Lessons

Lesson Info

Shoot: Brett and dog "Issabeu"

Hi. Always a baby. This is my favorite. Okay? I not sure, but I want to do with you guys. I know we're going to do you guys together. Let's actually do, um, the ottoman and the wall. And I'm just gonna do the straight Ottoman. I want to kind of keep this, like, manly because we have, like, a good, like, manly Look, I don't want to put you in, like, the pink couch or something like that. So are we thinking that this tape might come off on there? So this is a bow right? Is a bow is a bow and tell me your first name again. Brett. Brett. Thank you. Okay. Okay. Let's get this. Thank you. I don't know. Yeah, a lot of times I cover ottomans, but like I am, this is a great look. The brown and his blue shirt and the whole thing. It's fantastic. Or she's just so cute. Okay, so let's actually get you guys. Are you okay with your bandana showing? No. Do you normally wear glasses often? Okay. Would you rather have No, No. I want to do whatever you normally do. Either way, you're fine with it. on if...

the glare is really killing you. But if you just have a seat and you can actually sit up there with her. But if owners ever say like, well, I could take him off, like, but do you ever have them off? Because I want a photograph? You like? You normally look hi. All right. Ever said we're gonna take when she sits? We're gonna take her collar in her leash off such a cute shot. All right, We'll stay there, baby. Unless you think we can get her sitting as opposed to laying. Okay, big. And you're gonna kick this hand on her chest. Oh, that's so cute. Well, there you go. Just double light. Yeah, totally. Just have a light fly behind you. Totally. Oh, so cute area. And this head on her chest, if you could. Perfect girl. Thank you. Sweeter. So who's making that noise? So that's actually a good example. She's hearing us perfectly, but she's kind of looking around going like, who's making that noise? Totally okay in this situation. But someone's You're so cute. Someone's behind this. So that's why um hand on her chest again and heads real close together. perfect. Perfect. All right, sweetie. Looking at her again because those air so darn cute. Just make sure you smile when she looks at you. Yeah, we're big. Give her a second. A little trick is if you blow on her, see if she'll Yeah. Works every time. Works every time, huh? Perfect. I love it all day. Uh, inspired off, like, 20 shots. That's probably, like, eight shots that we can show for Riel. I was there. Awesome. Where those coming up on tethering go? Yeah, those are awesome. And he's like kissing her. And, uh, love case sessions done by. It's actually whatever by yourself. So you're gonna stand right where I am? Oh, yes. You saw my treats. She just, like, got a whiff of my toys. And did you see how she's, like, a little bit more? Not, you know, as common she was all right. And you're gonna stand. Stay right where you are for a second. If the owner stands right here, they're actually blocking this light. There's gonna be an extra shadow on them. You're gonna take a little step to your left. Yeah, right there. Let me Uh huh. Yeah, there's a little head tilt. Stay there. Stay there. She's the prettiest girl. And don't call her too much. There you go. Stay there. Stay there. Penny. Stay your okay. She's kind of hunching forward. I don't like that. So we'll give her a second. Say that. There it is. That's what I wanted. Good girl. Okay, we're gonna do a couple with her laying. That was perfect. That texture on the wall is actually really pretty. Oh, she's so gorgeous. But did you see when she was lunging for like that? That's not what you want to shoot. You want to make sure that kind of coming back. Come on, let's go way down. So this is the type of dog she's actually really well trained. You don't definitely don't want the understanding behind you because she's so attentive to what he's doing. And when she gets up there, you can just keep petting her. I'll throw this down against If you want any along that you don't have to kneel on the hardwood, get her all the way up. And I haven't seen her open her mouth yet, so I'm OK getting closed mouth shots. If she was running around earlier with their mouth open. And I'm only getting mouth closed. Then I wouldn't be capturing her personality completely. Okay, so when she lays, you're gonna stay close enough. Actually, I just want her by herself. So stay close enough that you can grab her. I don't like her hips, you guys, but I'm going to shoot it just cause it's No, it's OK, Let's shoot it first. Uh huh. Yeah, that's OK. I want a little perkier than that. So she's super calm. I'm gonna go into a toy because I'm OK with and I like her paws hanging over. Hold on state radio. Moral. Call her up again. She's okay. That's it. So lay down. Okay? Still don't love her hips, but I'm OK with it. Sneak good. Hold on, girl. Stay there. Okay. And then if we can, this backgrounds really pretty with her. All right, so we are gonna try and roller hips. I was just shooting it, but she's in the pounds position right now. I like dogs laying like this and not like this. So give