How to Become a Great Landscape Photographer

Landscapes are one of the most appealing areas of photography and with so many beautiful scenery it's easy to figure out why. You may want to escape from the city for one day and taking the camera with you seems natural. You will probably come home with some nice photos, but how you transform them into really inspiring pictures?

The first thing to keep in mind is that good lighting is essential. You usually need sunlight to take a good landscape photo, but harsh light should be avoided. When the sun is high above the sky, the light is too strong and colors and details are lost because there is too much contrast. The best times to take photos are early in the morning or in late afternoon. On a sunny summer day you should avoid the 9am to 4pm period, which is almost all day. In other seasons you have more hours to take photos because the sun is lower. If the sun is low on the sky the objects have longer shadows, which reveals their shape, giving a three dimensional feel to the picture. This will make for much more inspiring photos compared to those taken with the sun up, which appear more flat.

You will generally want to capture a wide area of the landscape. You need to use a wide angle lens or choose the widest setting for your zoom. This way you can fill up more of the frame. It will also distort perspective by bringing close objects even closer and distant ones looking farther away. However, you shouldn't always use wide angle. Sometimes the scene provides you with the opportunity to zoom in to a certain object. For example, if you are above a small town looking at some nice roof tops with a church in the middle spiring above trees, you can zoom in to capture the most interesting area.

Viewpoint and composition also play significant parts. Creating depth will make your photo much more interesting. A good way to do this is by finding a focal point, such as a bridge, stream, tree or boulder. Think about how the image will look like from different heights. Don't just take all the photos from your head height. Include interesting objects and look for streams or footpaths to draw the viewer's eye into the picture. Diagonal lines generally have the best effect.

Color can make a big difference in a photo. Look for colors such as bright flowers, a hillside covered with trees or a stone wall with green moss. A red phone box may even be interesting if it fits in the surroundings. Finding bright colors may be more difficult during winter. You can take photos early in the morning when it is very cold and frosty areas are in shadow, creating a cool blue shade which can look beautiful.

There are also some accessories you can invest in to help create better landscape photos. A monopod or tripod will make for sharper images and slow you down, allowing you to focus on the composition. Filters can also have good effects. A polarizing filter will improve those photos taken during midday, increasing saturation. Graduated filters are very popular as they can darken the sky and thus reduce the contrast.

Pre-scanning the area is also very useful. When you arrive somewhere, walk or drive around the area to see where the good photo opportunities are. If there's too much sun you can return at a better time. Also bear in mind that a totally dull landscape during summer can become a beautiful scenery in autumn colors. The best way to learn is through experience and the more time you spend shooting the more chances you have to get some very rewarding pictures.


Author Resource:- Alex Don is a professional photographer for http://reshade.com . Reshade focuses on online image processing and offers a free to use online image resizing tool. It also offers a picture resizer software application for Windows. Try it out now!

Professional photography tips

Professional Photography Tips
A lot of flashes for regular cameras are small electronics that are
built-in. Professional photographers use more expensive and advanced
equipment. Professional flashes all have manual controls and are
outside of the unit, providing much more light with much better
controls. Flashes are mostly used indoors as the main source of light
when the area is too dark to get quality photographs. In weddings, for
example, flashes are also used in sunny conditions, in order to fill
the shadows. Harsh sun lighting can ruin a good photographs and wedding photographers use their manually set flashes to fill some of
those dark spots.

Red eye
"Red eye" is one of the most commonly mentioned complaints in regards
to built-in camera flashes of point-and-shoot cameras. Having all the
people in your images with vampire-like red glowing eyes is not
really pretty for any subject, however this is one of the most
difficult challenges the flash has to offer. The problem comes from
the fact that the humanâ?Ts eye retina mirrors the red light from the
flash right back at the camera. So the problem is essentially not
really cameraâ?Ts fault. Some cameras have a "red eye reduction"
software or even features that emits a few pre flash light flashes
that aim to get the iris of the eye to contract by the time the main
flash comes the chance of the red eye effect appearing is reduced.
Red eye reduction software work with red color of the eyes, in order
to darken the color. Professional flash units usually donâ?Tt have
such big problems with red eyes.

