Lessons

Lesson Info

Family with their dog “Bean”

All right, kids, hang out with Mom and Dad, so I am not going to remember everybody's name. So I'm going to write. So maybe they have a better we have, Carlo? Yes, Jill Bean. And then I don't know your beautiful babies name. So we and you, sweetie Joe SIA that. Will you go by yourself? Okay. Irving's okay. We are gonna have you guys sitting with lower first. Oh, So, lads, good girl. How old is being big months if Oh, she's a baby. Cool. Did you get her when she was a puppy, or was she adopted or it was a rescue, but she was a week's sweet. Okay, the's this'll floor is from White House as well. So it's really cool, cause it looks like super super realistic, which I live. And this is two different planks that were putting together. So why is this soda, but short way wider. So that's good. Yeah. Okay. So is this your guys first family portrait with mean first family portrait with these family portrait ever? Oh, yea, Good. And, you know, I actually you guys hear from people all the time th...

at say, you know, we haven't had portrait since, you know, we were married or whatever. And now the kids were this age, if you can in that section, try and sneak in a shot of just Mom and Dad were doing a pet photography session, but sneak that one in because that's a sellable image that they're gonna be the Well, actually, we haven't had updated shots, and they're heading, so that's a good thing to just sneak in there. Thank you. So totally, just higher. Like for people to do set design like this and all right, we have our baseboard, too. So So we did a makeshift baseboard last night. We just found a piece of wood, and we stained it, so All right. Yeah, you should ask. So I'm gonna step back and see if that was true. All right, we all we need to get that, like, way closer. So where Please kind of water? Yeah. I'm gonna have someone get water. Wants a water bottle. Totally. All right. Good. Nice work. Thank you. Um, that's Rohloff. Get that under. They go back on. Okay. So we just want this to look as realistic as possible and the closer that the baseboard is better it a look. All right? Yeah. Magic. Yeah, it's gonna It's gonna Oh, gosh, Have to be getting a picture. You feel so we don't want Yeah, I'm just going to kind of roll with this because this is what we got going right now. Can we fix this? Okay, Cool. Okay. Well, I didn't ask, but you guys are gonna have to be okay with sitting on the floor for one. So usually ask people, Are you okay sitting on the floor? Cause some people like I really don't wanna sit on the floor. So you guys air cooperative models and you're going to sit on the floor? Yea. All right, so it's not totally ideal in the baseball, but I'm like I said, I'm OK with it. It's better than not having anything there, because then it's really gonna look like a fake studio shot where at least we're kind of simulating a live a living room a little bit more, so lowering my lights because we're lowering her subjects. I'm not gonna meet her again because my subjects are still gonna be in the same spot. I'm just lowering them. So you got your water be good. Okay. Um, are you guys OK being barefoot? Yeah. Take your shoes off. Mom and I can keep their shoes on, OK? Socks and everything. Come off it. Come off. What's on your shirt? Is that like tape? There was a local. Got it. Perfect. Yea. OK, Dad, come on over. You're sitting for so with the dog? Yes. So keep on a leash. Still, what I'm gonna have you do is curl this like under I don't care what you do with this. Like you're gonna sit exactly where I am, but she's gonna go right under your arm here. Okay. So crow your left. Like under there. Let's get her under your arm. Yes, a scooter all the way back under there. And sometimes in the studio, when you're having people sit, sometimes jackets can kind of look like a bunch e. But I love it, but I really like three. Like Mom's green. So I'm going to kind of keep all of it together. Do you want this stuff off her? I do, Yeah, if you want it. But before you do that, can you just scoop both of you just a little bit for falling off the background. Just a touch. Perfect. Yeah, And just take that off of her, but keep petting her, right, Mom? Joan coming over and get this, like Bacchus far. She You're right here. All right, let's throw your legs to the right. I'm just going to get you guys all nice and close together. Perfect. Like this? Yeah, just like that. So what, we're gonna dio I just keep your hands on her. It's in the situation of moms. Dollars of Dad. We don't want that. So if you kind of scoot your bottom out and you're gonna lean your arm on his