[bladerunner6]

I am doing the DIY Photography 52 week Challenge and this week is Tell A Story-Forgotten.

I am going to the local animal shelter to photograph dogs (I assume a dog but they are choosing the animal).

I have the kit lens, the 35mm 2.4, the 50 1.8, and a Tamron 90 macro.

Any recommendations or suggestions, please?

Thanks.

[photoptimist]

I'd use all four!

For "portraits" of the dog(s), I'd go for the 90 or the kit lens at the longest end so you don't have to get right in the face of the subject (which some dogs don't like and which might invite friendlier dogs to nose-print your lens). If you want the dog to look proud/regal, get the camera below the dog's eye level so you are not looking down on the animal. A longer FL also helps reduce background clutter.

The 35 or the wide end of the kit could be good for shelter interiors. If you want a shot that makes the subject look lonely, use wide angle, shoot through the cage bars/mesh with the dog huddled in the dark corner. Wide angle might also be used in an outdoor play area showing all the dogs running around (assuming the background isn't distracting/depressing).

And the 50/1.8 could make a nice bokeh shot with cage bars and a curious glistening nose in sharp focus and the rest of the dog blurred in the background.

Good luck!

[Pen-A]

Aps-c I´d use the 50. For full frame 90 macro would be great also.. might still be good for small dogs. 35 maybe.. It depends what kind of shots you have in mind. Kit lens wide angle can make funny close ups.. Yeah, I´m not helping at all.

[loji]

rent a DA 15 ... mount your camera on a tripod and hold it upside down to get it below the dogs on the floor (and not break your back) ... use an IR remote to trigger, and get the lens super close to the pup.

Most dogs hear the screw drive and get curious and will look at the lens .. the wide angle means pretty much everything will be in focus. and being really close means the dog fills the entire frame. Since it's recalinear, you won't get much distortion.

I've been thinking of the same project at a shelter, just to give their dogs good cute shots to help them get adopted.

[seventhdr]

Actually I'd use the 35 or the 50 and get as close as possible to the dogs face.

OR use the kit lens at 18mm and get CLOSE

Remember to focus on the dog's eyes because that is where their life and soul shows through.

Have some squeakers and toys to get the dogs attention.

Get down at their level, even lie on the ground. Shoot them from an angle that we don't really see them from.

Regards

Chris

[Wingincamera]

I like the idea from loji about using the camera upside down on a tripod or monopod. If you can use image sync & your phone you could better see the composition. The dog will probably be tethered on a leash, so try and take one photo of the scene without the dog, then the photo with the dog from the same camera location. That makes it easy to take the two photos into PS layers and remove the leash or anything else that creeps into the scene. PS will align the two layers for you before you start masking the leash out of the picture. Don't forget about the minimal focus distance of the lens your using.

[amoringello]

You're going to find some dogs like the camera, others won't. So having a range of focal lengths is a must.
They will also likely to be excited. Imagine a small child on lots of caffein after being locked away for a week with no way of communicating what you want.

i.e. I'd recommend a zoom, regardless of quality, far over any set of primes.
Unless you have the luxury of spending an hour or so with each dog to allow them to settle down, a leash and attention getting devices will only do so much.
I'll generally get about 5-10 minutes with each animal. And with 10-20 or more new dogs a week at the shelter, its a run and gun game against a very active "opponent". :-) ;-)

These are BIO pics, and I rarely get the chance to do artistic portraits.
Your project may be with far fewer dogs, so take your time and let the animals have as much time as you can to allow them to settle down.

If you can have at least two assistants, that will be helpful. A third can be a very welcome plus. (either shelter staff, or bring your own)
**Bring LOTS and LOTS of patience.**

Good luck and may the shelter bring you only well behave pups :-)
(I love them all, and taking BIO pics of the new shelter dogs really makes my day... but they can be a handful.)

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Last edited by amoringello; 02-17-2017 at 07:16 PM.

[officiousbystander]

This video is great:

You Tube

You Tube

[bladerunner6]

Thanks everyone for your help. In the end, I did a few test shots with the kit lens and then switched to the DA50. I probably would have spent more time using different lenses but I didn't want to interfere too much with people looking at the dogs and taking up the staff time.

Here are some shots from the session. Not the best photography ever, but I did achieve what I wanted-showing forgotten animals in a compassionate light. Thanks for the help.

[officiousbystander]

I want to take them all home. Job done.

[bladerunner6]

An update-the first two dogs, Aubrey and Brownie were adopted at an adoption event on Saturday 2/18.

Aubrey was the longest tenured dog at the shelter at 163 days and Brownie was a dog from Tennessee.

I might post these and others in a separate thread.