Goodbye Summer!

Posted on September 3, 2010

Even though we still have a few weeks before the official start of Autumn, Labor Day weekend is typically a time to celebrate (or mourn) the end of summer. Here in Florida, I’m definitely celebrating! As much as I enjoy the idea of summer, I am *so* ready for some cooler temperatures. The weather this past week has been almost pleasant, so it definitely has me thinking about fall.

First, my dates for my annual trip back to Indiana have been finalized! I will be in the Indianapolis area from September 22-27. While I’m still working on my exact schedule, it looks like I’ll have time for one or two more photography sessions. If you are interested, please feel free to contact me, and we’ll work out the details!

Next on my “things to think about” list is…are you ready…Christmas! I know, I know – it’s only September – BUT since I’ve already had a few inquiries, I thought it would be a good time to mention that if you’ve been thinking about the possibility of giving the gift of photography this year, now is the perfect time to schedule a session. This is especially the case if you are interested in custom designed holiday cards or other speciality items that may require a little more production time. I always try to be as accommodating as possible, but November and December are usually very crazy (in a good way!) months around here so it’s good to get an early start.

Speaking of great gift ideas – I’ll admit that I’m *very* behind on sharing some of my latest and greatest specialty products, but hope to have some new samples up very soon.

I thought I’d share our 2009 holiday card – while it makes me sad to think that my cards this year will be missing Pongo, this makes me smile and is a reminder of just how special our last Christmas was together.

Peyton, Indy, and I hope that you all have a wonderful (and safe) Labor Day weekend!

Pet Photography Tips – Part Two

Posted on August 30, 2010

As I shared a few weeks ago, my number one tip when it comes to photographing pets is just to get out there and take LOTS of pictures. Even I have to remind myself to *make* time for photographing my own dogs! With that said, once you have your camera out (and possibly dusted off) here are a few tips that will hopefully be somewhat helpful. Please keep in mind that these are intended for the average user with a basic camera – hey mom, are you reading?

1. Lighting: Whenever possible, try to use natural light. Outdoor lighting is particularly lovely early in the morning or late in the evening, and it’s usually best to avoid strong direct sunlight that you’ll find in the middle of the day (especially here in sunny Florida). However, overcast skies can make for some really nice lighting, so don’t be afraid to bring your camera out on a cloudy day. “Even” light is generally best – if you are working in an area with both sun and shade, or strong backlighting, your camera will likely have a hard time finding the correct exposure.

If you are indoors (and if your camera will let you) try turning off your flash and find a nice well-lit area near a window. If you have ISO control on your camera (remember the “film” days?), you can try using a higher ISO (400+), but keep in mind the higher the ISO, the more likely you’ll have issues with camera noise and grain. If you’re in a pinch and must use your flash, you can avoid or lessen the effects of red eye (or more often green eye with pets), by not having them look directly into the camera.

2. The camera user manual is your friend: Ah, I can hear the groans now! Seriously though, know your camera. I understand that sitting down to read the manual is about as much fun as watching paint dry, but you might be surprised at what your little camera can really do! At the very least, make sure that you have your camera set to the highest quality file setting. RAW files are best, but you’ll need to make sure you download (and use) the software that comes with your camera. Otherwise a JPG set to the highest setting (usually super-fine or fine) is the way to go. If needed, you can always reduce the file size later.

There are a number of good photo editing software options out there, but more than likely the software that came with your camera will be be sufficient. Here you can make basic color corrections and adjustments to the exposure, brightness, and contrast of the image. While it’s always best to try to get your image as technically perfect as possible to begin with, your software can certainly help.

3. Action!: Let’s face it, most pets like to *move*! Of course this is fun, but often results in blurry images. This is another case where it really helps to know your camera! In general, point in shoot cameras are not known for their ability to capture great action shots, but if you are able to adjust your camera settings, you should see an improvement. For action, you’ll want a high shutter speed and a good amount of light. Some cameras have a “sports mode” which can be helpful and others may have a shutter priority mode where you can manually enter your desired shutter speed. You also might be able to manually adjust your ISO to a higher number, as mentioned above. Regardless of your camera’s abilities, I generally recommend following your subject with the camera (panning) and snapping the picture while both the subject and camera are in motion. This can take some practice, but is especially helpful when using cameras that have a bit of a delay from shutter lag – the time time between when you press the button and when the images is actually captured.