leg so on his leg, this like, you don't need to do that the whole time. But see how they got her lower. And they kind of gave shape to her body. So you don't need to do it the whole time. If you're comfortable doing it, find, um All right, sweetie, you get in there, all right? You're right. You're right. I don't like those. Don't move. Stay exactly how you are there. I don't like this arm because it's just kind of open. So we want to connect mom, and then she doesn't need it, but it kind of blocks The arm goes in front. We don't have, like, open tummy, So beats it. Yeah, however, certainly let up. All right. Not on your back. Oh, hello. Okay, work. Let's go, then there. And we do want her bottom. Her back legs kicked out this way. We don't want kicked in that way. Okay, Just look back over, girl. And then he's gonna go in between the legs up to scrutiny. So the back legs air here. Front legs. Oh, there he is in between their Rachael's. Perfect. Isn't this how you guys sit at home all the time? Just like this? Um, stay right where you are. Do you see beans? Arm? She's like, lounge in. If you pick, this will go up right here. Her body up. All right. You guys like the toes? OK, you guys were looking at me for one shot Sit ups. All right, Give me a smile. You guys, I'll get their attention. Irvington. Okay, we're gonna get and actually you can scoot your bottom out. That's good school and then lean her. Oh! Oh, good. A little bit. Yeah, I love that. Better. Ready, guys, big smiles. Real smile, Couto, your dio dio. There you go. Okay. Being sure. Your feet? Yeah. Stay that. You keep looking at me. You guys ready? There we go. I want to head up just a little bit more. That's where I want the head. Perfect. All right, You give me a smile already. Ready. There you go. Relax around. Very perfect. Don't make me tickle you. I will know. Maybe. Do it a go. Hang in there. All right. Effect. All right. We're going to try and get being if we can on Dad's leg in here, So but in there is perfect discharge. Have I? You so So, actually. But in here, you want her but in there. And I would prefer her sitting, actually, because she's kind of small right now, so she's just like flopping around. There you go. Perfect. All right. As much as you're just gonna lay, huh? Come on, sweetie. I'm not. She's super calm. Some of the sea, actually. I love that. Right on your bottom, sweetie. Yeah. Me, me, me, me, me. Mom, I want your arms over. I don't know anybody so far. Enough. This arm. Find a spot for it in there. I love it. There you go, honey. Like that. Arm over. All right, you guys hang in there. Hold on to her little break. Better pick your head up. So relax. Your arms were like crowding her a little bit too much. All right, You guys are looking at me. Ready, Princess, My hands down. Big Ready. Chin down. City, downtown area. Go. Ready? Perfect. Awesome, Dad. Smile, Mother. It is perfect. Awesome, You guys. Good job. I'm good with that. He said so. No, that's perfect. We're just kind of doing the whole triangle thing. I'll show you guys one who can relax, keep her. Don't let her go. Mom's eyes, her clothes. I'm not worried about that, but, um, just kind of doing all the little triangles keeping their heads nice and close together. So let's actually get Dad's gonna stand up. We're gonna do a shot. ST. David's, we're gonna do a shot with three of you guys. All right, you guys, and being so Dad, your job is gonna be No Get up there. My job is to be right where I am. So this way I'll take this. All right? You guys? Yes. So you're not gonna be in the shot, But that way you can be nice and close. Turn your legs front and scoot in. Here we go. All right, get her in here. Turning things around. Sitting it doesn't matter, has come through with you're gonna sit up because I want a really pretty shot with you guys together covered in dog is gonna screwed her bottom right in there in between the legs. Go ahead, student. Okay. Okay. Mom is not gonna be in the shot. There you go. But you're gonna stay close enough. Stay close enough, though, where you can. Okay, She's being drama holding. All right, let's get back to your real quick. I need you guys close enough. You can stick your hands in there. I know it's a hold dog, and this is actually what I was talking about earlier. This is a really hard position for people. If we were on a couch, she could just kind of stand there. Go in and out. We're on this and, like, go like this and take your hands out. So it's a lot of work, but that's what we're gonna do. So you're just gonna stay close enough to you that you can grab. All right, You guys let me to grab. She moved, but otherwise