Who else loves to use more dramatic lighting to create more of an atmosphere in their images?
I tend to be quite experimental with my lighting and cover a variety of styles and poses to get the best out of the animal I am photographing.
Maximus was this humongous but incredibly soft and gentle giant. I wanted to show off the power and coat of the German Shepherd breed by positioning my light to create more atmosphere.
Using two strip lights either side or one strip direct overhead of the dog I was able to highlight the fair hair from the ears and outline the body shape whilst capturing a depth of shadow that accentuated the shape of his face. The background is a Crimson paper roll but allowing a bit of space between the background and subject the light bled less so I managed to get a deeper Burgundy Red with a subtle vignette.
If there's too much shadow you can always bring in a reflector to bounce a little light back.
Your use of dramatic lighting is awesome! Often I see pet portraits where the nose is sharp but the eyes are out of focus, however, your depth-of-field is great. I thoroughly enjoy your work.
Thank you so much!!! :D
I've never done pet portraits but I want to give it a try. Can you give me some advise how to handle pets? Also, what lens and aperture do you use if you don't mind me asking?