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03-12-2019, 02:31 PM   #1
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Tips for photographing “a none more black” dog?

I photograph a lot of dogs in a lot of situations but I have been asked to photograph a champion standard poodle. This poodle not only has a black coat but is dyed black to be even more, what’s the word? Black!

Secondly when photographing a champion, it has to be posed a very specific way and its mouth cannot be open. No smiling and no panting. To me dogs are like people, they are the most attractive when they are smiling and their tongues are hanging out.

I think she ought to hire a pro and do it a studio but I thought I’d see if anyone here had experienced this problem.

03-12-2019, 02:45 PM - 2 Likes   #2
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Black tends to come out a lighter gray if metered, so needing underexposure by a stop or so will be a possibility. You should shoot raw and be adjusting sliders in post-processing.

When all else fails, I turn it up to 11 and smell the glove.

You might engage the dog with a little rattle toy or snack to catch his interest.
03-12-2019, 02:51 PM - 4 Likes   #3
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Shoot it like any other black specular object. Light it from the side and add a top/side hair light for definition. Preferably on a black or charcoal background so it looks cohesive.
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Last edited by enoeske; 03-12-2019 at 02:56 PM.
03-12-2019, 03:00 PM - 8 Likes   #4
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You need to have the owner with you when photographing the dog to pose it how they want...and to stop it chewing your camera bag ! Establish if they want "cute" pictures or a catalogue style.

A black background works well with a black dog, but I suggest you use two (minimum) off camera flash.



---------- Post added 03-12-19 at 10:05 PM ----------

Conversely i think white illuminated backgrounds work well with white or lighter coloured dogs, like Missy here.....



03-12-2019, 03:25 PM - 4 Likes   #5
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Technically you can't light black so the truer the black the less you can light it. So what you can light is reflections, specular highlights. Large light sources that reflect will show shining off the coat.
Strobist, David Hobby just addressed something similar with chocolate.
"But when lighting a dark, silky object, our lighting will generally center around a theme of soft, overhead raking backlight. That gives you both the specular false tone needed to show detail, and the shadows needed to show form."
Strobist: SLC-OE-06 Chocolate Box Studio

Anok Yai is a supermodel known for very dark skin. Google her and see how the professionals light her. I would say google black poodles but there are very few good photos. When you do see a decent one you will see the same specular light making it good.

I don't have much in examples myself but here's a few.


03-12-2019, 03:30 PM - 1 Like   #6
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Hi Perfessor,

Using Manual, you can under or over expose the metering to get the look you like, and use your flashes to add rim lighting to bring out the shape from the background.

Last edited by clackers; 03-12-2019 at 04:54 PM.
03-12-2019, 03:35 PM - 4 Likes   #7
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Completely missed the focus on this one but I didn't think I'd get the pose again. The light was behind me only, natural light, no fill in, black background which I filled in later in photoshop to make it pure black. I also converted it to B&W and painted his eyes back in from a layer. Could have done the same with the collar but I didn't. The reason for doing that is the funny colour shifts you sometimes get on a black dog.

Oh yeah, if the dog will sit and stay, holding a treat above your head with one hand will retain attention. Well it works with a Labrador!





03-12-2019, 05:06 PM - 3 Likes   #8
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QuoteOriginally posted by 3by2 Quote
Oh yeah, if the dog will sit and stay, holding a treat above your head with one hand will retain attention. Well it works with a Labrador!
I find it best to get the camera on a tripod, pre-focussed and then with remote in one hand and treat in the other you can get your hounds to give that cute expression. Just remember to give them the treat to chew and not the remote.
03-12-2019, 05:22 PM   #9
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I know the owner of this dog from the dog parks. I have scores of cute and gorgeous and playful and cool and adorable (“John, you are an artist”) pictures of all her dogs and thousands of pictures of hundreds of other dogs at the dog park, shelters, fund raisers and on the sidewalks. (But I don’t do “dogs in costumes” portraits though.)

This different.

