Selling Your Photography To Magazines

Writen by TJ Tierney

The magazine market is by far the biggest market for the freelance photographer, with millions of pictures published each month. If you would like to see some profit from your pictures, its really important to make the right approach.

Taking pictures for the magazine market isn’t about taking nice shots that your friends will admire or that will look nice on your wall at home. It’s about taking images that will sell to a selective audience, and to accomplish this you must understand the market.

Assuming that your photography ability is to par – there is no reason that you can’t start sending your images to photo editors straight away. Start off by selecting the markets that you may have interest in. Pick a market that you like to photograph.

Go to your nearest magazine outlet and buy 3 or 4 magazines that you are interested in submitting to. Study each image that has been used by the photo editor and then compare the images in the magazine to your own.

This is were honesty comes in.

If your images are every bit as good as the images in the magazine, feel free to submit them. Write or send an e-mail to the photo editor telling them about your work. If you have a website, add it to the e-mail so that the editor can view a sample of your work. If you do send your images by post make sure you include a stamped addressed envelope to get your images back.

Magazines have standard prices for photographs and will pay you after the magazine has gone to print. This differs from magazine to magazine; magazines that sell more normally pay more for their images – the cover picture is normally the best paid, with the double centre being the second.

If you sell an image to a magazine don’t submit it straight away to a different magazine – the chances are that they’ll find out and won’t use your images again.

It doesn’t hurt to know the law when selling your images to magazines. The minute you hit the shutter button you own the copyright. As standard practice magazines normally pay you for the right to use your image once. If they use the same image in five months time, they must pay you a second time.

If your images aren’t as good as the images that are used in the magazine don’t submit them. You will be wasting your own time and the time of the photo editor. Photo editors are very busy and get hundreds of submissions every month. Try to improve your photography and submit at a later date.

Photo editors are always looking for new material, but first study the market.

It’s a fantastic feeling to see your images published for the first time.

TJ Tierney is an award winning Irish Landscape photographer and a freelance writer. He frequently writes for the shopping directory http://www.shop-4us.com and the photography directory http://www.goldprints.com. To view or buy some of his images visit his on line gallery @ http://www.goldenirishlight.com.

Selling Digital Stock Photos Part 7

Writen by Keith Jones

AVOID the photolibraries that sell pictures for under a dollar a time -I don’t think you can make serious money from these.Just don’t even CONSIDER it. Some of those libraries trade on the inexperience of amateurs. After they take their commission they’ll give you about 20 cents on each dollar ! They mostly make their money by selling advertising on their site – mainly adsense.you’re just a cheap content provider for them !!!!

ROYALTY FREE companies can be a useful source of income though and they often sell pictures for MORE than a stock photo fee. It’s worth investigating – use royalty free photo in a search on Google to find those companies. Getty in particular owns a very large royalty free company called PhotoDisc and it’s responsible for a large portion of their turnover. Corbis and Alamy also sell RF pictures. One thing you should consider about royalty Free pictures is that the CD’s are among the most heavily PIRATED CD’s in the world – you can buy RF CD’s outside any Moscow Metro station for $ 1.50 or in any street market in Vietnam for a Dollar !!! Do you really want your pictures on those ? That’s a decision YOU have to make …

If and when you become SERIOUS about selling stock photography

then you should take out a subscription to VISUELL ( a magazine devoted to stock photography and has LOTS of adverts for agencies worth following up )

You might like to consider having your own website to display your work – then instead of sending cd’s all around the world you can just email potential agents and customers with your website address. You will also need a web hosting company to park your website. Websites take an awful lot of looking after though. But on the positive side a website with samples is a great promotional tool DO NOT E-MAIL photos though …. (remember I already covered that !)

An EXCELLENT company with lovely professional website templates is Allwebco.

They are a very helpful company and their help pages take you through the setup set by step.

Prices are very reasonable and they will also host your website at a good rate too.

