Pet Photography

Anyone have much experience with Pet Photography? Will be using a K100D, once it's in stock and I order it .

Suggested lenses for a budget conscious wannabe pet photographer?

Hi Heres One of my dog i took with the K10D if you can afford the extra go for the newer model it will serve you well both now and in the future. It has 10mp and is a superb camera for all round phography. I used the 18-55 kit lense

The cameras white balance is excellent

PS Ive used this image in other forums so regulars will probably knock me using it again. Oh well its my favourite anyway




Pete

What pets do you have? The technique will be much the same (focus on the eyes, get down to their level etc. etc) for any pet, but the best lens may vary depending on whether it is a goldfish or a Shire horse...

Well it's certainly a beautiful photo on any forum! I'm surprised you were able to get that with the kit lens. Great detail and contrast. Love the eyes. Looks like my border-collie.

Brian

Gwen,

I would expect about 90% dogs but perhaps some horses and cats. Cat's would be difficult to get to stay one spot.

The idea is to make a little money. I used to live in a very remote arctic village and when up there I had the opportunity to do various photography projects on the side which basically paid for my equipment and hobby. I wouldn't have been able to do these things in a more populated area because I'd be competing with "real" professionals but up there, the choice was usually me or no one.

In any event, I moved back down from the arctic and for the last couple of years I haven't been as active in photography. Now I'd like to get back into it and have been thinking of ways I can do something where I might get a little side income to once again support my habit and I've decided that Pet Photography is the what I'll do.

I figure it's better than weddings as there's not that much pressure. A bad shoot can be redone where as the wedding can't. You also don't have to deal with drunks and or neurotic brides. Also, there's not as much competition in Pet Photography . None where I live, actually. Lastly, you don't have to worry about the subject thinking she looks fat!

Ok well I'd suggest as fast a lens as you can - at least a 2.8, and one that allows you a bit of distance from you subject so that it doesn't feel threatened by you - wouldn't want you bitten by an upset dog would we!
A friend who has a KM uses either a 100mm or a 200mm 2.8 (obviously not always at 2. and gets truly stunning photos of dogs. She is able to capture the very soul of the animal. A good zoom would work too -probably even better as you wouldn't have to keep swapping lenses.
For dogs you can try and get some action photos too, always appreciated by besotted owners, especially as they are nearly impossible to take of your own dog! (There speaks the voice of exxperience )

Pete;

Its a good job thats not a print your showing round, it'd be a bit dog-eared by now

The K10D is not a newer model, it's a different model. It has several disadvantages compared to the K100D:

It is considerably more expensive.
It is bigger.
It is heavier.
It produces bigger files, which means you get fewer pictures on a card, need more hard disk space, and can't edit the pictures so quickly.
It doesn't offer ISO 3200.
It doesn't take AA batteries

For any or some or all of these reasons, the OP might be better served by the K100D, which is a superb camera for the money.

Pete, the word is "LENS". It's a four-letter word. Write it out a few times, and you'll soon get the hang of it.

Knock you? We just lurve seeing pictures of Merlin. But does it always have to be the same one? We're starting to believe he's not actually your dog.

G

brianj said:
try a staple gun.....
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no, really...staple a toy catnip mouse to a rug...to keep it in one spot....then use a bell to get it to look at the camera.....
you weren't really gonna staple the cat were you?
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Personally, I was thinking along the lines of a larger version of those sticky rat traps.

This is all great info, by the way. I've gone back and forth between the K100 or K10. In the end the price difference works out to about double for me for the k10 though and the 100 will do everything I want and give me enlargements as big as I want.

For now, I'd rather put the money into a lens. Although the K10 may offer more room to grow with, the way I see it is that the digital age will require camera manufacturers to update their models more frequently than previously as is the case with computers and other electronics. So if I outgrow it in a couple of years I will probably be happy to get a 2010 model. Pentax will probably have a 15MP interchangeable sensor with 25 point 3d matrix metering, double blink shutter (my own invention) and it will be solar powered. Of course it will still work with any lens ever produced for Pentax.

Some pets just love to pose.....




I know it's not the best pic i've taken but I thought it was very funny, had set up to do some macro work when he (Norman) plonked down under the lights and sat there foe about 20 mins.

OK OK George LENS Thankyou

2. I was not knocking the K100 just pointing out it might be a more advanced option if its to try and sell or make a sort of living. I believe its worth having a little extra on your camara.

3. YES i new id get ribbed about Merlin so just for you here are a few more shots, howver these were not taken with a pentax and some are only 5mp, thats why i tended to use the Pentax shot for all you Pentax lovers. However here they are. PS he is my dog ive fed him and walked enough times

ok shot #2 definately has that border(line) collie crouch and the famous "look".

Too bad the cropping is off a little.

border collie lovers look for ththings in competitions at shows. It pays to know about your subjects, as border collies get judged differently than ther dogs.
then there's the dogs owner who has his own perspective about the animal's personality.

when you shoot horses, everything gets judged right down to the position of the ears.....

I like doing pets but people who buy the pics can be every bit as demanding as neurotic brides!

I like your photos, and am not trying to discourage, or judge, just offering a little advice.

Make sure you know what your customer (the human) is wanting in the image of your subject AND know your subject. Being proficient with a camera is a given.

For what its worth here's a hurriedly grabbed snap of my neighbour's cat

taken with the 18-55 and the crop is about 30% of the frame, his owners are delighted and now have one of those boxy canvas prints on their living room wall. My point here is less about pets and more about the quality of the lens so here is another one, shot RAW and other than converting to mono has had absolutely no work done to it in PS other than the default settings in PS elements RAW converter - stop knocking the kit lens!!!

boy do feel sorry for anybody with dial-up trying to read this page...lol