so I did head he knew trained in that regards, but and then and then and since I just waited for the bird literally to turn its head to be it the right thing is I'm not sure if you could actually get the attention of a boot physically that and making sure that the burden cat are compatible oh yeah, well and that it seems to be having the boot, the kit and the boot teo together only if you wanted them to interact then of course you need to shoot them together, but you could in their incense to keep the safety's safe she stripped them separately that's right then put it together yep, it could be quite fun having a little of kittens climbing inside a big cage that could be fighting okay, if you've got the different shots there yeah, the net for them to climb up kittens would probably love that. Uh yeah, no, I'm trying to remember what other we got something over here. We have some lovely suggestions for you people like I like that idea beauty of the beauty of the lake says I would put the bird on top of the bird cage looking down at the cat that way you don't have to worry about getting them looking toe look at you and then just focus on the anguish look of the cat with on the same plane of focus and that would make for the focus easier. Excellent idea. Excellent that's correct. I'm just, uh something went through my head being about um uh no it's gone sorry. One of the things I was thinking about cats and birds and the end but it's this suddenly gone when I suddenly thought of it might come back in a minute now I'm your daria yeah you you can wander with your kit don't change is it adults don't check here that looked like a very ambitious ideas well that you were thinking of the holiday seasons and creating and okay creating an image of you can't for each holiday season and then maybe potentially building a the calendar around that there is a very ambitious, ambitious project as well have you got a very cooperative kit? She can be and I'm very patient, so I think there's good potential for that? I just don't know if I should try it on a small scale first, like just making like a few for friends, seeing how they like it or if I should, like, try pitching it, you know, it's probably it's if you if you did do that and be successful with the images you created, maybe do just print a few offer friends first get the feel and then you've got you've got something printed which could actually take to a publishing company, and she showed them a swell, but you can probably you can also, if you want to approach different companies in a different country or something, you can probably digitally seen something through them as well. You don't have to physically go and see somebody. Do you think I should design a whole calendar? I just have a clever what you has done you could if you have a few of successful in creating twelve images of your kit and many tell tell everyone some of the ideas you had because that's how it was it was very ambitious like all of the mother's day one when she was going to be in a basket with a little dog little herself off yourself which is really, really cute yeah, yeah and then you had your christmas ideas and valentine's ideas and all sorts of and then I thought the months in between could be more seasonal the ones that don't really have holidays could just be more seasonal. Yeah, which is it's a great idea yeah, but I think if you've got if you can get your kick to cooperate and do that, then go for it. I think it sounds like a great idea. Yeah, thanks. Yeah, now I'm trying to remember who I didn't actually I just feel terrible that I didn't actually get through all of them. Sergeant, did you seen something in yeah, you did. I didn't get to read yours, but can you tell me? Tell me what? Your idea. Wass um well, for models who I've had this idea obviously playing on the music industry theme that I wanted to put together a booklet about molly's ooh, that it looks like the insert to a cd, you know, so it's a square booklet make them use the animals, be playing instruments and make them, you know, be the musicians so it would be adoptable animals that you know, we would pose, and obviously there would be an element, like a serious ailment of photoshopping and involved in that, but I'd like to use camera tricks and perspective to, you know, change, make some of the photoshopping a little less, you know, but compositing, different things and so really using perspective and and then a lot of props, so yeah, yeah, that that sounds great, but I sort of pictured that as being like a really hard core, black and white sort of you're really grungy sort of feeling defend tested, make make great calendar as well, yeah, I would love I would love to make a calendar, and I would love help from people that are around here that want to do that idea, too. Yeah, and what a fantastic way to actually raised money from what liza was. Well, yeah, that would be really, really great brett project. Yeah, well, I'm sure we can twenty yeah, yeah, I'm still trying to picture how to put the drumsticks on the paws that's going to be the hard won, I think, yeah, that will be training, training the dog to not want to put a third put that you have, there are stand what I'm say digitally enhancing image is is not something I'm having a lot of experience with but well I do a lot off these days I wanted to be mostly you know, photo realistic and I want it to be really and, you know, trained the animals and work with them a little bit so that they can do some of these things I don't I definitely don't want it to be all photoshopped but I'd love you see you had how you gonna try and a dog too play the drum uh we'll have to work on that one yeah, but you could it would still be really cute if you had a drum kit and you had like the drumsticks even with the dog with his paws on the drawing but something that they could be even be really cute if you didn't want to take it oh yeah bones from six yeah that'd be good yeah yeah so I'm sure you could probably do it without doing too much digital enhancement assure you want to but yeah, no, that sounds like a great idea. Yeah and kristie alley did you seen an idea and did you? I just I've seen this done and um we have a lot of pocket pets at the shelter I volunteer area and I want to make them look different and I end up doing them in the cage is because I'm in a hurry, but I've seen folks put them in like little blossom bulls esso I always want to do that, but I always stop and think, oh, they're gonna look distorted and weird and the light's kind of theirs. I don't know, I just haven't quite figured out the logistics of also wanting to have kind of maybe the same bowl to put a guinea pig in and a hamster and adorable and because oftentimes they'll have multiple, so yeah, it's kind of my you want glass fathers came worked really well, it's you do have to be very careful with the light using if you're using a studio flesh or something, you're going to get a big reflection, so I do find that natural, like, works better so that when a few, if any of you got, like the copy of my book, it's a zoo out there there's an image a creator of the goldfish in there, which was I photographed she penelope, another penelope was in goldfish, apparently like I don't the way we just believe what everyone tells us nobody's up ahead of conversation with a goldfish, but apparently a goldfish only has this even seek and memory I don't know how they did it discover