I don't do anything. Right. Hands with you guys ready? Don't make me to go your hands up and on and on and on until Joe ends up pretty ready. You guys have a kid job. Let me see your teeth. Good. Okay, We're gonna do a wall portrait of that, just like that. All right, That's awesome. Go. I know, I know. I'm being I'm going to show a goofy picture that we're gonna end on, but I just like how they're all close together. Dogs look into the camera. We're all good. So yes. So let's actually get weaken. Try her by herself. Usually in this situation, I would put the muslin in, keep this background cause I want everything to match on and then kind of go with that cause especially Muslim that we have is brown. I'm sorry. Ottoman. The Ottoman that we have is brown, but we can try photographing her on the floor. If it doesn't work and she's real wiggly, then we'll slide that one in. So you guys can take a break for a second. There you go. You're gonna keep your hands on her and then what we want. So again, we don't want legs like this. This is the pounds position. So just petting her, we're gonna try and roll her legs over. It doesn't matter what you do. Frog legs. No, that's cute. That she Okay, so you're just gonna street once. It's just like that over there. Keep your hands in there. Okay? All right. You're just gonna relax for a second hunt? Just so you're not running around, okay? Yeah, right. Ready? Hands out. That was good. One more time. Okay. Get a reckon There. No, it's perfect. She's doing good. Right where you are is perfect. Okay. I just want to see Yeah, we actually got one of those, is it? Oh, so I get it. She's okay. All right. Okay. If she wants to roll in her side, I'm good with that pretty, speedy and actually hold off on food for a second. Okay. Ready? Healthy. Good girl. Thank you. Okay. Were you holding a treat this now? No. Okay. It just looked like dead was holding a treat. She's like, would you have. But no, that's perfect. And actually, if I were to be really picky, I probably would throw the Ottoman in. Just so there's not the baseboard going through her head. Yeah, and then you still have the, um Let's actually let's do the Ottoman so we can do a family pose on there so you guys can step off for a second. And either way, she's so calm. It's okay if she runs around. I'm good with that. Okay. All right, you guys, let's do one more shot. This will be a little more comfortable for you. And actually, would you guys mind posting just the two of you for one? Okay. You guys take a break. Yeah, with you. Only because you're here and what I was talking about before just to get that shot. I just want to show you a cute pose, so Oh, this is your spot for here. Okay, you guys, they want you over there waiting, Okay? You're gonna do a shot in just a second, sweetie. Yeah, when they got inside, you are sitting on this, so you're gonna totally and you're gonna face this, like, turn whole body, turn, turn turn, and you're gonna sit here and face me, Katelyn hugs. And you're actually Yeah. And come around as much as you can. And then I want your arms turn as much as you can, not towards me. Turn, turn, turn, turn, turn and cuddle in, you guys and let's get your arm. You look like you're lean in real close. You? Yep. Looking at me like you're happy and perfect, right? I don't like the shadow on his face. So we just had turned you guys even more. Or I can move. My light might be easier. Okay. I know I'm getting out of 10 photography here. I'm just showing you guys kind of what I would normally dio. I need you turn as much as you can if we I mean, really Get on the edge of linen. That's what you hang in there. Give me a smile like you're happy to be together right there. Might Sylvia shadow on his face there? And if there is, I was just kind of showing you guys oppose their I'm not printing. That is a little portrait. All right, stand up all the way. All right. Let's get all right. Jill, you have a seat facing that way. Yes, ma'am. Dad. Okay. Keep your legs suicide. Yeah. Scoot, scoot, scoot. Scoot close. And then they call her all the way up. We're gonna get her up here with you, Ju. Yeah, And your legs, sweetie, You're gonna go this way like this. There you go. Thank you. And we can, actually, if you want to pull your call around, she's gonna go, but here likes here. Okay. Okay. Where's her collar way? Just grabber. Yeah, Only to get her up, and then we're gonna take it off. You're good. Good. All right, guys. Ready? Former family shot. Come here, guys. There in this one, too. All right, everybody, you're right here. You understand that? You're gonna be nice to talk. Come here. You're sitting