Posted on May 8, 2014
My husband and I took Brady to the off-leash park on the weekend and Brady had a wonderful time making some new friends. I, of course was having a wonderful time photographing him and some of the other dogs in the park. I was crouched down taking pictures when all of a sudden this very friendly English Bulldog came right up to me, sniffed my camera and then proceeded to knock me over and lick my face. These are the hazards of the job 🙂 I learned a little later that his name was Tank and after a polite conversation and agreement from his owner I started taking pictures of Tank. Doesn’t he make a terrific T.O.p Dog?
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Category: English Bulldog, T.O.p Dogs Tagged: 7D, Canon, English Bulldog, Lifestyle pet photography, pet photography, T.O.p Dogs, Toronto Dogs, Toronto Pet Photographer
Posted on April 24, 2014
Once you’ve booked you’re photography session you’re most important decision is where you’re going to have your pictures taken. Choosing the location will determine the look and feel of the final product. This is where your photographer comes. I normally scout out possible locations for photo shoots searching for interesting backgrounds, colors and the quality of natural light.
Toronto is such a photogenic city and whether you’re right in the city or in the Greater Toronto Area there are a multitude of areas that are perfect for photographing your pet. Whether it’s at the beach, a favourite park, a funky downtown location or your home, we can choose a location that matches your style and your pets personality.
The best time of day to shoot outdoors is early morning or late afternoon. The quality of light at these times of the day is soft and beautiful and will enhance the look of the overall image. Timing is also important because depending on the location that you ultimately choose crowds may be an issue. Let’s say, for example, that you want to get your dog frolicking on the beach. Getting out early in the morning will not only give us a better light to work with but we won’t be dealing with any crowds. On the other hand a late afternoon/sunset shoot will provide a beautiful warm glow and by that time any crowds will be thinning out.
When trying to determine the location itself start with your pets personality. Where are they the most comfortable? If you’ve never taken them to the beach then this might not be the ideal location. Animals are like people and if they’re scared or uncomfortable in their surroundings then we won’t come away with the images that you’ve envisioned. If your four-legger loves to run in the park then this might be the ideal spot.
When booking your session I will always set up a pre-consultation meeting so that I can meet your pet and they can in turn get comfortable with me. One of the things we’ll talk about at this meeting is location. I have many suggestions for locations in and around the city or if you have a preferred location this is the time to discuss it.
Your pets safety is of paramount importance and will always come first. When we shoot in wide open spaces or in the city your pet will always be on a leash. Once you’ve selected the final images I remove the leash and clean up any other imperfects in post-processing. Brady was on leash the whole time we were shooting even though he was sitting right next to his Dad.
If you’d like to schedule a session or if you simply have any questions please contact me.
Posted on April 11, 2014
The weather was beautiful the other day and I had my camera with me when I headed out for lunch so I decided to stop by the dog park. This is Louie the Wheaton Terrier. I’m thinking Mr. Scruffy might be a better name….and I say that with all due respect. Isn’t he a cutie.
Category: T.O.p Dogs, Wheaton Terrier Tagged: 7D, Canon, dog park, pet photography, scruffy dog, T.O. Dogs, Toronto Dogs, Toronto Pet Photographer, Wheaton Terrier
Posted on March 25, 2014
I received a call from the shelter this week asking if I could come back on the weekend as they got some new dogs and cats for me to photograph. So on Saturday I was back at Toronto Animal Services – West Region and I’m always dismayed and saddened when I see the beautiful animals that are just waiting for their furever homes.
In a happier note the animals that I photographed when I was there at the beginning of the month have been adopted with the exception of 1 dog and 1 cat.
If you’re in the Toronto area or know someone that is looking for their special pet please share this post and head on down to the shelter in Etobicoke.
You can click on any image to enlarge.
Posted on March 14, 2014
Last week I spent 3 days in Houston, Texas attending a Pet Photography Workshop given by Paw Print Divas.
The ladies behind Paw Print Divas are Barbara Breitsameter from Poppy Blue Photography, Kim Hartz from Kim Hartz Photography and Jenny Froh from Jenny Froh Photography.
Before I get into telling you about the workshop I want to extend a heartfelt thank you to both Barbara and Kim (unfortunately Jenny was ill last week) for their openness; knowledge; willingness to share their experiences both from a technical stand point and business savviness. I came away with new learnings, a new-found confidence in my abilities and a clear vision of what I need to do for continuous improvement.
The workshop covered many different shooting scenarios including outdoor using natural light and artificial lighting, indoors using natural light and in studio. We had wonderful and loveable models throughout the 3 days along with their owners who were kind enough to let us photograph their fur babies. My like-minded co-workshop attendees were a great group of ladies and I think we all walked aways with new friendships formed. Topics covered included shooting techniques; understanding and working with dogs; understanding light and composition; business and marketing; branding and post-processing techniques. This is by no means an exhaustive list only a sampling of what was covered.
My husband asked me when I returned home which part of the workshop I enjoyed most. That was a tough question to answer since I found value in the entire curriculum. If I had to narrow it down it would be 2 things – first, shooting side by side with Barbara and Kim, observing their techniques and getting immediate feedback on what I was doing. The second is the networking and exchange of ideas and information with the other workshop participants. We each brought different experiences, knowledge levels and technical savvy to the table and the openness and willingness to help each other was great.
Would I recommend the Paw Print Divas workshop to others…Absolutely! We can’t grow as individuals and professionals without continuously learning. To quote my husband…”You have to invest in yourself.”
Now here are some of our adorable models.
Category: Workshops Tagged: 7D, Canon, Paw Print Divas, Toronto Pet Photographer
Posted on February 19, 2014
Hi my name is Charlie and yes my ears always stand up like this when I first sit down on snow.
Category: T.O.p Dogs, Yorkshire Terrier Tagged: 7D, Canon, dog park, pet photography, snow, T.O.p Dogs, Toronto Dogs, Toronto Pet Photographer, winter, Yorkie, Yorkshire Terrier