Dog Portrait

[24Freak]

What do you guys think about this photo? How is the composition? Is she over or underexposed? Should I have used a different aperture?



22.3mm
No flash used
1/1250
f/4.5
ISO 1600
Burst mode

I was actually aiming for what happened after I snapped this shot (I threw her Kong), and that is why my settings are set for action. I got some pretty good exposures of that too, but this one struck me when I saw it. I think it's her eyes, always always intense but especially when her Kong is involved.

Thanks for any feedback!

[cwi27121]

Hi,

When I take portraits , first rule for me is to get down/up to the eyelevel of my subject, and it matters. Please try to visualise this photo taken at the eye level (or even a bit lower than that will be better) of the dog,

Hope it helps,
Sudhi.

[BryanPanting]

I agree with cwi27121, It would have been much better down lower. I also think its underexposed. You might also want to try cropping in tighter. Just my thoughts, hope that helps. Keep shooting.

[mrteacherdude]

I agree with the two posts above regarding shooting position/angle. I take lots of dog photos and the ones that are shot at dog level, or lower are almost always the best. Also, although I instinctively shoot landscape most of the time, I find that portrait (particularly when the dog is facing me like this one is) yields a better composition if I'm interested in capturing the dog only.

Edit: almost forgot... while shooting at low angles for dogs (I like to just sit or lay on the ground) generally gives the best perspective of the dog, it can be quite challenging for the photographer if it is an active dog that wants to play with you, stick its nose on your lens, chew your toes, etc. Have fun! :-)

[ChristopherCoy]

Originally Posted by 24Freak

Is she over or underexposed? Should I have used a different aperture?

What do YOU think? IS it over exposed, or under exposed?

[Laurenbiz]

I think it's a tad under-exposed. Everything seems a little dark.

A shutter speed of 1/1250 is indeed fast. I'd suggest dropping the ISO down to 200 or 400 (since this is daylight but it appears cloudy,) with a longer exposure. Even a speed of 1/100 will let in a nice amount of light, but you shouldn't see blurring from camera shake. (And tell the dog to stand still, LOL)

[24Freak]

Thanks for all the feedback! I always try to get down to their level, but sometimes it's hard to do that when they're always moving. I'm still getting the hang of the settings needed for action shots, so I'll keep playing around with it.

Christopher, I think it is a bit underexposed, but I like the opinions of more experienced photographers.

Again, thanks for the comments and tips.