Photographing Animals/Pets

[Lucas M]

I am just wondering if anyone has succesfully taken good large format photographs of animals such as their pets. I have tried to take some pictures of our cat and got one good one when she was lying down half asleep. (Good as in actually in focus). Has anyone else tried this and what techiniques have you used?

[Frank Petronio]

Give them a few sips of beer or puffs from a doob, it mellows them right out.

[Capocheny]

Lucas,

Hope you're keeping warm down there in Okotoks! :)

IIRC, I read in a book that it's usually easiest with an assistant... and a pocket full of cookies (assuming you're photographing a dog.)

Mind you... our English Bull Terrier probably wouldn't sit still for ALL the cookies in the world. He's just the stubborn type! :)

Cheers

[Eric James]

I'm pretty green in the LF world, so I'm not sure if this qualifies as "good". The subject in this shot (my medium-sized dog) is pretty patient with me; my small dog always looks as if I've beaten her to force her stay in the composition; and my giant puppy (130-pound, 14-month old malamute) likes large format photography because the gear makes good chew toys.

http://www.purebredmutt.net/scrabble12.html

I think one's success (or approach) will depend largely on the critter.

[Rory_5244]

If someone can figure out how to do this with a cat, let me know - short of a narcotic that is.

[robc]

what you don't see in my avatar image is the biscuits in front of the dog to try and keep her interested... For some reason she didn't see the point of making the image. Can't think why. We all thought it was a good laugh at the time. Maybe it had something to do with the beers...

[brook]

Cats love hot lights, forget the strobes. Its a real test of how well you can let sleeping dogs (or the kittys) lie while setting up.

[Brian Ellis]

There's a saying of some sort about using the right tool for the job. I don't think a large format camera is the right tool for pets.

[Gordon Moat]

The only way I got any photos of a cat was to very quietly set up while he was sleeping. Then when you are ready, wake him up and trip the shutter. Outside of that, you are more likely to get a photo of a tail than a complete cat, unless you find that rare cat that likes to pose.

http://www.allgstudio.com/gallery/portrait/Pepe.jpg

That was 35mm off a minipod at floor level. The particular cat Pepe was a complete spazz most of the time. I am really good with animals, but no way I want to try going through sheet film to get some portraits . . . maybe using a roll film back.

Ciao!

Gordon Moat
A G Studio (http://www.allgstudio.com)

[riooso]

I am really new also, but here is my buddy on the porch in the morning about an hour after sunrise. Be nice!

Richard

[darr]

I've got five dogs and one cat and I find using the 6x7 a lot easier to photograph the pack. The biggest problem I face is subject movement when I load the 4x5 film, but this guy will do for me whatever I want:


http://cameraartist.com/images/10167.jpg

Rusty
Arca Swiss 4x5, Cooke PS945 f4.5@1/15, Polaroid 55, available light

Rusty is also my driving companion when I have post office and bank runs and he is always a welcomed guest at our local farmer's market (I live in a rural area). I have never seen a dog jump for joy whenever he gets the clue we're going out. His biggest delight is surfing outside the car window, especially at high speeds. He's a very grateful fella. He became homeless after Hurricane Francis and I was lucky enough to find him and offer him a ride. :)

[Frank Petronio]

Quote: "There's a saying of some sort about using the right tool for the job. I don't think a large format camera is the right tool for pets."

You realize that William Wegman has made millions from photographing dogs with an ULF camera?

Besides drugs, a good run has a calming influence.

[Rory_5244]

Rusty is so cute! I know this isn't a pet picture post, BUT, here's Wisp the Wonder Dog, our rescued stray.

[darr]

Rusty is so cute! I know this isn't a pet picture post, BUT, here's Wisp the Wonder Dog, our rescued stray.

This will become a pet picture post if they let "us" animal lovers have our way! :)

Wisp the Wonder Dog is adorable Rory. I am sure Rusty Rocket would love to hang out with him for a photo shoot. Great shot!

[Fred Leif]

For those curious about photographing cats with 8x10, you might look up a copy of "The Cats of Wildcat Hill" by Charis and Edward Weston. Long out of print, but used copies are available (for a price).

[robc]

Oh well, if we're showing off our pet portraits then here's mine.
By pure coincidence he's called Tog which was nothing to do with me. Tenuous connection to LF I know.
1296

[Rory_5244]

Oh yes, a Rusty and Wisp combination! A very nice kitty, robc! What's that thing on the front of the collar? Thanks Fred. I'll look up that book.