next. Dad. Yeah. Come here, sweetie. Also cute right here. Yep. Superstar. Okay. Looking OK, you know? Yeah. And then I don't want her just standing. I need her, like, involved somehow. So And if we could let me use this book. Well, that's a heavy block. All right. Stay where you are. You know, your friend to stay where you see how we sitting. It's kind of just making them, like, frumpy looking. And you're not from C. So one leg up, they can stay down and sit up nice and talk, but that we just kind of makes a break in his leg. So it's kind of creates a little bit of space there, open your legs and just perfect. All right, we're gonna put this hand behind ad. We don't need that one. Yes, right there. Perfect. All right, That's really cute. You guys okay? All right. I don't want your hands on her neck cause it's gonna look like we're choking her. Ready? Perfect. All right, you guys, maybe it's oil. Perfect. Relax your hands, baby. Relax, relax, Relax. Yeah, I have a big smile. Big smiles. Come on. Last one. You're almost huh? Number been? Hold on. I'm not focusing. Hold on. Um, I like memory card. Okay. Memory cards full. Well, there you go. Okay. I'm good on that shot. I'm gonna show you guys the one I just got. If you guys come down, it's perfect. So she's like, the focus of the portrait. And if you guys kind of saw when the hands were here, it makes it look like they're choking them, even though they feel like they're just holding them from my angle. It looks like choking. So that's like I'm loving that image. Yeah. Can you see it? It's totally cool. So Yea, so let me just just so we have it since we have the Ottoman up, you guys can all take a break. And then let me just get one head shot of her against this background. Just so we have I'm thinking that image and I love I love the color combination to And like I said sometimes the jackets I don't love and fortress, but the color of it is perfect. Mom start ties it in. You're fine right there, guys. That's a good puppy. Oh, I don't have any hot one memory card. I need a Yeah. Is there day? Um, Does anyone have a memory card? Let's take a question, Colin. Waiting for memory card. Sorry about that. You just sit for 10 minutes. Yeah. Take some questions. Yes. Great. Matt Kitten from New York says that you make shooting with one hand and holding squeaky toys and the other looks so effortless. You have any tricks on that That's just how I've always shot. So it's just I don't know. And I have never realized how heavy my camera was, you know, until like, I'll shoot sometimes with other people's like if I'm doing workshops and they'll have, like, a D 60 in like a kit lens And I'm like, Look, I'm gonna throw this thing, you know, like I realized how heavy the camera is. But I just always shot one handed just tohave that freehand. And how do you focus Focus with one hand, I'm zooming to get the zoom where I want and then I'm focusing. And then s o There was a question from pro image pets who said I love your lighting soft boxes, but I don't have the room length to use this size. Do you recommend? Yeah, I don't have such a large studio. These air really big soft boxes. So for me, the bigger the softer I just like soft light eso If you use a smaller light, it's totally OK, But a lot of times I'll do like a medium size like this and like a 17 inch by 17 inch fill light. So if you move the like back. The further you move the light back, the further it spreads. So just move. If you have smaller lights just moving because if you move them closer, it's gonna be more direct light. So move it back. The light spreads on Ben. You kind of have a larger light if that makes any sense. So it's okay to have smaller soft boxes. Quite a few people had asked what you take on location if you go to someone's high shoot all natural light on location. Natural light. So when I have in someone's home, I rearranged their furniture. I tell them, This is the couch I want to use. But this is where the window is in this sort of the light is and I move their couch to the light so I don't take lights with me when I travel. So I don't take backgrounds. And if people want studio lighting and, um, the studio background that I have a need to come to my studio. So for shooting in their house, yeah, and I just shoot it at, like normally when I do outdoor sessions, I do an hour before sunset is when I'm shooting. When I'm shooting in people's homes. I usually shoot any time. Middle of the day is fine. Just so we have a lot of bright light coming into the windows, but, yeah, there's a sliding glass door. I know you've stayed for so long. Let me shoot this portrait really quick since she's being