Dog Photography: Sit, Stay, Click
Anthony Helton
Class Preview
- In-depth Instruction; over 194 mins
- On-demand video access anytime
- Bonus downloadable PDF resources
- Access to class Q&A
Getting Started
28:04
Meet your instructor, pet photographer Anthony Helton, and discover the art of capturing canine charisma. Then, delve into dog behavior as Anthony offers advice for gaining a dog's trust and tips for reading a dog's comfort level. Finally, tour the lenses and accessories that you'll find most useful when shooting animals, whether indoors or out, sitting or in action.
Interaction & Positioning
20:15
Set yourself up for success as you discover the 10 things you should know about your subject before you photograph him. See where you should be positioning your camera to capture the most impactful images and what treats work best for food-motivated dogs. Discover how to get and keep a dog's attention and see the fun and lively images captured with a wide-angle lens.
Natural Light Outdoors
38:46
Explore what types of backgrounds -- sky, grass, woods -- work with which types of dogs, depending on the color of their fur. Play with focus as Anthony gives you tips for using depth of field in effective ways. Then, tackle the tricky exposure considerations you'll need to assess when photographing animals. See how light bounces off canine faces and fur and learn how to position your subject to maximize natural light. Finally, learn to incorporate flash outdoors when you need just a bit of fill light to draw out the best in your photos.
Indoor Light & Flash
17:12
Move indoors to capture your pup in his home environment. Learn where the best light in the house is and how natural light can convey different moods in your photos. Determine when you'll need to add the light of a flash or other light source, and how to cut down on the white balance confusion that can occur when you combine multiple light sources. Anthony shares the most common compositional and exposure pitfalls that await you indoors and offers simple solutions.
Composition & Style
28:45
Fido takes center stage in this lesson devoted to composition. Anthony details his own compositional style and shares his top tips for creating dynamic images. Witness how the rule of thirds works with dogs and discover how important headroom is when your subject is charging out of the frame. Play with leading lines and detail shots. Then, throw out all of the rules and see what amazing images you get!
Capturing Action
31:44
Have subjects who love to be on the go? Learn what lenses work best for capturing them in midstride and how the longer focal length of a zoom lens will affect your photos and keep you out of harm's way. Anthony takes you through a detailed explanation of how to set up your camera to best record all of the action. Then, head outdoors and gather tips for composing a moving target.
Post-Processing
29:14
Harness the power of post-processing software to tackle specific issues that come with canine subjects. Find out how to adjust tones and colors to get fur that looks black, not blue. Learn several different methods for removing leashes or other unwanted elements of your photos. Finally, see how composite images can create fun and creative action photos.
Description
Capture endearing, expressive photos of beloved canine companions with professional pet photographer Anthony Helton as your guide. Discover valuable dog photography tips to help nervous pups relax in front of the camera, and find out how to keep a distracted dog’s attention. Learn to properly expose for both light- and dark-colored dogs so you don’t lose any detail, and explore essential principles of composition for artful, balanced images. Conquer challenging indoor and outdoor lighting with simple flash techniques and troubleshooting tips. And, get lens and shutter speed guidance to photograph energetic, fast-moving dogs with crystal-clear focus! Plus, Anthony will walk you through several post-processing adjustments, including removing leashes, so you can be sure to showcase any dog at their very best.
Anthony Helton
Anthony Helton, professional pet photographer and owner of Purple Collar Pet Photography, lists his chocolate Lab, Sam, as the inspiration that sparked his career. He works as a pet photographer in Sacramento, California, and his work has taken him from live television appearances to directing large-scale commercial productions. He loves that his job combines photography and animals his two biggest passions and gives him the opportunity to create lasting images of the personality, energy and love of life that make pets so dear to their people.
Bonus materials available after purchase