4. Location: Probably the most common concern that I hear is “but my backyard is not pretty!”…and while I can most definitely relate, a “pretty” location is generally not a big concern for me. Since my primary focus is always going to be the pet, the background is well, just the background. As a general rule, less is definitely more, and a clean, simple background will keep the focus on your pet. Look at what you have available – fencing, the side of your house, foliage, and even plain ‘ol grass works. Even if you don’t have the “perfect” setting, using your camera’s zoom lens (if you have one) relatively close to your subject, is a great way to help blur the background. And if you have an aperture priority mode on your camera, you can use a wide aperture (which is actually a smaller number) to help throw the background out of focus.

5. Smile!: So you have good light, an idea of your camera’s capabilities, and your location, so the only thing that’s left is your pet, correct? I generally tend to take a very hands-off approach when photographing pets – and yes, this applies to even my own dogs! While I’ve certainly met a number of natural “models”, most pets are not exactly thrilled about sitting perfectly still for a picture. And that’s okay…making sure they are happy is the key to capturing their personalities! Keep it casual and fun – treats, toys, funny noises – these all come in *very* handy.

Try sitting down on the ground so that you’re at eye level with your pet. Shoot from different angles. Focus on the eyes. Be silly. Have fun. And don’t be afraid to experiment. I had one of my overdue “spotty dog sessions” this past weekend and decided it was time to play! The two images taken below were at a very slow shutter speed. The result…a little different, but fun! I love the strong feel of motion in these images…

I think that’s about it for this post…now go grab your camera and have some fun photographing your pets!

SarasotaDog.com | Pet Photography Tips

Posted on August 3, 2010

Last week I chatted with my friends over at SarasotaDog.com and shared a few of my ideas regarding taking good photographs of pets. You can read the full article here, but I thought I’d take this opportunity to share a few more of my thoughts when it comes to pet photography.

If you’ve read the article, you might be a little surprised that I didn’t really mention much, if anything, about cameras, exposure, lighting, composition, etc. It’s not that these things aren’t important, but I honestly believe that the most important thing is to just get out there and TAKE PICTURES of your pets!

As someone who makes their living as a professional photographer, I tend to often fall victim to the mindset that every image must be *perfect*. The lighting must be perfect. The conditions must be perfect. The exposure must be perfect. I could go on, but I think you probably get the idea. And while this quest for perfection is great for my clients, it means a lot of missed opportunities when it comes to capturing my own dogs. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve kicked myself for not pulling my camera out when my guys were just hanging out being their normal, everyday, goofy, entertaining selves. Would those images make for a nice, great big canvas print on my wall? Probably not, but at least I would have them as a reminder of all those little moments that mean so much.

If you’ve ever lost a pet, then I’m sure you understand just how important all of the “everyday” images become. When Pongo passed away in April, suddenly *every* single photo of him became a special one. I didn’t care if it was a little out of focus, or the lighting was bad, or the background wasn’t pretty. Aside from the wonderful memories I have of him, those less-than-perfect images are the only physical reminders I have left. And while I’m certain I have thousands of pictures, I now wish I had several thousands more. Sure, the big, beautiful prints hanging on my wall are awesome, and I’m so glad that I have them, but those horribly bad quality cell phone pictures are pretty special too.

So I guess my number one “tip” when it comes to pet photography is just to take as many pictures of your pets as you can. I’m always a little surprised, and saddened, when I talk to people who don’t have many, if any, pictures of their pets. And usually this is the case because they feel like they aren’t a “good” photographer, or don’t have the right equipment to take nice pictures. So not true!

For those of you who might be interested in the more “technical” and composition-related tips when it comes to photographing your pets, I promise to share some more of those here very soon!

Thank you SarasotaDog.com for chatting with me about my favorite subject – pet photography! For my local friends, I invite you to join the “Sarasota Dog Lovers” Meetup group. This is a new group for area dog lovers who want to get together at local dog friendly areas for some good conversation and fun with their dogs! To learn more, visit SarasotaDog’s Meetup page here. Their next event is coming up Monday, August 23  at Polo Bar and Grill in Lakewood Ranch. I’m hoping that Indy and I can make it, so hopefully we’ll see you there!

Florida Pet Photography | Road Trips!

Posted on July 24, 2010

As many of you know, my first love is photographing dogs. My second love is playing agility with them! While we are currently taking a little break due to the summer heat down here in Florida, I’m starting to plan my fall agility trial schedule. If you have been thinking about having a pet photography session with me, and live outside of the Southwest Florida area, there’s a good chance that I’ll soon be heading your way!

Here is my tentative travel schedule:

West Palm Beach: August 13-15
Ocala: September 24-26
Miami: October 21-24
Jacksonville: October 28-31
Vero Beach: November 19-21

If you live in or near one of these areas and are interested in a session with Simply Spotted Photography, please contact me so that I can add you to my interest list.

And for my Indiana friends and fans, I will likely be making my annual trip back to Indy sometime in September or October. I offer a limited number of sessions and last year they filled quickly, so please let me know if you are interested. As soon as I know my exact dates, I will post an update.

