An Introduction to Pet Photography

Introduction
Photographing your pet can be an incredibly rewarding experience. Done well, it will allow you to immortalize Fluffy or Spot - that significant member of your family - the pet that shared you food, chewed your shoes, and brought you the newspaper. In fact, the act of seriously photographing your pet will bring you both closer because the process opens you to noticing the small, wonderful things that you might have missed before - the way he wags his tail, etc. This is a grand adventure.

Goal
As with anything, it's best to proceed with a goal in mind so you know where to start. What are you trying to accomplish? Are you trying to capture your pet's playful side? Are you trying to setup a funny photo using a prop such as a birthday hat? Is this an interactive portrait between your pet and your child? Sit down and put on paper this goal, because it will help you in preparing properly. Nothing is worse than spending an hour going to your favorite scene with equipment in hand and realizing your forgot a favorite toy - do your self a favor, do not skip this step.

Setting
Now that you have decided on your goal, it's now time to decide the proper setting. Indoors vs. outdoors. Near the fireplace with an open fire in the background, or in a studio. At the beach or in the woods. As you think about the proper setting, think about how your pet will respond to that setting. If you decide the public park is the perfect place, you must think about your pet's resistance to distractions. Is he/she able to resist running after another animal or person? The more you know your pet and look through his/her eyes, the better off you will be.

Preparation
Now you are at the critical preparation stage. You've set your goal, you've decided on the appropriate setting - let's try to anticipate all that can (and will) go wrong. I use the word 'wrong' loosely - try not be too rigid and to have fun - we will talk more about that in a minute. Write out on paper every possible thing you can think of. Here are some suggestions:
· Exercise your pet - just enough so they are still alert, but not hyper
· Lighting - outdoor is best, but flash will work too - should be natural lighting
· Grooming - only if it doesn't adversely affect your pet's mood - then do it days beforehand
· Props/Toys - favorite of the pet
· Food - favorite of the pet
· Be prepared for sudden movement - shutter speed about 1/125th and use iso 400 or 800 film (if indoors)
· Watch the scene clutter
· Have pet at least 6 feet away from background to reduce shadows
· Bring an assistant to help manage your pet
· Zoom Lens
· Camera, Film, Tripod, Equipment, etc.
Etc., etc. Are you getting the idea? The first time you make out your list, the process will be a little tedious, but the beauty is that once the list is made, all you need to do is modify it slightly for the next sessions.

On Location
Whew, you've made to shooting location - congratulations. Hopefully, you've brought everything you are going to need, right? Right! Now, it's time for setup. Be organized; get everything laid out in a logical fashion. The last thing you want to be doing is fiddling around with equipment when you need to be shooting pictures - an animal has a zero attention span and you have got to be ready to snap that picture when the moment is there. How is you animal's demeanor? Is he/she super wound up? If yes, then perhaps some light exercise would be in order - nothing too heavy, but just enough to help him/her calm down. How are you? Are you stressed? Relax, and go with the flow - animals are super sensitive to your mood. Give your pet some last minute grooming - just touch-ups. If you are outdoors, how is the wind? Is it too strong? Is the sun too bright? Remember, overcast is much better for exposure. Make sure that your pet is far enough away from your background so as to not cast any shadows.

The Photographer's Mindset
Your mindset should be one of peace and serenity. I can't overstate that enough. Also, you need to climb into the mind of your pet as best you can. What are they thinking and feeling? Align your expectations properly. If you have never done this before, don't expect perfection the first time out - that will just raise your anxiety level and will stress out your pet.

Shooting
One of the most important things to remember is to get down on your pet's level, physically, as much as possible. A shot from above doesn't portray intimacy. In addition, when you are at your pet's level, it's easier for you to empathize with it. If you've never crawled around on the ground before, you might feel a bit foolish, but trust me, it makes all the difference in the world. Make sure that you and your handler work with each other - you have got to be in charge, but also try to be flexible - you have a lot of variables that you are managing.

Be patient, and have a lot of fun!!!

Kitten-Pictures.com

Stan Beck is a self-proclaimed animal lover. He also runs the website Kitten-Pictures.com.

Related Information of Interest:

Body Language Before Dog Bites
Dear Adam:

After catching up on doggy email, I've noticed your reference to submissive posture. Your book helped more than a professional trainer I hired for my adopted Golden. We went through biting and dominance issues. The problem I am having now is I still do not trust him 100%. When he bit there really wasn't any sign it was coming (that I noticed). Even now, the only sign that he doesn't like something is a lowered head and sometimes a low growl (the groomer told me this). This dog growls sometimes when he is happy. It is almost like someone taught him not to make any other noise in doors. Outside he will bark. I guess the big question is how do you read a dog's face, body, etc.?

Thanks,
Mark.

Dear Mark:

It's a tough situation you've got. You've really got to just pay close attention to the dog at any time you suspect she may display the aggression. The most common indicators that I used when working with clients who had aggressive dogs was to watch:

1. The mouth. A dog will always pull has mouth closed tight just before he bites.

2. Body language. The dog's body language will get stiff and still just before he bites. Especially watch the stillness. It's very subtle, but at the same time very noticeable once you train your eye to look for it.

