Terrier in evening light

[Radian]

Hi all,

here's my dog Rocky at our local park. I took this photo about half an hour before sunset while there was a rare opportunity when he laid down. I chose this photo because I like the way it lights his snout and ears Looking for any critique on lighting, composition, post processing. Some questions I have:
- Should I have cropped differently?
- Should I have taken the picture from a lower/different angle? (but that could have caused buildings to be included in the background)
- Is the right side of his head too dark?
- Vignetting too heavy?



Nikon D5000 with stock 18-55 lens, 1/80 sec, f/ 6.3, 55mm, ISO 200

Thanks!

[sk66]

The biggest issue here is the exposure. It's too dark IMO. The rest seems fine.

[Jim Poor]

I'd have moved to camera right in order to get more on-axis with the light direction.

As it is the shadow side is too dark for me. A reflector or some fill flash could have helped there if moving wasn't an option. Of course, reflectors and dogs can be hard to manage at the same time.

[Radian]

Yeah I totally agree with you guys... the light is nice, but some kind of reflector would have helped a lot. Perhaps I should invest in one, but would probably need an assistant at that point Terriers don't like to sit still much!

[dyllinsmom530]

I do dogs, the biggest issue with too much flash is alot of dogs are super skiddish about it.
If the dog isn't trained (like my male has a stay command and a hold command so i can pose him to test new lighting) is they just kind of go and you have to do your best to get the shots.
Its a lil dark, the vignette just makes it look darker. Lower angle, I am often on my belly. I would elimiate the vignette. What software are you using to edit? I would bring in some fill light to help with the shadows. But be careful to not loose your dark of the nose and eyes.

[Jim Poor]

Originally Posted by dyllinsmom530

I do dogs, the biggest issue with too much flash is alot of dogs are super skiddish about it.
If the dog isn't trained (like my male has a stay command and a hold command so i can pose him to test new lighting) is they just kind of go and you have to do your best to get the shots.
Its a lil dark, the vignette just makes it look darker. Lower angle, I am often on my belly. I would elimiate the vignette. What software are you using to edit? I would bring in some fill light to help with the shadows. But be careful to not loose your dark of the nose and eyes.

I'll have to disagree that "alot" [sic] of dogs are "skiddish" [sic] about flash.

I've worked with around 300 dogs each week in the dog sport world as well as many each week in the portrait studio for several years now. I haven't found a lot of dogs to be skittish about flash.

I do have one client whose dog back chained thunder phobia to lightening, to flash to the click of a camera, but that's one in a few thousand.

A few have come to associate the camera itself with a grumpy, stressed out owner tying to make them do things that they've never been trained to do, but that's a whole different story.

[Radian]

Thanks for the comments! I use Photoshop CS5 and Lightroom 3. Tonight I'll go back to the original and work to lighten things up, and lose the vignetting.... will post it when done

[Radian]

Okay I got rid of the vignetting and lightening up the dark side. I also applied some portrair softening which seemed to make it a tad less harsh.
It does makes it clear to me that in most cases it's much better to just get the shot right, than to try and fix it afterwards

[Jim Poor]

Not bad at all. Some work on the eye to lighten it up a bit would help as well. Looks like you introduced a little blue cast around the muzzle.