Here are a few useful Contacts: A.S.M.P. The American Stock Photolibrary body http://www.asmp.org/ B.A.P.L.A. The British Photo Library Association http://www.bapla.org.uk/ C.E.P.I.C. The European Photolibrary Association http://www.cepic.org/ Photographers Direct http://www.photographersdirect.com/ Photo District News – theMajor USA Photo Industry website

Photonet Travel http://www.photo.net/travel/

Photoshop Tutorials http://div.dyndns.org/EK/tutorial/

You’ll find lots more contacts and suppliers on http://www.stockphoto.net

There are 685000 results in the stock photolibrary search on Google … so you can see it’s a BIG business ! I will not suggest any individual photolibraries since the photolibrary business changes rapidly and what may be a great photolibrary one day may not even exist the next !

Here are a few hints to choosing a photolibrary Avoid ANY photolibrary that charges a membership fee. (Although it’s OK for a photolibrary to charge for picture storage if their commission is low enough !) Avoid ANY photolibrary that promises to make sales – no one can do this. Do NOT sign up all your work exclusively to any photolibrary. But supply individual pictures exclusively to single agents. If you’re in the same country try to see their office and size up the people for yourself

(An agency is only as good as it’s staff) I know one photographer who has over 150 photolibraries handling his work. Look for credits to that photolibrary on Alavista.com – no credits to pictures means no sales ! Read http://www.stockphoto.net for latest stock photo news (but some of the correspondents can be a bit outspoken and you should read their other postings before making up your mind) This actually goes for any Site that permits people to put up postings – there will always be a few oddballs !

Look at www.ephotozine.com and read the articles on selling photos.

You can also put your photos in the Gallery for free !

Consider joinng Photographers Direct – their subscription is a bit expensive ( but they offer a commission based alternative.)

Remember – you’ll only sell pictures if you send them to people !

Good luck with your Digital Photo Sales – let me know if you get a big one ! Keith

Resource Section : Keith Jones has been a Stock and Travel Photographer for over 40 years His Website is at : http://www.fotos4web.com Where you’ll find lots of his photos and articles. This article may be freely reproduced in print or on the world wide web providing :

This resource section is also published intact and the article is not altered in any way.

Photography A – Z the Easy Way: R – Red Eye

Writen by Eric Hartwell

Have you heard of “red eye”? It is a term used to describe the red effect seen in the eyes of subjects when their picture is taken with a flashgun.

It happens because light from the flashgun travels through the front of the eye and is reflected off the back of the eye back onto the sensor of the camera. The back of the eye, being composed of lots of red tissue and blood vessels, reflects the light as red. Hence “red eye”.

It is unsightly in photographs and often makes the subjects look like devils or some other possessed and evil being. Interestingly you can get “green eye”, “blue eye” and “other eye” depending on what animal or other subject you are photographing.

How do you get rid of red eye?

The best way is to prevent it:

- avoid using flash where possible
– use flash off of the camera or bounce it off the ceiling
– use the anti-red eye setting on your camera
– ask the subject to look slightly away
– diffuse the light (a cloth or tissue works well)
– put the subject in an area of brighter light

Red eye can also be easily removed in photo editing programs either on your home computer or at your local photo outlet and digital printing kiosks.

Eric Hartwell runs the photography resource site http://www.theshutter.co.uk and the associated discussion forums as well as the regular weblog at http://thephotographysite.blogspot.com.

Christmas Rush this Holiday Season to go to Digital Photography

Writen by Kyle Summers

So you have rushed out into the malls in a mad panic for this christmas holiday and are going to purchase a electronic item on Credit think again. Consumers are paying again through the nose agin this year 1.5 billion in sales up from last year and sure to gain ground next year again.