Poor Peyton thinks Florida summers are rather boring, and he can’t wait for his next road trip!

Remembering Pongo

Posted on May 24, 2010

One month ago today I lost my best friend. It doesn’t seem possible that it’s been a whole month…it seems like just yesterday I held him in my arms while he took his last breath. Where does the time go?

Since Pongo’s passing, I’ve been working on a few special photography projects. When he first started having health problems early last fall, I found it difficult to do much with any of his images. I just couldn’t look at them without thinking that they might be some of the last photographs that I would ever have of him…and at the time, that was not something that I wanted to accept.

But now that he’s gone, I just can’t stop looking at his photographs. It’s not that I need a picture to help me remember him, but every image sparks a memory of our time together. Ah, the power of photography. It’s been so therapeutic to finally be able to go back and work on some of his images from the past several months.

I hope to share some of my projects soon, but in the meantime I thought I’d share some photos from Pongo’s trip to Venice dog beach last November. Pongo absolutely *loved* the beach…I remember he used to make the strangest noises on the car ride there – I think it was a cross between a whine/cry/moan, and it made us laugh every time! This was our last trip to the beach together and I’m so glad that I have these images to help remember such a happy time.

Love and miss you Pongo!

Meet Tristan | Tampa Portrait Photography

Posted on February 25, 2010

I find photographing kids very similar to photographing dogs…they are adorable, very entertaining, easily distractible, and highly motivated by treats. Not to mention, they can be a lot of fun! Tristan is one very cute three year old with a big personality and smile that is downright contagious. I dare you to take a look at this first image and not smile!

Party of Ten!

Posted on February 24, 2010

I’ve photographed a lot of family portraits over the years, but I’m pretty sure I set a personal record this past weekend with two adults, one (very adorable) three year old, and seven dogs. Did you happen to catch that last part? SEVEN dogs!

Meet the Clark family…and are they not one of the best looking families EVER? Seriously, it’s almost too much cute for just one picture.

I’ll admit that “posed” portraits are not exactly my specialty, but I have to say that I had a lot of fun, and this was definitely of the most entertaining sessions I’ve ever had. I do think that LAUGHTER is the key…I’m so thankful these guys have a great sense of humor!

Of course I’ll be sharing more pictures of all the pups (including Tristan, the adorable two-legger) soon!

My Valentines

Posted on February 14, 2010

My three spotty valentines would like to wish all of our friends a very sweet Valentine’s Day!

Generally I’m not a big fan of using props in my photographs, but I do make an occasional exception when I come across cute items around the holidays. And since my three dogs are all seasoned models, they generally don’t mind too much! Peyton gives his best “sad spotty dog” pose…

As usual, Indy was less than amused, but at least she loves me….I think.

And Pongo wonders whose brilliant idea it was to make candy hearts that *can’t* be eaten!

Valentine’s Day is Sunday!

Posted on February 11, 2010

I have to admit that I’ve never been a big fan of flowers and chocolates for Valentine’s Day. Flowers are pretty for a few days and then they start to wilt…and while chocolates are very yummy, I always feel like I need to spend the next few weeks working off all those calories! I know that it’s the thought that counts, but just as a friendly little reminder, Simply Spotted Photography offers gift certificates for any occasion. Guaranteed to provide memories that will last for a lifetime *and* 100% calorie free, custom portraits are a perfect gift for your pet loving Valentine!

Woof Gang Bakery Cup

Posted on January 21, 2010

The first annual Woof Gang Bakery Cup is this Sunday, January 24th! The event starts at 1 pm and will take place at the Sarasota Polo Club in Lakewood Ranch. In addition to some great polo action on the field, Woof Gang Bakery will be  hosting a dog parade during halftime and will have some fun contests with awards to the top two dogs in the following categories:

Best Tail Wagging – Dogs (not the handler) will be judged on the exuberance of their tail motion.
Most Original Costume – A class to judge the dog and/or handler on their entertaining attire.
Most Mysterious Heritage – A class for those lovable pets whose features cross all lines of breed characteristics. You will not find this class at Westminster.
Terrific Pet Tricks – Show off your dog’s talent to do anything. It does not have to be outrageous!
Best Vocal Performance – Move over Barbara, get out of the way Celine. This category features canine crooners with the most unforgettable talents.
Most Glamorous – Paris, Milan, New York, Dupont Circle. This category is for canines with class and a little bit of attitude. Watch out for the paparazzi!

This should be a really fun event and I’m looking forward to being one of the contest judges! For more information and directions to the Sarasota Polo Club, click here. Hope to see you and your pups there!

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