Shadows
Using the built-in camera flash can result people in photos looking
extremely bad, ruining an image completely. The shadows cast by the
flash can make the subject of the picture look very harsh. To lower
these effects try to take your photos against a dark background, or
even better in the middle of a room with no set background at all. If
you take your photos against a white wall the in-built flash will not
be able to provide results youâ?Td want. More serious flash units are
able to tilt in different directions. Sometimes itâ?Ts all that is
needed to fill the shadows.

Serious stuff
For those who wish to take more than family snapshots it is advisable
to purchase a camera with a separate flash unit. There are many types
available with prices from $50-$500. More expensive units provide
better quality, flash intensity and recycle time.

All of the above can appear in photographs using a camera with a
built-in flash, can be improved or completely illuminated by having a
separate flash. This is because those effects are caused by the flash
and the camera lens being positioned too close to each other.

By holding the separate flash unit away from the camera, the harsh
shadows and outline effects can be reduced or completely avoided!

To reduce the effects of red eye with a separate flash unit, putting
the flash away from the subject of the photograph and bouncing the
light of the ceiling or maybe a wall or a photo reflector, still
delivers adequate lighting, but does not result in red eyes in
subjects.

The best way to identify any problems and avoid them is to understand
flash photography. Many photographers around the world spend
countless of hours, trying to perfect their knowledge of lighting.
There are countless of books written on the subject as well. Maybe
you want to become one of Toronto wedding photographers or high-end
Hollywood fashion photographer-the knowledge of light and shadows is
what photography is all about. Perfecting this would open many doors
in the industry and help you to look at the world around you from a
completely different perspective
Author Resource:- target="_blank">Toronto wedding photographers-----href="http://www.dmitrimarkine.com" target="_blank">wedding
photographers

How Creating Photo Books Brought My Old Snaps To Life

It was only until I brought myself a digital camera that photo books became any use to me, I had managed to fill my computer with masses of snaps and shots from my camera, but they weren't being printed. After having a scare with my computer crashing, I realised that potentially I could loose all of my precious memories in one cruel swoop if I wasn't careful. It was then I realised I needed to something with my images and looked into the idea of creating some photo books.

So my next task was to sort through the images on my computer to help decide which ones I was going to potentially use in my photo books. As I had many images I was worried it might be a rather daunting task, but the easiest method I found was to choose themes for my photo books. I chose a selection from different themes, such as holidays, the family and nights out with my friends. Although this task was quite time consuming it was fun looking through my pictures and reminiscing through times in my life. I even ended up scanning in some old photos from high school and of my parents.

Once I had all of my chosen images sorted into folders I realised that some of these would make wonderful gifts for friends and family. I picked out some amazing family shots that we had and added scanned photos of my parents into the final selection. These photo books would end up being a perfect gift for my family as it had several generations all in one file. Uploading my photos was easy too, the website I chose offered free software that I could download to start creating my photo books.

Lastly came the fun bit, I got to start making my books! There were loads of different editing options, so now I have about five different books all with black and white images, some sepia and bright coloured ones. All photo books can be edited with text too so I was able to date and add comments about some of the special photos, it really brought life to my whole photo collection. After I had chosen my photo books I put in the order which was simple and now I am the proud owner of several books. All of them look incredibly professional for a digital photo album and they have pride of place on my living room coffee table. So instead of being hidden away on my computer all of my wonderful photos have had a new lease of life printed and bound.
Author Resource:- Dominic Donaldson is an expert in photography.
Find out more about Photo Books and how the services available can help with creating imaginative photo gifts.

How to Scan Slides to Produce Digital Pictures

There are several ways to scan slides to turn them into digital photos. Many people remember the small square cardboard cut-outs containing negatives that would be popped into a tray at family gatherings, and with some light and a projector screen (or blank wall) people could reminisce over photos that were larger than life. Today, slide screens have given way to large screen televisions and computer screens. The slide has been rendered all but obsolete, but how do people save the pictures on the slides and keep them viewable? The answer is simple-scan them. These are some of the different ways to turn slides into great, state-of-the-art digital pictures.