so good. All right, Stay there. Yeah, of course. It's OK. All right? Just so I don't lose it, Stay there. Perfect. So and again, that's a way to get a head shot. Um, is that tethering? Yeah. That's a way to get a head shot. Just not having that baseboard. Good. That were you. He's about where I will crop it. Maybe a little looser O. The question was, Is that where you would crop it? Yeah, That's probably about how I would print that. Think. Thank you guys. That was awesome. Perfect. Good, good. Thank you. Yeah. We'll be in touch if you guys did. Awesome job. Yes, in a second. Meaning to take it off over there. Good job. You guys were awesome. So we asked her. Yeah, you're hired. Which would You're going to go right out there. Yes, you can. Okay. Says here we take a couple more questions? Yeah. Why don't you just tell us quickly what you have? What are all the things that you have in your little goodies? Okay, so, um, my seven year old ball And if I can I try and use it just toe go like this to get their attention. If you have to squeak it again, calm dogs. This is a really loud, obnoxious, squeaky toy, but I have it just especially if I'm doing like an outdoor event. And it's kind of a crazy like there's dogs. There's people on like it's your outdoors. You just need a little bit more. So do something loud like that. Of course, you guys saw that. Not once today that I ever take food out. There was eight shoots or whatever we did. There wasn't food involved in any of the shoot. So he's just using that, um, crinkling a water bottle. That's a big one. So that works. That's easy. It's very elegant, expensive and just smaller squeak. So I just have, like, a couple different squeaks like that. And again, the squeaks aren't might go to you guys kind of hurt on my noises the tricks that I didn't do Today we're knocking on a wall. So sometimes I'll stand back further, use a longer lens and I'll shoot and, uh, go knock, knock, knock, knock on. And what I do also, if I don't feel like changing lenses IHS awful like this. Opposing everyone. Ready? So do that all the time to shooting one handed. Um, this is a popular toy, especially. There's a lot happening and you're trying to get, like, a group at once. This is the thing that I got the 12 cats, a burden, a dog all in one shot, just ready. And they're all going like this and just one shot up, and they're all looking. So that was that trick. That's about all that's in there. I keep my white balance in here sometimes. My, um, light meter. Yeah. All right. Well, maybe we have any questions from the studio audience. You guys all doing well? Okay. We do have questions online. Do so. Arca, You talked about tricks for closing pets? But do you? Sometimes people take longer to warm up. Do you do any, like, pre warm up with them to get more comfortable with people, you know that. I think the benefit that we have a pet photographers is that pets are in the images you're not doing, you know, Senior Portrait's where they get real nervous and again touch her head this way. That way, it's just like when you put the attention on the pets and you're making noises. It just makes people laugh sometimes. So that's kind of what's fun is just like, you know, you start using the little feather toy and lifting it and people start laughing cause you go. Gosh, you're making me follow it and I'm looking at, you know, and then sometimes to get people to laugh like if the owners are in the portrait's and it's not the pet or something, um, I'll grab a squeaky toy and just squeak it just to get them to laugh, because there's no pet in it. But I think we have that advantage. Is pet photographers that there's pets, and that's where the focus is. So people are a little more relaxed. So great question came from Melissa the point. Who said what if a client really wants dog clothing on their dogs? We do a session with it Or is that considered a custom session? No, that's actually a really good question. That would be the classic session. Still, if people are doing the classic session and just want to throw in one or two things, excuse me. My dog has, um, a little dress I've got. If my dog has a little dress or I want to do one shot with a Christmas hat or something, that's still a classic session. The custom session for me is every single shot is different. This is going to be blue background Ottoman. This is going to be pink couch, white background. This is gonna be so. They're just during a couple things in there. It's still a classic session, but I do treat that like the bunny your session and say, That's fine if you want to do close. But let's do a couple plane as well. So you have both