Almost on a monthly basis you see a new digital camera rolls off the assembly line almost like clockwork. In order to save your money when getting into digital photography we suggest getting something more middle of the road like the Fuji F450. Fuji F450 review

Don’t fall for salesman tactics for upselling, you don’t need anything over 5 mega pixel in my opinion. All digital cameras above 5.0 are a bit overkill unless your a professional photographer in which case you would most likely purchase a digital SLR camera. Kodak has stepped up to the plate like always with many versions of the easyshare cameras. Kodak packs value into every camera they produce in my opinion and their very inexpensive. I would recommend having a look at the Kodak easyshare DX7590 if your looking for affordable cameras. Kodak DX7590 Review

If you are looking for a camera that is very universal and packs in my opinion one of the most respectable names and quality customer service, I would stick with a Sony Cybershot digital camera. Sony has some of the best cameras for quality and price with warranty out on the market today. Whatever you choose this holiday season take your time get information on what your buying and don’t think that the higher the mega pixel the better the camera. As well be very wary and ask if the CCD sensor is the mega pixel number that they report or is it totalled by interpolation. Remember if you interpolate the mega pixels then the camera isn’t reporting its correct processing of the mega pixels.

Good luck with your next camera purchase.

Would You Picture an Intimate Moment?

Writen by Eric Hartwell

There are times that taking a photo might be seen as just too intrusive. In particular, intimate and personal moments. The dilemma then is whether to do so and capture a memory forever, or avoid using the camera and lose an unrepeatable and special moment.

A relative of mine was distraught when her husband died. He had been ill for some time and it was clear that his days were short. They were very close and their final moments were loving and personal. She was with him when he died and their last words will stay with her forever.

But his image won’t. Now she has to try and remember him the best she can. She remembers their time together but would dearly love to have a lasting image of their final loving moments. It was a special time for her and a time for him when he would no longer be suffering.

She never thought of taking a photograph. And, if she had asked me to take one, I would have had to think twice. I probably would have felt that it was an intrusion on his personal space at a time when he was weak and vulnerable. Even an act bordering on voyeurism.

But now I realise that it would likely have been something that not only he would have agreed to but something that would have brought long-lasting succour and happy thoughts to my surviving relative.

The moment is now gone, never to be repeated. I have promised myself to think and act differently next time. And I feel, in that same situation, that I would wish to leave a legacy and memory, however swift, for my loved ones too.

Eric Hartwell is an experienced photographer and owner of the extensive photography resource website ephotocentral

7 Tips for Shooting Great Digital Photos

Writen by Gary Hendricks

Do you have trouble shooting good digital photos? Perhaps you’ve been taking digital photos for some time, but never really got the beautiful shots you wanted. Maybe you somehow messed up the photos you took of important events, like your daughter’s birthday or your trip to Paris.

How do you begin to take good photos? Well, the first thing to remember is this: It’s the photographer that takes great photos, not the camera. Think about that for a minute. It’s true isn’t it? I’ve seen some people take great photos with a simple point-and-shoot camera, while some take lousy shots with the most expensive SLR. Fret not! Read these tips on shooting digital photos and apply them the next time you have a chance. Before long, you’ll be shooting photos like a pro!

1. Know Your Camera Does this sound familiar? You buy the latest digital camera out there, come home, rip off the box, then proceed to fiddle with the device. You briefly flick through the hundred page camera manual and then never look at it again. Not a good idea! If you buy a digital camera, you owe it to yourself to understand its ins and outs. Learn how to control exposure, how to use different camera modes and how to use the flash. The knowledge you gain about the camera will be invaluable when you’re out in the field taking those special photos.

2. Learn to Control the Flash
One of the most important things you need to know about digital photography is to control the flash. Personally, I hate to rely on the automatic flash that comes with the digital camera. Depending on the situation, you need to switch off or switch on the flash.

For example, when taking outdoor photos, it is sometimes good to turn on the flash to illuminate the subject, especially if he or she is in the shade. On the other hand, you can also choose to turn off the flash when taking indoor shots. Sometimes, using the flash indoors will result in unnatural skin color and harsh glare in your photos.

3. Play with the Macro Mode
Almost all digital camera these days have a macro mode. This setting is ideal for taking close up shots of objects like flowers or insects. On my Canon PowerShot S500, it’s represented by a flower symbol. What you do is to pick a subject, turn on macro mode, then get as close to it as your camera will allow. Make sure you allow the camera to focus properly before depressing the shutter button fully.

