An Outdoor Portrait Session from my POV
Have you ever wondered what goes into taking a fantastic photo of your pet? Have this image in your mind that it’s all glamorous, your pet is sitting pretty, looking right at the camera, and the photographer slowly and precisely takes the picture?
For this edition of Toni’s Tail Talk, let me take you through the journey of a typical outdoor photography session. I hope to make you chuckle, gasp in awe and maybe even shed a tear (ok, maybe not.. but it would be nice even if you faked it).
Most shoots are scheduled during Golden Hour (an hour (ish) before sunrise and sunset). However, not everyone can work this time into their schedule. I have been known to adjust my typical times, but it doesn’t come without risk. The high sun during the day, especially in summer, can result in harsh photos. So I pray to mother nature that we have some significant cloud cover if we are doing the shoot at any other time of day.
On the day of the shoot, I try to arrive at the location 15-30 mins before the shoot (except when my GPS takes me to the wrong spot and there is no cell signal in the area, but that is a story for another time) to scout out the best locations and get an idea of what I want to do based on our pre-session discussions. I also assess the number of people and other pets in the area so I can brief the owner when they arrive. I also take time time to prep myself and my gear. What do you mean prep yourself, Toni? You might be asking. Well, I am not talking about mental preparation, which might be a good idea sometimes. I am talking about dressing in the right clothes; I will not be winning any fashion awards when you see me. I am about safety from the elements, ground, and horrible bugs (aka ticks). I have long hiking pants, high socks, boots, a raincoat, and my hair on my head. Yup. I am a sight for sure!
After I am dressed up for the ball, I grab all my gear (and sometimes have a helper), and we all venture off for our session. Now I don’t want to ruin the experience by letting all my trade secrets out of the proverbial bag, but I will say this, our session is about an hour; during that time, I take photos, and your dog gets lots of snacks and breaks, and when I see that the dog is getting tired of it all, we wrap up. While we walk back to the cars, me to undress and pack back up and you to take your tired, happy pet home, we discuss the next step, which is all about you viewing and picking your photos (which happens about a week later).
Here is a quick video of the last shoot I did; I had this image in mind to have my friend (aka helper) video random stuff through the day so that I could create a bit more of the “My POV,” but.. things don’t always go as planned. Lucky for me, she is a pretty fantastic person, and she remembered to grab at least one video that I thought was perfect to create a quick show and tell for you all. I hope you enjoy it and remember that every pet can be a fantastic model and take beautiful photos.