Scanning Slides: The Scanner
One of the easiest ways to scan slides is to use a scanner with a special attachment. The attachment is like a mirror box, which diverts light around to the back of the slide so that the scanner picks up transmitted light instead of reflected light. However, this method does not produce the best results; scanned pictures can look soft, unrefined, too dark, and often appear with white spots all over them, which is actually just dust that is being lit up. Some scanner models have special transparency adapters that can be bought to scan images from negatives and slides. These can be very pricy, though, averaging about $1800.00 for a decent one.

Many people claim that the image results using the adapter are no better than the scanner that uses the mirror box attachment. One advantage of the transparency adapter, however, is that an entire large image can be scanned all at once, making it easier to restore old photos than it would be to piece several scans together and then start the restoring process.

Scanning Slides: The Digital Camera
It makes sense to use a camera to get a picture of a picture. However, although this can be a simple way to get results, it often proves to turn out some pretty disappointing photos. Missing hues, colors, highlights, effects, and downright blurry, fuzzy images are very common. Devices exist that can link your camera and a slide projector so that when a projector changes display images, the camera is set up to snap a picture of it. These can be frustrating, and the obvious downfall is that you must have a working slide projector to use the method. Other devices are on the market that attach right to the camera and hold a slide to it; however, you can only insert and deal with one slide at a time, and the devices are usually specific to a certain make and model of camera.

Scanning Slides: The Professional
By far the most hassle-free, low-effort, cost-effective way to scan slides is to take the slides to a professional. Someone at a camera shop or photography shop will be able to work the gizmos, gadgets, equipment, and devices needed to safely turn your slides into perfect pictures. Prices vary depending on the amount of slides to be transferred, but many people find it is an invaluable service to have when they need to scan slides to have digital pictures.

If you are thinking about those boxes of slides stuffed in the basement from your 1973 trip to see the worlds largest coconut and want to turn them into digital pictures, do yourself a great favor and take them to a professional who can scan slides for you. You will be glad that you did when Aunt Ferns portrait isnt restricted to appearing on a slide screen anymore and has gone digital for all the world to see.
Author Resource:- To know more about scan slides, please visit our website
By : Phoenix Delray

Photography - A Memory Preserver

Photography is used by amateurs to preserve memories of favorite times, to capture special moments, to tell stories, to send messages, and as a source of entertainment. Many mobile phones now contain cameras to facilitate such use. Photography is all about light, and as photographers, we're constantly thinking about the light as we photograph a scene. Light dominates our thoughts during the photographic process, and light continues to be a defining element when converting your RAW captures to "real" digitalimages. Photography is an art and those of us who choose to practice the great art of street photographyought not be targeted by bullies like Blint. Many of the great artists, artists being shown in the SF MOMA itself were practitioners of street photography.

Photography is a language; it has syntax and structure like English. As with a language, there are many ways to understand how to use the language. Photography is also increasingly asserting itself on the auctionblock as an important investment. And its prices in the galleries and at the major fairs reflect its serious status.Photography is one of the most basic, quintessential prototypes for how a "small business" works. It's the single-celled creature of the business world, making it the easiest to analyze, experimentwith, test, and retest.

Photography is a type of art. With the skillful use of the artist's hands, photography can bring out the subject's "personality" and create almost magical moments which might not ordinarily be achieved through other means of self-expression. Photography is a creative endeavor, if you removethe pressure to capture every angle and view of a location, you free yourself up to be more creative and your results will be much better. Photography is not art any more than oil paint is art. Some photographers used it to create art.

Photography is the confluence of chance, observation and memory. Photography and Art tap into the very life force that drives us. Photography is an emotional and intuitive process for me. Scenes, objects, and the subtleties of light and colour are like emotional bookmarks. Photography is an art that is capable of ?

Photography is so much a part of our culture now that we hardly even notice all the places that it exists. When you watch television, look at a magazine or even view a billboard on the highway, this is all because of photography. Photography is no different than cave painting, we all want to tell our story, some want to record that story for others who missed out. Did you see the anguish in her face, did you notice the mother's reaction?". Photography is the dream, the interval, which we take to be the real. And yet secret tears flow behind these portraits.

