MY Old Country House: Photography and PETS

I LOVE TAKING PICTURES.....

I LOVE PHOTOGRAPHY

I used to want to be a photographer for National Geographic Magazine.

I have loved taking pictures since before...well before EVERYONE took pictures.

Before there were cameras in phones and before there were phones without cords...

I LOVE FREEZING TIME...CAPTURING MOMENTS...

I miss 35mm FILM but I Love that Digital has made

Photography...more accessible.

But it will always be more than JUST taking a picture to me.

After millions of photos I think it is safe to say that I will never tire

of the light and the angles,

the stories and

the shots that take your breath away.

Charlie and his piggie....

Like SO MANY OF THE THINGS I DO AND LOVE DOING...

I taught myself Photography.

By taking photos of my children...and my pets.

I have taken a number of classes...

but everything I have LEARNED..

...has been CAUGHT not TAUGHT

I caught the drift of photography by taking many many bad photos.

Making Mistakes....

too dark, too blurry, to boring...too posed...and

I STILL take bad photos....but I LOVE the process.

The QUEST. Maybe I am a gambler...

I in no way consider myself an expert or even a really gifted photographer...

but I LOVE the ART of photography

and THAT my friends is why I take pictures.

I still Have to look up my cliffnote instructions for using the f-stop and the aperture ...STILL

so HERE I will simply tell you my 5 VERY BASIC STEPS to getting the best pictures you can...on just your

AUTO setting. no reflectors, nothing fancy..just YOU and your camera...on AUTO.

HERE are my 5 STEPS

TO GETTING GOOD PICTURES OF YOUR PETS

1. GOOD LIGHTING -
THE FIRST thing I do when I teach basic photography to kids and I have them all turn off their flash.

It is easy...you find this icon:
.....your camera directions will help, but usually you press on this symbol and some choices will come up...choose this one:

now your flash is off!

FLASH

NO FLASH

Next, I teach them the kids to find the good light.
YOU know your home better than anyone...is there a particular spot that every time you pass it, looks beautiful, bathed in sunlight....a a certain time of day? Even on a yucky day? If so, USE that spot...
case in point...I have taken photos of the graduating 5th graders at our elementary school for 5 years, each student...that is a lot of kids, and EVERY single time I have taken the pictures in the same spot at the same time of day on a sunny day....because it is a WIN WIN spot!!!...under a shady tree but with sun shining through...the kids get pretty sunshine on their hair..and the pictures are always great!!...

at a certain time of day...the sun shines through our front door and makes for very pretty shots....
FIND YOUR LIGHT!!!
You can also us a tripod and do even more with the settings on your camera to
"capture" and hold onto light...but again...we are doing BASIC stuff here.

2. CAPTURE A MOMENT -

Yes, yes, this is what it all is about right? Well, then why are we constantly setting our pets and children and ourselves up to fail by STAGING our photos? Pets are best caught running, climbing, jumping and just being themselves....
TIDBIT - and this goes for ALL of your photos, home, pets, children..you DO NOT have to get the whole subject in the photo...I challenge you to go look in a magazine...RARELY is an entire person, or animal or room in the photographs...you FEEL like they are...because the photos allow you to fill in the blanks...but when you really look, much is left to the imagination...and the photos are beautiful!

This picture of me carrying Charlie like a baby was taken by a 3rd grader!!! It caught the moment of me and my "4rth child" so perfect...we could not have planned it...just be ready..because LIFE is ALWAYS happening...

HUMOR helps....

....this says it all...I remember that day like it was yesterday...

3. ADD A KID - lets face it, kids and dogs or bunnies, kitties, or horses...go VERY well together...CUTE squared.....

4. LET SLEEPING DOGS- SLEEP!
They do not have to be AWAKE !!! How is it that our pets can make sleep look intoxicating delicious???Get out your camera...catch it....but shhhhh...they wake up easily and the moment is gone....

....an interesting photo does NOT have to be in focus, or even have the best light...
sometimes that is exactly what MAKES it interesting and beautiful.

5. LOOKING UP....

There are an abundance of talented Pet Photographers online....Alicia Skinner, Josh Solar of Banana Abby (Abby is his Bassett Hound...hence the "banana", Florida Photographer- Emilee Fuss, Local girl - Michelle at Gray Dog Photography, Kim and Sarah at BARK Pet Photography, Kelly at Mountain Dog Photography and there are so many many many more.
I LOVE all of these photographers work and my Hands down non action favorite pose to photgraph and paint..is the dog looking up at YOU. The intention, the love is in their eyes...they just look 100% focused, you see their body behind, but the face gets top billing...and sometimes...it is even okay to show (the audience) what they are really focused on!!!