4. Hold the Camera Level
A basic rule of photography is to hold the camera level. Since most digital cameras come with a LCD, you can use it to properly frame your shots. Next time you’re taking a shot, try to look for the horizontal lines and use them as guides. A good example is to make use of the horizon when you’re taking a photo of a sunset.

5. Use The Tripod
I recommend this tip to all budding photographers – camera tripods are an essential tool in your photography arsenal. When will you need a tripod? Well, it’s useful if you’re taking shots under low-light conditions or trying to capture fast moving objects. I like to use a tripod when taking night shots city streets, for example. Always try to look for a tripod that’s convenient to carry around. For personal use, you don’t need a huge one – just a simple compact one that’s easy to pack.

6. Play with the ISO Setting
I find the ISO setting in digital cameras very useful. The ISO setting of a essentially camera controls it’s sensitivity to light. If you’re taking a photo of a still object, like a flower, then always use a low ISO setting. It allows for a longer shutter speed and produces a cleaner image. If you’re shooting a moving object, like a baby playing with a toy, then a higher ISO setting of say 400 would be better. Do take note, however, that a higher ISO setting gives a faster shutter speed and requires less light. This will produce noiser photos.

7. Have Enough Memory Capacity
Just like you must have enough rolls of film when using traditional cameras, make sure you always have enough memory capacity in your digital camera. It’s terrible to be on a holiday taking great photos and suddenly realizing you’ve no memory space left. Here are some general guidelines for digital camera storage.

• 2 megapixel cameras – get at least a 64MB card
• 3 megapixel camera – get at least a 128MB card
• 4 megapixel camera – get at least a 256MB card
• 5 megapixel camera and above – get at least a 512MB or 1GB card

Conclusion
Whew. A pretty long article. I hope I’ve managed to give you some good tips on shooting great digital photos. Always remember what I said – while the latest and greatest digital cameras have amazing features, you still need a skilled photographer to take nice pictures. Apply the above tips to your everyday shooting and learn to be a better photographer.

Gary Hendricks runs a hobby site on digital photography. Visit his website at http://www.basic-digital-photography.com for tips and tricks on buying digital cameras, as well as shooting great photos.

JOBO Giga Vu Pro 60GB Personal Media Device Review

Writen by Brandon Baumgarten

Take out your photo viewer and everybody will want to look at your photography. In fact they are so fun to use, you may not get them off of it. Get your photos out of the camera or computer and into a your multimedia player, so people want to look at them. A must for all amateur and professional digital photographers. Quickly transfer and view photos from your digital camera in crisp thumbnail galleries or fullscreen. Free up memory space, transfer and view photos from your digital camera. You have alot invested into movies, music and photos and this is the perfect way to get the make of it. This little outfit ties it all together. Personal Media Centers are HOT right now.

JOBO Giga Vu Pro 60GB and Jobo Giga Vu Pro 40GB Personal Media Device KISSER:

The new JOBO Giga Vu Pro Personal Media Device has an adjustable brightness, 3.8″ LCD monitor with 320×240 pixels and a touch screen for keyboard entry. WiFi enabled with an optional Compact Flash WiFi card, the unit can become a node on a wireless network allowing sharing of files with other users. Download your priceless photos in JPEG and RAW file formats. Real Raw Decoding allows the unit to decode RAW formats from Canon, Nikon, and Kodak Pro. Virtually all other RAW formats can be viewed. View 12 thumbnail images per page or slide show mode (JPEG only). Zoom 1,2,3 or 400% for JPEG and RAW formats. Rename albums, add comments and add keywords to images. You have full control with the JOBO Giga Vu Pro. Play, stop and pause MP3 files. Headphone audio line out. It even has a built in speaker w/volume control. Fast USB 2.0 high speed transfers and Rechargeable Li-Ion battery.

Specifications and Features:

Capacity: 60GB Hard disc- Recognized as a computer’s external hard drive for fast up and downloading from, or to PC or Mac. Shock protected hard drive. USB 2.0 high speed mass storage device.