Photography is an entire hobby in itself, and a thorough exploration of it is beyond the scope of this article. If you are interested in Professional RC aerial photography, or just want to know more, get a book from the library on photography and read it. Photography is a life-long hobby for many people. But for many thousands more it is a vocation. People who gain ability in photography can put their knowledge to work by making their living in it. Photography is also just plain fun, and it's a wonderful foundation for community-based projects. If you introduce photography properly, it helps you look much more carefully at the world around you.

Photography is finally escaping any dependence on what is in front of a lens, but it comes at the price of its special claim on a viewer's attention as "evidence" rooted in reality. As gallery material, photographs are now essentially no different from paintings concocted entirely from an artist's imagination, except that they lack painting's manual touch and surface variation. Photography is HOT in the international art market. People in the know buy photos by hot artists from hot dealers, the way some savvy businessmen buy blue-chip stocks. Photography is probably the most accessible form of art in the world. Granted, a box of crayons is cheaper than a disposable camera, but in theory you do not need any technical skills to use the camera.

Photography is an art form that should not be squelched. Transportation is a huge part of our lives, and documenting this whether it be subway photos, or pictures of trains and airplanes, has a long history and tradition in this country Photography is also a large part of our modern news media and journalism. Photography is an expansive art form that includes more than just portraiture, landscape or glamor photography. Both professional and amateur photographers may favor specific types of photography over others.

Cameras also provide histograms to help you determine if a photo has been properly exposed. Histograms will be a subject for a future article. Cameras may be hand held or mounted, and photographs may be taken by a photographer, triggered remotely or triggered automatically. Platforms for aerial photography include fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, balloons, blimps and dirigibles, rockets, kites, poles and parachutes. Cameras are changing and improving. Methods of developing are changing and improving as well.

Cameras in the nineteenth century were large, took photographic plates and required a long time for exposure. Subjects in portraits would have to sit for minutes, and some photographers would use restraints or posture holding devices to reduce movement. Cameras do not focus infrared light the same way they do visible light, which is one reason infrared photographs tend to be a little blurry. Cameras with a pentaprism (as opposed to pentamirror) ensure that little light is lost before it hits your eye, however these often increase the cost of the camera significantly. Larger format sensors also produce a brighter viewfinder image (such as full frame 35 mm, compared to 1.5-1.6X or smaller crop factors).

Stock photos are professional photographs of all different subjects that are sold individually or as a set, usually on a CD or on the Internet. Clip art is line art such as drawings and illustrations rather than photographs. Stock photography websites contain thousands of existing photographs that can be licensed for specific uses. Legally, you cannot use a photo you find on the web without the photographer's permission.

Practice your photography skills and improve your class projects. Practice this at home in a dimly lit room and without a flash change the shutter speed settings on your camera. The manual you got with the camera should explain this more in detail.

Subject movement is also an important factor to consider. Macro photography magnifies the subject, leaving more room for blur. Subjects in all lower case tend to escape notice in a busy group like RPD, and those in ALL CAPS tend to get actively ignored?probably because many experienced Internet users take all caps as SHOUTING.

Phantom of the market

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=William_Cristopher

Some Photographs Just Deserve A Special Frame

Photographs are the best and most common way to capture special moments in the times of our lives. They can be portraits that we make appointments to go and have taken or they can be snapshots that are taken during family gatherings, the first step a baby takes, or a milestone that has been reached like a graduation or a wedding. If the photograph was taken, it was meant to be kept as a remembrance. Some photos might not turn out as well as you had hoped, but even these usually find their way into a photo album and are kept anyway. Then there are those once is a life time photographs that just beg to be framed and displayed.

Picking a perfect frame for a perfect picture can be a challenge. There are so many great frames available now in all kinds of finishes and materials. They can be theme specific to go with the decoration that might already be in a particular room. Some frames can be purchased that have cute or sentimental sayings that add a compliment to a photo. Some frames can be so elaborate or elegant that they when combined with a great photograph it makes a wonderful work of art instead of just a picture in a frame.

It is good to keep in mind the spirit of a photograph when you are purchasing a frame for it. It is a casual photo or is it more in line of a portrait? Is the subject a family pet or family member? Are they dressed up or in everyday clothes? All of these things can help you determine what style of frame you need. If the picture is elegant, then the frame should be something that will compliment it. If the picture is a casual shot, then a casual frame will likely be more suitable. Keep the color scheme of the room where it will be placed in mind as well. Sometimes you might get in a hurry to have a picture framed and might rush into buying one that will not work as well if you had shopped around a little.