There are other things that you could look for depending on the dog and the type of aggression. However, you need to recognize that there are ALWAYS cues... it's just a matter of whether we are quick enough (or aware enough) to catch them.

To read more of my dog training ramblings, read about my book (click below): tinyurl.com/4efaq
Secrets of a Professional Dog Trainer!

About the Author

Author, “Secrets of a Professional Dog Trainer!“ which you can read more about at:
tinyurl.com/4efaq

Free Movies? Legal? You've Got To Be Kidding!
Have you heard of the saying "you get what you pay for"? Have you also heard about all of the ruckus that went on over the sites that allowed people to share files for free? Well if so, or even if not, I don't blame you for being incredulous when you hear me claim that I can tell you that there are sites that give you unlimited access to free movies, and completely legally. Well let me tell you how these sites work in the next several paragraphs.

Free movies is actually a creative marketing ploy, because there are actually fees involved. They can say that though because if you are a member of their site than you get access to all of their "free" movies. Basically what it boils down to is a site that operates very much like a cable company and charges a monthly fee to come be able to come to their site and download movies. They do get to keep them which is the super cool thing about these sites and makes them totally worth the cost.

So how do they make any money? Well they are on the internet so their market has huge potential. They are not limited by geography like a movie rental store would be or a cable company for that matter. So volume is a huge thing they bank on. So won't people just get on the site for one month or so and download all of the movies that they want and then get out? Wouldn't they lose money on people like this? Well the answer is yes and no. You see for one thing there is such a huge volume of films is would be hard to download all of the movies that you want in one month. Besides people don't want their hard drives full of free movies. The other major thing is that good movies aren't just going to all of a sudden stop coming out. People are going to want to stay members so that they can get the new releases that come out periodically.

Maybe now you are seeing the benefits that cause people to become members and then "give" them all the free movies that they could ever want. Maybe now you will go and check out one of these great sites. They are easy to find, trust me. All that you have to do is search for free movies and you will get more sites than you new existed for this new way to sell movies.

Trenton Martkes ultimate goal in life is to watch as many movies as he can. His knowledge of movies is unmatched in those his age (26) or younger. If you would like more valuable information about free movies please go to: www.allfreemovies.info

No Fun Na.
Not so long ago I wrote about the Da Vinci Code causing a big stink here in India. That bubble has just about burst and lo behold we have another film causing a stir. The film Fanaa (Destruction) has got the BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) in Gujarat in a twist. Well it’s not exactly a problem with the film but with its main actor Aamir Khan.

You see Aamir Khan has recently had a stint at being a social activist. He made the mistake of speaking his mind in the world’s largest democracy. It all began with people protesting against raising the height of the Narmada Dam which we in India supposedly need to meet our insatiable demand for energy particularly in this case – electricity. The protestors are demanding proper rehabilitation for the thousands of people that have been displaced because of this mammoth project. Aamir Khan joined in to give their demands a louder voice. That did it.

The right wing ruling Hindu party in Gujarat the BJP has banned all products endorsed by the actor including Coca Cola and Toyota cars and also his latest film release Fanaa. This does not in anyway represent the will of the general public in the state nor does it make much sense. The movie was released a few days ago in the rest of the country and has got a good response.

When will our political parties realize that the people no longer get excited about these frenzied agitations, which lack any real depth and are done just for show. The losers in this case are only the people of Gujarat. They need to realize that speaking one’s mind on any issue facing the people of India is the fundamental right of every citizen of the country. We cannot censure people in society just because we don’t like what they say.

Fanaa is about the relationship between a blind girl and an undercover terrorist. It has nothing against the state or people of Gujarat. Why then should it be banned? It is mainstream cinema that will do well or not on its own strengths as a film. This entire furor is hype generated by two bit politicians mainly for their fifteen minutes of fame.

For all thosehot heads seeking a ban on an actor or any person for that matter, who uses his or her freedom of speech in our country today, may we remind them that maybe they are living in the wrong part of the world here. I would suggest mass migration to a much cooler locale say for instance North Korea.

Sasha Masand the founder of Indian Voice Overs is an award winning Television Producer who has been part of the Indian media industry for over twelve years.

Change Management: Getting It Right
Change management is something many companies may face throughout their existence. Whether something simple or a complete change, various things can be done to allow for a successful change. Management of the change effectively will allow for the best overall final product but it really just is not that simple. But, there are ways to get effective change management in such a way as to contribute to the betterment of the company.

Change management is the management of change. In that, you will realize that there is potential for failure. It could go wrong. To keep this from happening though, there are systems that can be put into place to help throughout the process of change, no matter how large or small it may be. In many cases, you will find many individuals and organizations willing to help manage the change for you. It is important to make sure that these individuals have the company’s best intentions at heart. It should be more than just a job, but something that they believe in.

You can also find a wide range of computer software programs as well as applications that can be used to help with change management. Making it successful is the key and to do this. You will find that many opportunities are available. You can and should determine the best method for your needs based on the availability, the methods used as well as experience and relevance of anything that is used to make change management happen.

You will find a wide range of help when it comes to change management. There are resources that can help guide you through the process as well as much advice to allow you to make the right decisions. Effective change management starts at the beginning with planning and experience. For your company to benefit from change management, it helps to be as knowledgeable as possible about these factors.

For more information please see www.change-management-advice.co.uk