Display: 3.8 inch high quality transflexive color LCD screen, 320 x 240 pixels with adjustable brightness. The bright display is viewable even in bright conditions making it suitable for outdoor use. The JOBO has a touch Screen for keyboard entry. Several screens allow the use of the stylus for typing names, keywords and adding comments to images

Photo Format: supports JPEG and Canon, Nikon, and Kodak PRO RAW file formats, virtually all other RAW formats can be viewed in fht RAW file. CompactFlash (CF) Type I and I MicroDrive. Other storage formats require an adapter sold seperatly. Supports Adobe DNG format with firmware version 1.0.5.

* Displays full raw decoding progress feedback

* Decodes 6 Megapix.JPG< 1 second.

* Automatic activation of copy function after memory card insertion

* New folder is generated for each download

* Copy with or without preview

* Verify after copy function

* optional auto copy for sport photographers

* Thumbnail view shows 12 images per page

* Slide show mode available (JPEG only)

* Zoom- 100%, 200%, 300%, and 400% for JPEG and RAW

* Powerzoom- up to 1:1 pixel, With the MAX setting in the zoom function, the GIGA Vu PRO can display at a resolution of one pixel on the display equals one pixel on the camera sensor.

* Color profiling- with firmware version 1.0.5

* Subtle sharpening- with firmware version 1.0.5

* Rotate images- Only in JPEG

* Histograms and Channels- RGB, B/W, and individual R, G, and B channels can be analyzed

* Dust detector- detects dust on the sensor chip of the camera that captured the image

* Pictbridge compatible printer- the unit can print without the need for a computer

* Touch screen for data management- stylus included, several screens allow the use of the stylus for typing names, adding comments to images, add keywords to images (EXIFdata of JPEG files only)

Video Playback: video formats supported MPEG1, MPEG2, MPEG4, DIVX 3/4/5

* Play, Stop, Fast Forward, Rewind

* Video playing time: 120 minutes (with one charge of battery)

Audio Play Back Format: MP3 files,WAV audio files (with firmware version 1.0.5)

* Play, Stop, Pause, Next, Previous

* Headphone, audio line out compatible with automatic detection

* built in loudspeaker with volume control

Wireless Network: WiFi enabled, with an optional CF WiFi card, the unit can become a node on a allowing sharing of files with other users

Menu Languages: English, Spanish, Dutch, French, German, Italian, and Swedish

Battery: High quality rechargeable Li-Ion battery (2200 mAh)

* Optional external battery pack available

* Firmware fully user upgradeable

* Optional Accessories: GIGA Vu PRO external battery pack,

Item #GVB001

*Power- 9V, 1.5A

*Optional- GIGA Vu PRO External Battery

Item #GVB001

Weight: 8.81oz

Size: 1.5″x 2″x 3″

The GIGA Vu PRO Package: comes with the following accessories

* JOBO GIGA Vu PRO

* Internal Li-Ion battery

* Power Adapter 100-240 V

* USB 2.0 Cable

* RCA Cable

* Instruction Manual

*Rubber Display Cover to protect display and controls when unit is not in use

There’s not much point in listing any prices here, you know how quickly they drop on electronics products. Visit KISSERreviews.info to compare prices, read actual customer reviews and find accessories. You will also find KISSERreviews for the Apple iPod Photo, Archos AV700, Archos AV500, Epson P-2000 and P-4000, SmartDisk FlashTrax, iRiver PMP-140, Creative Zen, and the Nikon MSV-01 CoolWalker. Also for Nikon and Canon Cameras. For helpful information about, How to Become a Freelance Photographer and Freelance Photographer Jobs, visit our unique Digital Photography Website at: DigitalPhotographyWebsite.com for great ideas. There are a lot of free photography tips, tutorials and travel information.

I have been a photographer at western ski resorts. Starting out in Wyoming. Where I landed my first professional photography job, taking action photos of skiers on the slopes at Grand Targhee. I am currently a freelance phototographer In Lake Tahoe, California.