If you have a series of photos from a special occasion or you have photos of several different subjects you would like to group together, you might need a frame that holds many photos and even of different sizes. These type of frames are great for all of the everyday shots you might take of casual moments in your life and that of your family members.

Always remember to have extra copies of special photographs made just in case something were to happen to the original. Many people are using their computer to scan and back up copies of their photos onto a disc. You can keep it in a safety deposit box at your bank or make a couple of copies and keep one at the house of a family member or friend. A house fire or a flood has caused many families to lose all of those precious printed memories because they did not have the foresight to make copies.
Author Resource:- Jenna Anderson is a writer and you can visit her sites at Shop-A-Lu and Apparel & Fashion

Digital Photo Restoration Sheds Light on Old Photographs

Digital photo restoration is nothing short of the work of true artists with a love for old photographs. When the art of restoration first appeared, it was a marvel. Specialty shops, for a rather hefty price, could sharpen borders, replace missing edges, and brighten the color.

Today, photos can be scanned and emailed to any photography shop in the world that retouches old photos, and the finished product can be emailed back to the customer fairly quickly and for much cheaper than before. Photo restoration today doesnt stop with the edges and borders of a photograph; missing chunks of pictures, even in the middle of the photo, can be replaced. In addition, artists can add people and furniture to a photo that were not in the original one. It is easy for a customer to submit any photos, slides, or negatives to a company for this service. In addition to emailing the picture file, it is very convenient, easy, and safe to upload the picture to the company.

The traditional way is to bring the original photograph in hand to a shop that specializes in this type of work. Of course, photos can be mailed to artists as well. Digital photo restoration is safe, inexpensive, and easy to use for the customer.

Photo Restoration: How It Works
The first thing that restoration artists do when they receive an old or damaged picture is to evaluate the damage. Rips, folds, and color issues are addressed, and an estimate of what it will cost to repair the issues is relayed to the customer. One of the greatest things about digital restoration is that the original photograph is NEVER altered. The only thing that is tinkered with is the scanned copy. This is especially important for those who bring their photos into a shop as opposed to emailing or uploading them. The customer then is given the estimate for the work, and the fun begins. Usually within a day or two, thanks to incredible technology today, the customer is shown an initial test version of the picture, restored.

If needed, the client can express their need for any further changes to the photo. If additional changes are requested, the customer will receive another test version for review. Once the customer is satisfied with the restored, fresh looking photo, orders for prints, reprints, and other special services can be ordered and filled.

Digital Restoration: The Benefits
The most obvious benefit to restoring old photos digitally is that the end result is much more suitable for framing and displaying to family and friends. A more colorful, uninterrupted image is much more aesthetically pleasing than a torn, worn, and shorn one. Another great reason to get an old photo retouched is renewability. People can rest easy knowing that there are 50 copies of Great Aunt Louises picture in existence, as opposed to Uncle Hebert having the only copy on the planet.

Retouched or repaired photographs make excellent additions to family trees, histories, and family Bibles, too. People always say that a picture is worth a thousand words, and digital photo restoration is the perfect way to make sure that no matter how many years those words have been around, they will never go unheard.
Author Resource:- To know more about digital photo restoration, please visit our website

Creating A Photo Book For A Special Day

Creating a photo book is a wonderful way to create visual memories of a special occasion that will last for a lifetime.

A photo book was originally a photo album, where hard copy photographs were collated and displayed behind clear plastic to protect them. Now, everything is usually done digitally, and you can make your own book online by uploading digital prints and arranging them into a book, using free software provided by many companies.

Creating a photo book as a gift for someone is a great way to mark a special occasion, such as a wedding, birthday party or hen night. All you need is a digital camera and a few hints and tips on how to take good photos, and you can create a keepsake to be treasured forever.

Digital photography is brilliant because it doesn't cost you anything to take a shot and look at it, either on the camera's screen or on a computer screen. This means you can experiment and practise different techniques until you are confident.

