I’ve been on vacation for the past week… although I managed to schedule a few posts during my absence, I didn’t have a chance to get this week’s No Frown Friday together. I hope you’ll forgive me – instead, today I’ll share a few photos from my vacation so that you can see what I was up to. Continue reading
I took this one using my iPhone (Instagram with the black & white filter). Tavish was downstairs with the Hub, so I took the opportunity to sneak Bella up on the bed for some snuggle time. Obviously, I wasn’t going to disturb her to go get the DSLR!
Digging the black & white vibe we’ve got going on today? It’s part of the Black & White Sunday blog hop hosted by You Did What With Your Weiner, My Life in Blog Years, and Dachshund Nola. Stop by one of those blogs to link up and join the fun!
I’m breaking July’s monthly roundup into two installments – once I finally started catching up on my blog reading, the list ended up being much longer than I expected. (Seriously, I’d appreciate it if everyone would dial down the quality of their posts – it would make my life a lot easier.)
Before we get started with the first installment, I just have to share this post from Text From Dog. I just could not stop laughing after I saw it.
Anyway, without further ado, here are thirteen more posts that made me smile in July. Hats off to these awesome bloggers…
Loving the black & white vibe we’ve got going on today? It’s part of the Black & White Sunday blog hop hosted by You Did What With Your Weiner, My Life in Blog Years, and Dachshund Nola. Check out the list below for more photos…
I’m so excited to bring you the second installment of my interview with Seth Casteel, the founder of Second Chance Photos. Through this nonprofit, Seth aims to help shelter pets find homes through photography. In today’s installment, Seth talks about lighting, his favorite moment as a pet photographer, and how you can save lives using your camera.
If you haven’t read Part I yet, I recommend you click here and check it out before diving into Part II. Read on for the rest of Part II…
It’s amazing what a difference the right photo can make – you can see it for yourself in the before and after photos on the Second Chance Photos website. When a potential adopter sees a photo of a shelter pet, we want them to start visualizing the relationship that they could have. As Pamela from Something Wagging astutely pointed out in the (very thoughtful) comments last week, it’s all about emotion. Don’t be intimidated by the technical side of photography – as Seth points out, you don’t have to be a professional to donate your time and skills to help shelter pets this way.
Let’s talk about lighting. What lighting is best? How do you deal with situations where the lighting is not ideal?
A very simple question with a complicated answer. My best advice about lighting is to experiment by shooting many photos in many different lighting scenarios. For classic portraits, I prefer cloudy days or the shade though.
Some of my readers asked about videos vs. photos. Do you think videos of shelter pets are useful?
Absolutely. Any positive images, either photo or video, help increase the chances of adoption.
What was your all-time favorite shoot?
Not a fair question!! 🙂 I have enjoyed every single photo shoot I have done for different reasons. If I have to pick at this very second, I would say an Afghan Hound I met in New York City by chance while waiting for another client. I met this dog for only 3 minutes and did a quick series of photos of him. One of these resulting photos has become one of my favorites because it showcases an expression that I can’t seem to figure out. This is what I love about dogs. They have such an amazing range of emotions and expressions, and in a lot of ways, are just like people. This is why we relate to them and this is why I have dedicated my life to them.
What has been your most rewarding or most memorable experience photographing shelter pets?
To know the work is making a difference. I feel very fortunate to have the opportunity to help. Not only are photos saving lives, but they are helping to change the image of “shelter pets”, revealing to people that they are wonderful pets and make loving additions to your family.
If you could offer one piece of advice to someone who would like to start volunteering as a shelter pet photographer, what would it be?
The work you do will save lives. It may not always be easy, but shelter pets need your help. Be patient. Be dedicated. Shelter pets do not have a voice, but you can give them one.
A bit off topic, but I always like to end with a pop culture question. What’s your favorite TV show?
I don’t watch much TV, but I would say DEAL or NO DEAL! It’s just so exciting!! No deal!!!! 🙂
Thanks again to Seth for answering my questions!
If you have any additional questions for Seth, please share them in the comments. I’ll pass them along and see if he is available to answer them. Has Seth inspired you to get involved?
As you may remember, last month I attended a fantastic workshop by Seth Casteel, the founder of Second Chance Photos. Second Chance Photos is a non-profit that is dedicated to helping shelter pets find homes through photography. A good photograph can make the difference in the life of a homeless animal – better photos help animals find homes.
After the workshop, I emailed Seth to see if he’d be willing to do an interview for my blog. He graciously agreed.
Below, you’ll find Part I of our email interview, which included a few questions from me as well as some from you. Today, learn about how Seth got started as a photographer, how he started working with shelter pets, and some practical tips. I’ll be sharing Part II of the interview next week.
How did you get started as a pet photographer?