The trainer has communicated that the photographer (actually everything but the trainer) is a distraction. I keep treats and a squeaky toy in my camera bag but engaging the dog isn’t good. As explained to me, the bottom line goal is not about cute cocked head expressions. It’s just a little bit about glamour. It’s more about physical perfection of the animal.

The owner is a breeder of championship level standard poodles. She’s mainly looking for an expertly shot full body side view with the fore legs, back legs, tail, head and neck all exactly so so. Regal, confident, even arrogant, champion is what she is looking for. The more I think about it and the more I see of your excellent samples the more I believe this gig is really product photography, not artsy portraiture, that requires studio space and a sweep. I’ve got multiple strobes and light stands but no room. Let me ponder on this a bit. Thanks all.
03-12-2019, 05:32 PM - 2 Likes   #10
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QuoteOriginally posted by Perfessor5646 Quote
I photograph a lot of dogs in a lot of situations but I have been asked to photograph a champion standard poodle. This poodle not only has a black coat but is dyed black to be even more, what’s the word? Black!

Secondly when photographing a champion, it has to be posed a very specific way and its mouth cannot be open. No smiling and no panting. To me dogs are like people, they are the most attractive when they are smiling and their tongues are hanging out.

I think she ought to hire a pro and do it a studio but I thought I’d see if anyone here had experienced this problem.
I think you leave the pose to the handler, but the issue with black is to have the detail still visible. If you are looking at the greyscale value in a photo editor, I would aim for the darkest part at about 25 greyscale, which is about -2 1/2 stops below 18% greyscale metered value, so set up with spot metering and set to under expose by 2 1/2 stops. It will get you close. Let the highlights go where they want

You can always darken it a little but it is hard to pull detail out of the mud if you need to boost nit a little

Not a dog but look here

https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/12-post-your-photos/26013-how-do-you-shoot-black.html

Last edited by Lowell Goudge; 03-12-2019 at 05:37 PM.
03-12-2019, 06:18 PM - 2 Likes   #11
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I thought about how I would approach this easily.
My concept is use the sun as a big light. Use an open building with awning as shade for background. Darken that up with a black sheet. Then place the dog on a pedestal high enough so the ground isn't in the shot. Just need the dark shade directly behind the dog where the sun is at the right angle.
a quick studio set up here. Its out of focus because my sun was turned off and that is not the point.
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03-12-2019, 06:32 PM - 2 Likes   #12
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Black Grackle

Not always easy when they perch partly in the shade and partly in the sun.

---------- Post added 03-12-19 at 08:37 PM ----------

QuoteOriginally posted by sherrvonne Quote
Not always easy when they perch partly in the shade and partly in the sun.
I had a breeder ask me to photograph her expensive dogs. She can fork out money for travel, handlers, shows, hotel rooms, artificial insemination for puppies, etc... but not the pro photographer.... Lol, I said no. Mostly because at that time I was not into cloning out collars and leashes and whatever else, and I knew about the posing in the stacked formation etc. It’s just not what I wanted to do.

---------- Post added 03-12-19 at 08:49 PM ----------

Her dog will probably be used to standing on a pedestal and not have a problem with it. She will probably apply a very shiny product on the dogs coat. I have a hard time photographing my dog Ricoh as his black spots are super shiny and the sun makes every black hair into a bright highlight. The same black hair in the shade becomes a dark dark dark shadow... ughhhhh, when dappled natural light is on him it’s a nightmare. Then factor in that he is never still, even when standing he vibrates as he breathes like a idling engine.
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Last edited by sherrvonne; 03-12-2019 at 06:53 PM.
03-12-2019, 08:44 PM   #13
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Good point about not having the dog shined up first. But definitely brushed so no specks show up.
03-13-2019, 03:32 AM - 1 Like   #14
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QuoteOriginally posted by pschlute Quote
Just remember to give them the treat to chew and not the remote.
Absolutely. You wouldn't want to lose the remote release. Still, you could bill for it or just ask for it back in a couple of days!
03-13-2019, 06:02 AM - 1 Like   #15
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Or get the pooch to do selfies - but make sure you keep the copyright !
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