Pay attention to the composition of a photograph. This means looking carefully at how people are going to be framed in your snap; are you too far away from your subjects? What else is in the shot? You can use naturally occurring lines to give the picture a sense of direction, or even imply feeling and emotion in the shot. For example, soft curves of s-shaped lines in a photograph conjure feelings of quiet and calm, whereas sharp slanting ones imply action or movement.

When snapping people, try to work out where good picture cut off points are on their bodies at natural junction points. Be aware that if you are positioned with your camera in between what you are photographing and a big light source, such as the sun, then you risk losing details in shadows. If positioned like this, it's possible to create some fancy visual effects, but it isn't easy to do this so you'll need to practise.

If you are creating a photo book for a special day, make sure you get lots of practise in before hand; easy to do as it doesn't cost much, and is of course fun. Be sure to take lots of photos at every opportunity so that you have many to choose from when you put your book together and, if it's for an occasion such as a wedding or hen night, make sure there is plenty of the bride or bride to be looking great.
Author Resource:- Dom Donaldson is a photography expert.
Find out more about photo book http://photo.jessops.com/

What You Need To Know About Underwater Digital Cameras

If you tried to use an old fashioned camera under water, you would most likely ruin the camera and not get any pictures. Since the invention of digital cameras an increasing number of people have used underwater cameras to take pictures of marine life. A fish camera allows fishermen to see where the shoals of fish are most likely to be as they have a better chance of taking home the catch of the day.

There are different types of underwater cameras and the most sophisticated models will do a lot more than the cheaper ones. If you just want to try out an underwater camera next time you're on vacation, why not get one of the new disposable ones? You can always get a non-disposable camera later if you enjoy filming underwater. While a disposable camera is ok, several feet under water the pictures may not be as clear as with a regular underwater camera and you may get blurred or dark pictures because the lighting capacity is not so good.

The design of these cameras has advanced so that you can now get affordable underwater video cameras to make an underwater film that you can enjoy later. Cameras that can be used under water are extremely useful for the professional fishermen who makes major catches because they can be alerted as to when the stock of a particular type of fish is low.

It's all too easy for the bays' to become over fished and underwater cameras means that fishermen can keep their finger on the pulse of marine life and know when it's still ok to fish in certain waters and not to fish in others.

If you plan on making filming a regular hobby, it might be an idea to get one of the mid range underwater camera kits as it will give you more flexibility with your filming. You do need to take care of this camera if you want it to last a while and take good pictures.

When you've been on a trip you should always rinse your camera off with clean water to prevent corrosion. Make sure that the camera is thoroughly dry before you open it as you don't want any of the water to drip into the camera.

When you dive into the water it's a good idea to have a lens protector on your camera, if the lens gets broken you'll have a ruined lens and possibly a broken camera. If there is something wrong with your camera, you should get it looked at by someone who is qualified in dealing with underwater cameras. Most cameras and camera kits will come with a warranty, covering parts and labor for a specified period.

Every time you need to open your camera you should check for dirt, as any hard particles can let water pass the O ring and get into the camera. If the O ring is broken it will have to be replaced before you can take the camera under water again.

Also, if your camera is not going to be used for a few weeks you should remove the batteries to prevent them leaking throughout.
Author Resource:- Want to find out more information on Underwater Camera Kits for your new Underwater Digital Camera, then look no further.

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Article From

Photographing Dogs

Snapping Dogs!
　
　
We all love our pets, especially our dogs this fact is undisputed.

Pictures of them are a fantastic memory to keep forever, but how do we go about getting these photographs? Well we could pay a professional photographer to take a portrait of your pet a perfectly reasonable thing to do, this however, could be expensive in these financially troubled times. Another option is to have a go yourself, this option can be fun and also make those memories more complete and fulfilling, not to mention hugely satisfying by doing it yourself.