[Rakesh Malik]

Some great pet photos here!

There was an article in a recent magazine (I think it was Rangefinder) about a pet photographer who uses a 4x5 for all of her work.

My cats are darlings, and don't mind posing... but they find cameras to be fascinating, so the longer I take to set up with them around, the more likely I am to find noseprints on my lenses :p

[Ken Lee]

Here's my answer for smaller dogs: hold them.


http://www.kenleegallery.com/images/portraits/sl.jpg
TMX in D-76, 150mm APO Sironar-S, Arca-Swiss Discovery

[Marko]

Mind you... our English Bull Terrier probably wouldn't sit still for ALL the cookies in the world. He's just the stubborn type! :)

No terrier will sit still, period. Otherwise, it's not a terrier. :)

Mine also dislikes any sort of camera, and he is much faster than me, so the only way to take a reasonable photo is to tire him down first.

1299

Thanks for the wonderful quadtone, Ken!

[Ken Lee]

Thanks for the wonderful quadtone, Ken!

Ahh.. Looks familiar :)

Cute doggy, too !

[Frank Petronio]

I don't think I ever complimented a pet photo but I do like Rusty's, Darr.

This is Yoshi. He's high on life.

[robc]

What's that thing on the front of the collar?
Its a coded magnet which activates the electronic switch on the cat flap to let him in and out. Stops other cats in the neighbourhood from getting in.

[Rafael Garcia]

Not LF, but MF (easier to do animals with). Rolleicord Va, Plus-X

http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h285/ragc01/Rolleicords/cats.jpg

[Nigel Smith]

not the greatest scan...

we have two of these mutts... Poodle X so don't shed fur/hair. Only good thing about them! :)

[robc]

for some cool animal photography check out Tim Flach's work here (http://www.timflach.com/index_pop_1024.html)

damned clever how he got those Bats to hang the wrong way up! :cool:

And the 4th image in "Animals 1" should be titled "Snack"

[darr]

I don't think I ever complimented a pet photo but I do like Rusty's, Darr.

Thanks Frank! It really is Rusty not me that makes it all come together.

Lots of great pet shots here. Aren't we the lucky ones!!

[Ted Harris]

Ok, couldn't resist :) ..... Jeff

[Ted Harris]

Shelby insisted on equal time

[SAShruby]

for some cool animal photography check out Tim Flach's work here (http://www.timflach.com/index_pop_1024.html)

damned clever how he got those Bats to hang the wrong way up! :cool:

And the 4th image in "Animals 1" should be titled "Snack"


These pictures are good. I like the picture of the dog from the bottom. Excellent idea.

[Eric Woodbury]

These are both 4x5s. The dog was more willing than the cat. I had considered the cat print as a reject, but it turned up a few months ago and I rather like it now.

[Ken Lee]

Eric - I think your photo of the nude dog on the dunes, belongs right up there, alongside those of Weston.

[Donald Qualls]

Hmmm. Now that I've got the RF repaired and adjusted in on my Speed Graphic, I might have to see if I can catch Puss napping... ;)

[alec4444]

This is a photo of Tucker using my Rollei 6008 camera with a 90mm Macro lens. It was my first or second roll of film with the camera. Tucker has the ability to lie very still now....he's passed on. We have another black cat who is nearly impossible to photograph. "See, here's a picture of a black blob on the couch, and...oooh oooh, here's the black blob in the cat tree!" =)

--A

[Bosaiya]

I've been asked to participate in a show called Kittens! Kittens! Kittens! by a gallery that has shown my non-kitten work before. It's a bit of treacle dreamed up by some truly warped minds. I don't actually have any kitten photos. I've also been asked to write up something for the press about how kittens inspire me. All in all in it's an interested excercise. The photos themselves are blah, but it's fun to get together with some normally serious types and do a good goof now and then.

If only I could find a kitten about an inch long and bristling with spines...

-Bosaiya
www.bosaiya.com (http://www.bosaiya.com)

[Ralph Barker]

. . . If only I could find a kitten about an inch long and bristling with spines...

Wouldn't a 10' long, 700 pound Liger be more appropriate for large format? ;)

[Bosaiya]

Wouldn't a 10' long, 700 pound Liger be more appropriate for large format? ;)

Not in my book, Napoleon!