PNG is Replacing GIF Files for Digital Graphic Storage

Writen by Ziv Haparnas

GIF is one of the oldest file formats used for graphics and digital photos storage. GIF has many technical advantages but it also has one big business disadvantage. GIF uses LZW compression which is tangled with patents and licensing issues. The free creation and usage of GIF files was always in debate.

While GIF is a great format for the storage of graphics the usage of GIF files represents some licensing issues. Specifically GIF uses the LZW compression algorithms that are patented and not free to use. GIF became so popular that practically it is used in many places without any practical licensing issues but regardless of the problem being practical and real it drove some industry groups to get organized in order to find a way to solve it once and for all.

One solution that was suggested and implemented was to create a completely new file format that will simply replace the old GIF. This format was called PNG – Portable Network Graphics – and it was designed to be as efficient as GIF but free for use without any risk of licensing or patents issues. PNG was also designed in the Internet era and as such was designed with Internet and networks usage in mind.

Both GIF and PNG were designed and are mostly used for storing graphics. Some people confuse graphics with digital photos although the two are completely different. Graphics are usually computer generated pictures that are built from some basic geometrical objects such as rectangles, triangles and circles. These objects can be combined in complicated ways, colored, filled, brushed, different textured can be used and more. Digital photos on the other hand are generated by digital cameras and by shooting photos of real objects. Digital photos are not built of discrete objects. There are technical implications to that difference mainly in how compression is implemented. For example it is easier to compress graphics (since it is built of known objects and more homogenous colors) than to compress digital photos (since they include areas of different colors, usually some noise and slight variations in colors in each pixel).

To conclude here are short explanations of what the GIF and the PNG formats are:

GIF – Graphics Interchange Format: An old file format initiated by CompuServe. It uses a lossless LZW compression and is thus more efficient than BMP files. GIF files are very efficient for storing basic graphics (that include lines, circles and other graphical shapes) and also efficient for storing small digital photos but are rarely used to store large digital photos as there are more efficient formats for that purpose. GIF files can also include multiple “frames” and support basic animation.

PNG – Portable Network Graphics: This relatively new format was designed to be used in online applications such as web pages. It uses a lossless compression. The original goal of the PNG format was to replace GIF (due to some licensing complications associated with the GIF format). PNG is commonly used now by online web sites to represent small digital photos or graphics replacing the GIF format.

The Grace of an Ansel Adams Poster

Writen by Morgan Hamilton

If you’re really looking to juice up the walls of your home or office, you can’t really go wrong with some Ansel Adams posters. Some of the most beautiful and breathtaking images of the Americas, especially the western United States, are portrayed in Ansel Adams’ photography, and I’m a huge fan of his work. I have several Ansel Adams Posters in my home and I especially enjoyed his shot of the American West. They are truly breathtaking.

One of my favorite Ansel Adams posters is his famous image of Yosemite’s Halfdome, with a daytime moon behind it. What a beautiful image one of our greatest national treasures. This Ansel Adams poster always fills me with a sense of awe and wonder and never fails to take me back to the wonderful memories of when I used a backpack in this amazing land.

Ansel Adams was particularly fond of Yosemite, and devoted a great deal of his life’s work to capturing the majesty of this area. Because of this, many Ansel Adams posters are depictions of different scenic aspects of Yosemite. They are without question my favorite photos of the park, and yet even this voluminous collection still can’t even begin to tell of the beautiful majesty that the park holds.

Having said that, have a number of Yosemite images around me can at times fill me with the same sense of peace and serenity that I get when I am actually in the famous national park. What a wonderful escape, if only in my mind, from the everyday life of the big city. While there is of course a certain beauty to cities as well, the bustling, noisy, and chaotic character to them is well balanced with some Ansel Adams posters. It is a natural panacea.