　
Firstly when do we do this? The best time is now, there is never a better time to do it than now, for many reasons. Age is a big reason, possible accidents and illness are other good points, otherwise it can become one of those regrets, things that you never got around to do, so why not ‘seize the day’.
　
Next what equipment do we need? The answer is almost any camera will do, but for good quality results, a fully focussing single lens reflex camera will do the job. Nowadays a digital camera is the ideal, but older film cameras can still be used very successfully. A digital camera is better for many reasons: you get to see the results straight away on the camera screen, if its not what you want you can start again and keep going until you get exactly what you want . The cost of this is negligible whereas with a film camera you have a finite number of pictures available on each film and you then have to wait until its processed to see the results. If you don’t get exactly what you want that moment is gone forever and another time will have to be planned.
So on many fronts the digital camera can be the most successful, and give you the most confidence with your results, before you finish your ’shoot’. On a technical note the higher the number of ‘mega pixels’ in your camera the better looking your final print will be.
Now where do we take the pictures? A professional studio with its controllable lights can make any pet look fabulous, in the main we don’t all have access to these so we need to control where we take our picture in relation to our light source i.e. mainly the sun and sky.
　
As a rule black or dark dogs are better in bright sunshine as the harsh bright light can make their coats really shine for the photograph, whereas the opposite is needed for light or white dogs they photograph better in a shady area or perhaps on an overcast day, in this way their coat will show more detail than in the sunshine.
　
So do we do it in the home or in the garden? Generally speaking both will work, it does depend on the space available and the size of your dog. Small, lap dogs look cosy and cute on cushions or sofa’s, larger dogs look better sat on the floor. If you have a full length window or glass patio type door then just using the light coming in through this glass can look great on any dog giving much more pleasing results than your standard camera flash. Using this type of area also restricts the space that your dog can ‘escape’ to, particularly if its unhappy about the photographic process!
　
You may feel that you don’t want a stiff formal looking portrait, to capture this moment in time. This is where the do-it-yourself type portrait comes up trumps as you can spend as much time as you need to get the results that you want.

Dogs can look better photographed outside. Either an action type image, sitting or standing photo. If your garden is nice and tidy, and perhaps not too cluttered, then it could be good. The first thing to look at is the background you will use, invariably a continuous, non cluttered one is better than a fussy one. By cluttered it could mean garden furniture, children’s toys, lots of brightly coloured flowers or general garden rubbish, it all detracts from our main point of interest the dog! As a general rule the less things to view in the background, then, the more your attention is focussed on your subject (the dog). This will lift a picture from being OK to a become a fantastic portrait. The reason for saying this the less going on in the background the more our dog will stand out and be the main point of interest in our picture.
　
With this in mind, if your garden is difficult to use effectively then perhaps on a walk in a park or countryside may give better results.Now before you go yomping across great swathes of this fair land in search of the perfect backdrop for our master portrait, take a few moments to consider what kind of picture you want to achieve, this is all part of the planning sequence. Ideally this can also be practiced in the privacy of our garden. Do you want the dog to sit, stand, walk, run or jump, catch or bound over a fence etc? Its helpful if you have an idea what you would like to do then we practice, getting the dog to do, what you need it to do inthe picture. At this point I must point out when you get it sat, stood or whatever, you must then be able to achieve this, a distance from the dog to photograph it! You wouldn’t be the first person to get every aspect perfect, setting ,lighting, pose, all miles from home only to find that you can’t move more than a few inches away from the dog rendering it impossible to take a photograph!
This is not a disaster, forewarned is forearmed as they say at this point we need help, a partner, friend or family member is what is required. You then need to convey to your new assistant, what you need him or her to do with the dog, exactly as you did it, to get the dog to sit, stand or whatever, whilst you get yourself in position to take the perfect picture. After this it is just a matter of practice and timing to get it absolutely perfect.

If you say want your dog to stand in the photograph your partner must hold it in place, perhaps stroking, gently calming Fido making sure to not get it excited or boisterous, whilst you frame it perfectly within the camera viewfinder, then, when you are ready your friend must ease away
Gently, perhaps a light stroke or two first then gently easing back carefully, so as to not make the dog startled, as soon as they are out of your viewfinder, take that picture.

Your dog may rush off, that’s OK, you took the picture. All you have to do now is to now transfer to chosen background and repeat the procedure if your dog runs away then get it back and do it again, do this as many times as you can. Another consideration at this point is do you take close-up type portraits or full length I always suggest you have a go at both, a head and shoulders picture looks great as a smaller picture whereas a full length will look better larger on the wall giving you lots of choices and more ideas at the editing stage. Now hopefully amongst them will be the one !!!!
All you have to do now is choose which one and send it for printing.