I’ve always loved animals and photography, but two things in my life launched this new career path. I adopted a dog from the local shelter and started taking snapshots of her for fun. I really enjoyed the unique challenge of working with dogs as well as the rewards of capturing a special moment – a glimpse of her personality. About the same time, I heard about some kittens that were found on the movie studio lot where I worked. The kittens needed to find forever homes so I volunteered to photograph them to help catch the attention of potential adopters. All of the kittens found homes. From there, I began volunteering at the local shelter. Then landed a private client. Landed a magazine cover from that first private client shoot. And then wheeeeeeeeeeeee.
How did that work lead you to taking photos of shelter pets?
Shelter pets started it all. When I first started volunteering, I didn’t realize pet photography would become my career though. It was a nice surprise!
What is the biggest difference you find between shooting rescue and non-rescue dogs? Have you found that certain types of dogs are easier to photograph?
Zero difference. I’ve worked with thousands of dogs – a wide range of breeds, ages, backgrounds and personality-types. Some of the most photogenic and cooperative dogs have been shelter dogs and some of the most challenging “models” have been pets with homes. You just never know. 🙂
What do you think makes a dog more photogenic?
There is a great picture for every dog – you just have to find a way to figure out what that picture is.
Do you have any tips for taking photos of “ugly” dogs or dogs that may not be quite as cute on the surface? (I admit, this one’s not from me – I have puppy blindness and think all dogs are cute.)
Both photography and the appearance of dogs are subjective – so it really depends on who is viewing the photos. The key to any good dog photograph is emotion. If you can capture emotion in a photo, no matter what the subject looks like, you’ve got a winning shot that people can relate to.
Do you have any tips for handling a photo shoot with a fearful dog?
Patience. If you try to force a photo shoot on a fearful dog, the photos are going to be negative. Try to understand what the fear is – the camera? you? the world? At some point, you may just have to put on a long lens and hide in the bushes. 🙂
It’s both refreshing and inspiring to talk to Seth… I can’t wait to share Part II of the interview with you next week! Stay tuned (and if you have any additional questions for Seth, please feel free to share them in the comments).
Oh, and don’t mind Bella… she thinks she’s some sort of hotshot reporter now that we’ve scored this interview.
Last month, I read a post on Jezebel entitled “Pet Photographer Says Better Photos Save Shelter Dogs’ Lives.” Not long after that, I read another article on FIDO Friendly on the same topic. Through the FIDO Friendly article, I learned about Second Chance Photos, a non-profit that encourages people to donate their time to take personalized photos of animals in need of a forever home.
I was intrigued – the idea makes perfect sense. The cuter that furry face looks in the photo on the rescue group or shelter website, the more likely someone looking for a pet is going to fall in love. Not convinced? Check out some of these before and after photos.
As someone who’s obsessed with her camera, I couldn’t think of a better way to volunteer! Inspired by Second Chance Photos, I contacted some local rescue groups to see if they could use my services. One group, Friends of Homeless Animals (FOHA), took me up on the offer. FOHA is a non-profit, no-kill shelter that operates in the DC/Northern Virginia area. (Remember Dozer? He’s a FOHA alumnus.) According to its website, FOHA typically houses more than 100 dogs and 30 cats on site (as well as more in foster homes). As you can imagine, that’s a lot of animals that need photos for the website!
This weekend, I visited FOHA to take photos of some of their adoptable pets. I’m so glad I did. A friend came along to handle the dogs while I took photos – we spent the afternoon playing with dogs and (fingers crossed) helping them find homes. It was rewarding and fun – I hope they’ll be willing to have me back.
Want to see some of the photos? Allow me to introduce you to my new friends…
If the slideshow didn’t work for you, check out the set on Flickr. For more information on these pups, visit Friends of Homeless Animals.
Interested in learning more about volunteering as a shelter pet photographer? Second Chance Photos has some great tips on how to get started, as well as tips regarding equipment, how to conduct the photo shoot, and editing.
You don’t have to be a pro – it just takes a little bit of homework and a lot of practice. It’s nice to think that all of my time playing pupperazzi has a practical application.
Have you ever taken photos for a rescue group, or are you considering doing so?
Yesterday’s Daily Shoot assignment: Make a photograph today that illustrates the act of waiting.
This one was pretty easy for Ms. Bella. She’s always sitting around with a hopeful look on her face as if perhaps food will fall from the sky. I ended up with two shots I really liked. I chose the one on the left for my official entry. Which one do you like better?
Bella doesn’t always make an appearance in my Daily Shoot photos. (They’re also not daily, but I’m working on it.) However, today she was kind enough to be my model. The assignment?
Work with scale today and make a photograph that features a subject either larger or smaller than expected.
Here’s the photo I selected:
I’ve been meaning to try my hand at the Daily Shoot for a while now. I can’t guarantee I’ll play every day (like the awesome BZ Training), but that’s okay, right? I’ll ease in slowly…
Today’s Daily Shoot assignment: Fill the frame of a photograph with a single subject today.
This one, I can handle.
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| View it on Flickr |