Of course, Ansel Adams entire life’s work wasn’t encapsulated in Yosemite National Park. Another one of my favorite Ansel Adams posters is a print of his Tetons and Snake river photograph. Again the subject matter is the American West and I must say that the Grand Tetons are one of the most striking mountain ranges in the country, and this image captures their beauty very well. I had the fortune of visiting them once and each time I look at the Ansel Adams poster I am reminded of their imposing nature and statuesque virtue.

Ansel Adams images have become quite a rage in the last few years, and I’ve seen a rise in popularity in Ansel Adams posters as well. It doesn’t surprise me really, but actually I take that back, it does surprise me. It surprises me that it has taken this long for his work to celebrated.

The man’s work are not only great and inspiring images to have around the home, but they’re also very trendy. And many times trendy items tend to have great value. The kinds of images portrayed in an Ansel Adams poster are completely classic as well, a black and white image of mountains, lakes, trees, beaches, or other natural scenes will never be out of style. Beauty never is.

Helping Dogs Feel Confident During a Pet Portrait Session

Writen by Michael Waine

When a dog takes on the “misery stance”, we will see the tail between the legs, the eyes looking away from me, and the ears down and close to the head. This usually happens because the dog is unaware of the owner’s wishes and unsure of my intentions. It my pet photography photo sessions this can sometimes be a challenge. When the dog looks bored or frightened or tired, these conditions make the photo session next to impossible.

I use a low key and soft mannerism with this type of dog and my task is to make it feel safe and happy. Before I begin photographing the pet to be seen alone or with his the owner, we first have our “romping around time” together. I take the dog into a fenced in area where it is free to escape for a while to eliminate if necessary, but more important, to be free to wander around and lose some of the stress they have when they first arrive for the photo shoot. If I am shooting several animals together, I do this with each dog individually and deal with them individually so they are not fearing me. I am very persistent with the animals and I treat them as if each one is the only animal of its kind in the world. I use praise and reward to get the dog to become confident. I always have a small bag of treats in my pocket, sometimes 2 or 3 different kinds, and I watch to see which treat the animals likes the most.

When I now bring the dog in front of my camera, I flash the strobe lights several times while petting the dog. If his tail is not standing, the tail can be made to stand upright by brushing my hand with the lightest touch from the base of the tail to the tip using a fast flicking motion. This works very well with cats too. Eventually, the dog likes this and the tail will stay up. If I am working outdoors, I have also run with dogs while on a lead and given the lead a quick tug. Since the tail adds balance to the dog’s movement, it will raise its tail when there is a jerk to the lead. The best way to keep the tail up is by making the dog happy.

Most dogs are very clever and are seldom depressed. I ask the owner if the dog knows how to respond to obedience commands and I reward the dog when it comes, sits for me, and especially when it stays until released. I also verbally praise the dog countless times (persistent positive reinforcement) until we become friends. The dog no longer fears the photo session and now understands that this get- together is all about him. By me being persistent, by returning the dog to the targeted spot where my lighting will be optimal, and by constantly praising and rewarding the dog when I get really good takes, I finally have the dog feeling confident that the camera work will not harm him and that he is very special and doing a good job. Everyone wants to know that they are doing a good job. Animals are no different. They want to please us. I cannot shoot until the pet begins to feel comfortable and happy. The ears and the tail go up when I squeak the squeaker that is always near my camera. Sometimes the tongue comes out and I now feel that the dog is ready to begin his portrait session. He is no longer unsure about the owner’s wishes or my intentions. He is feeling confident! I can now create a custom pet portrait that shows the dog’s personality. If the owner is to be seen with the animal, I ask the owner to maintain a smile or pleased look continuously because animals never stay still. Capturing wonderful moments takes control. With the owner looking good for a continued amount of time, I can now work the animal towards a great gesture, a smile or a tilt of the head, and big open eyes that reveals the soul of the animal!

Michael Waine, photographer

My goal is to provide pet owners with photographic art. I love photographing animals more than any other photography work I’ve done over the past 30 years. I am highly motivated by the recognition I receive from pet owners who allow me to photograph their beloved pets and animals. Please visit my website to see samples of my work at http://www.michaelwaine.com/pets