him a second, and I know we showed her ball. So she's like ball. Thank you for a second what you can do. Are you okay with me? Kind of pulling on her legs? I don't want to. Yeah, so No, it's OK. We can kind of see what we're doing. So he's saying I might need to give her a treatment. Like I don't want Teoh like, because that what that's gonna do, it's going to get her to listen, and she will lay, but it's gonna put her focus all in the tree, so I know. And like I said, if I was in my studio, I wouldn't be wearing this right on me. They come in on a good girl. You okay? You okay? No, I No, it's OK. Okay. Tie him down again. E have the front legs all the way down. That's what that's what I want to see the difference in her legs. That's just gonna look a lot more relaxed. So you're gonna keep your hands on her butt. Scoot off. But you're not gonna take your hands off of her. Stay there, fish. All right, so scoot off, but keep your hands there. Wait. Uh, go ahead. He had hands out, hands out, hands up. Good. Perfect. And that's I'm not even using the ball. She's just still watching my hands. So I'm good with that pretty girl if she looks so good. Okay, So let's get you sitting right next to her. Cool. Yeah. If we can actually pull her legs all the way up on top of you. So she's and l a and I want her elbows and everything over. Do you go? Yeah. Perfect. Go, polar tay. OK, it's tax. You stay where you are. Do you see her tail? Makes a huge difference of that tale comes out and not stuck under her legs. That's an awesome shot, Are you? Give me a smile. Oh, yeah, She looks at you. Go with that. Keep looking at her. Oh, there's this My, uh Oh, keep looking at me for one. Appearing on perfect. Awesome. I love that. I'm happy with that school. She's perfect. I'm done. I got all the kissing shots earlier. I just want to show you guys one of these. She was actually smiling, so I didn't want to make a huge noise. So Hark, I kind of wanted to help you answer that question from the internet earlier about the dogs. Like looking so calm. So there. Because they know we must have picked well trained dogs seeing them behind the scenes there. They're not. But then, as you start the session, they calm down. And as you continue this session, they get more accustomed to what you're doing. And they just kind of like, kind of fall into it. Yeah, that's normal for you. Yeah, I know. And I appreciate that feedback because, like I said, cute, I could see people are only and actually want one more. I'm gonna get your question. I like should like how your hands air. If you look at the tethered shot right now, see how his hands open. If he curls his arm around like this, actually, like that better. Perfect. And I like your head up. Are you honest? My actually leaned down how you were. It's okay if you're hunting. Wait, wait. Perfect. That's the head up that I want. Awesome. Perfect. Go. Um, thank you. So no, I know that's really good feedback to have because, like you said, people are only seeing and this session could get really crazy. She is like a super well behaved dog. But you saw how, like if I had a bomb like through it, this would be like a crazy session. So and that's OK likes, you know, But, um, I could probably do the whole session without a ball, you know? But she was getting a little bit bored with my mouth noises. So it's just switching a because you don't want that leg Dead Street Look the whole time. It's good that they're years or it, but if you can get like a headset, a little more expression, she's perfect. Good. You're done. Yeah, and in this situation, like here, go Ready, get it. Whatever sessions done, she can have my ball play with it all. You want better? Totally. So don't rip a hole in it that I've had that ball for seven years. Same ball. So no, but that's the type, especially if she wanted to play. But yea, let's players want to play with a bomb like done. We got the shots we needed. You do whatever you want. Now she's so happy. Yeah, we captured. It wasn't like we were making her like, Oh, I'm really sad. And now she's happy, like she looked really happy in her portrait. So yeah, once you brought the ball and she engaged so much more pictures just live, right? So there's kind of that fine line because there was a couple times where show to the ball. And then I could just use my hand And she's like, Oh, something's And there was nothing in my hand, but yeah, just making that connection. So it's just kind of finding that balance. Sorry. Made her crazy. It's just kind of finding that balance between, um yeah, letting them get really expressive, but not crazy. Oh, my gosh, I need the ball. So it's our cup when you're posing people. So you have three dogs or four dogs and really focused on how they're looking and what their expressions are. How do you deal with a person that is just slouching? Or are you Are you not paying attention that No, I am. And you do post people as well, Like I'm not as worried about that when I'm doing you know, Portrait's like this, I'm just care more about expression. That's kind of my big thing is I can't a human being as well. Absolutely, yes, and same thing