these things, but but anyway she seemed fine she was she was probably for about five minutes was in a vase. She could swim around quite easily and it was quite a large show tail goldfish, but I knew what I did is I lit it I did do it in studio, so I let it from either side it had flat wages and flint flint fronts, so I made sure that the light was coming in from both sides. I didn't have any reflection on the front, but then I actually repped black velvet in front of the kids, so I had the camera behind the black velvet and cut a hole through the fabric for the camera lens to come through since quite a complicated see that you're not gonna have this time to do with the shelter, but I'm just saying this is how I dealt with the photographing goldfish and then brought brought it round the edges of the light, so basically I had absolutely no reflections but that's because I was in the studio and I wouldn't could have possibly had all sorts of reflections happening in there, but I have often worked in natural light with kittens and vases have never done a guinea pig or something in the bars only the guinea pig but there's no pirate patch on there, but I find natural like that b s because you can no, you can normally position the bars in a way we've only got just a really simple reflection coming down one side use because if you just just not your day and you can visually see what is reflecting and I would have takes in black velvet with you because black velvet if you hang it up anywhere is always good to block out any reflection if you've got someone packed the car in the wrong place and it's it's going to reflect and to just put the black velvet there to stop that sort of thing happening yeah, so and don't used to think of as if you're worried about the distortion, make sure it's a thinner one but not thin enough that it's gonna be dangerous that the animal might break it. I have a suggestion online from animal artist this is for the canoe shoot the idea would be to connect with a dog training club. They're they're dogs that are used to doing things together, and usually there are dogs that are social with each other and have a good sits days, so that might be a good idea for you. Everyone's got idea is have your head in the ideas coming on through the check room of people needing people have been talking about their ideas, they haven't necessarily been talking about their challenges, but they've all been sharing their ideas with each other and then giving each other ideas in the chat room so people are having a really good time you got any relief fun looking ideas there there are actually so funny that you mentioned the goldfish because big ash dog had just talked about photographing fish and how you know tryingto not get reflections in a fish bowl and things like that but right when they type that question you started talking about jonah king now I'm not happens more than you with happens more than you would think they were psychic they're not of mind bending um amy didn't want me to tell you that the goldfish memory thing is a myth it isn't meant that's what that's what andy said that this set but there's no animal with the seven second memory either you have a proper memory or they have no memory at all that was interesting okay how they would know well then anybody out there who keeps your goldfish in a really small bowl being ashamed of your self that poor little goldfish needs much more space to swimming I hate that's funny I want to stay in a hotel once and it was in new york actually first at one of the first times I went and they when you go in and they said you can either have a goldfish and you any room or you could have got something else that you don't have a goldfish in my room they brought it up on the smallest bowl I had to like instantly sank you taken away I think can you can put it back and it's obviously bigger tank because I cannot you can't keep a goldfish in something that small even though I deny obviously foolishly thought I only had a seven second memory but now obviously don't but yeah no I don't agree with that that should be kept in much bigger enclosures yeah musters that goes that they have these goldfish and they disproved that the theory it's really is like I think it's on online already mythbusters that's great okay I will look that up excellent it's amazing the things you learn on their own creative life I have one more idea for motley zoo from cindy who said I love your animal musicians cd idea how about the dog turned around backwards and using his or her tail to beat the drum that was pretty clever great white way you tail it'll be an easy one yeah wait do have a regular here excuse me michelle be who says my dream is to have a nineteen thirties dress with a car and a borzoi borzoi for so far is away a dog in front of an old castle what holds me up well is all of it except for the car but really if you are imagining these kind of grand schemes that maybe you're in russia or you know just some other place what would you suggest I go about trying tto make another location a reality a location manager yeah, well, the location of course is always going to be a problem if she doesn't have a cat castle yeah, eso first of all, you need to find your location then of course you know she's obviously got the car so that's a good thing the dress shouldn't be too much of a drama to find and neither should a borzoi bo's always are. Yeah, there they're beautiful. Have you even seen bores always the beautiful dogs? Yeah, so that shouldn't be proud, but probably the locations, the most difficult thing and their aspect to try and find you don't do you don't do composite work to you, but that's another I mean, you got another option that somebody was suggesting a mash up between your work and missing yella who was here with us last week but you know, yeah, she doesn't beautiful yeah, a composite here, but I'm I haven't. But I must say I another vision I've head in the past is actually I used to do a lot of drawing as well when I usedto think you'd be great like always envisaged capturing an image of henry sort of like get him as if he's riding a motorbike it won't be with henry now of course unfortunately this opportunity's past but so sure sort of photograph from because obviously part of the money back and then actually do hand drawn background a bit like yes, a year like that. I was thinking there was another concert just briefly saw what I don't get finished. A reading will come to us in a minute, but so that would be possible, but so you'd have the fan blowing his goggles on fan, going back and writing a little motorbike, then actually hand drawing that. So that would be like a compass it of bringing the national photographic image into drawing, but you could you could probably do that like how they do with movies, with green streams of blue screens and all that sort of carry on. I've never I haven't actually watched miss and and yella before, which I actually would love tto watch one of those when I get a spear three days to sit down on that, she watches workshop should be really interesting to see how she creates some of his stunning images, because I've definitely seen here promoted and I she does some beautiful stuff, but that is I'm sure it would be a lie possible to do some of that sort of thing with animals as well, yeah.

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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