with them. If you kind of just wait too long. They just kind of get bored, Teoh. So if you can, like, make little jokes here and there with the client who had the three dogs and I was like Don't look mad at me and she gave me like, a great smile. The dogs didn't look great, but if she was sitting in the same exact spot, it's not something that I'm planning on. But in that situation, I would probably just swap heads. She sat in the same spot. The lighting is the same. The background is the same. I would just open expression in the numbers they like sit up straight, chin forward and down. Yeah, I do that, too, Like I totally just kind of lean forward a little bit, but it's more just I don't want them because sometimes if you coach people too much for in my experience, because they're not used to doing Portrait's and there's kind of doing it cause they're animals air there. Ah, lot of people just kind of like get stiff and they're like, What do you want me to do with my head? And then they just look really awkward. So just like you're just lean in a little bit. Cuddle with them and I break the rules a lot. Like, you know, they always say, Like, don't have, like, the backs of your hands showing like this. You know what? They're holding their dogs. The dogs look happy. They're happy. I break them. You know where you're supposed to show their hands like this If you're doing Senior Portrait's Not this. But this cell is Justus. Well, because all the dogs had good expressions and the people look great. So there's so many moving pieces, huh? So many moving pieces to a pet photography. And Emily asked when they use the flash, even she puts it to the side. The dogs get a glow in their eyes. You have any tricks on how to make that not happen? Depends how she is. She's bouncing a flash. I'm wondering, how much detail did she give you? That was it. When I use a flash, even when I put it to the side, the dogs get glow in their eyes. You know, I'm not sure. I would say if she can try and flip the light behind you when I'm shooting with a speed light, actually bounce it behind me. Usually if it's not like a black wall as a post on the side. And I do that too, because I want more even lighting. If you bounce it from the side, you're gonna have much stronger light here in the shadow here. So I would usually try and bounce. And I think if she does that, her wall is gonna turn into a soft box. And I don't think he would have that same effect. That same glow effect. Thank you. Have a question from Let me shoot your pet in Ontario, Ontario, Canada. You know this person? No. Just let me shoot your What do you do with the client who mistreats hits their dog in your presence? You know, I've actually had really bothers me. That's because, like I said, I manhandle my dogs and I'm tough with them. But it's hard with me when owners air like, sit down, stay. And you kind of have to coach people because I've had people come in shock collars and they're like they're not gonna listen. I need to leave it on and I'll say it in a really nice way but I'll make the point that if you're gonna put a shock collar on them and do the session, I'm not the photographer for you. This is not the right place to be because you're not. That's like the whole ball thing, that ball, ball, ball, ball, ball shot color. Just like okay, I don't want to get shocked when you're going to sit here. That's not expressive. Capturing their personality, tilting their head inquisitive. That's just like okay, need to sit here and behave and not do anything wrong. So when owners air really aggressive like that, I would say Just you know, Hey, this isn't a training session. I know we're kind of breaking all the rules. It's kind of like Children's photography, where you kind of let the kids be crazy. You know, we just like it's one hour. It's once a year. We're trying to get good. Portrait's totally okay. If the kids were like, Here's some candy or whatever you dio So for me, I would say it's okay to break the rules. I know they're not behaving exactly how you want them to, but I want to capture Good Portrait's so it's OK with me. You know, if they're doing this and I know they're not listening, but when you go home, they're totally gonna be fine. They're not going to remember this 10 minutes that you let them do this and they got away with it. We're just here to capture good portrait, so just kind of chill out, they're gonna pick up on your energy. And I think that's how we would play that out. And that's a really beautiful way to manage the psychology of the owners. That was very non threatening. It was nonjudgmental. You're just like like I said earlier to like, it's not. And we had a couple owners today who were very doing what I said. Come here by coming on the dogs like not paying attention. But again, it's not my place to just go and pick them up. So, like your let's call them up or lets you know the ones that I felt comfortable with, I kind of took a little more control with. But if owners air like that, it is tough because it kind of gets me tense and the pets are gonna pick up on that energy too. So it's just trying to get him to all chill out