Holiday Photo Advice- Let's see those Doodle Holiday card photos (and the outtakes)

[David Sands]

Working with a high spirited Doodle and a camera can be rewarding and fustrating all in a matter of seconds. Here are a few tips for getting that great Holiday Photo. Please add your tips for we all want those legendary holiday pictures of our Doodles!

Tips- in no certain order

Walk your pooch prior to a photo session, bleed out that excessive energy and have a calm subject

Treats, your going to be using a lot of kibble to motivate and get Mr/Mrs Doodleface to pose. Have a training bag with kibble on your belt easily accessible

Cable Release or Remote, most cameras today have a port to attach a cable release to trip your shutter or others use a IR remote, These cost anywhere from 19 bucks to 90. It's a investment in photography gear you can use year round at night, w tripos or group shots. Invest in a release, it's makes a huge difference

Don't freak your pooch out- no one likes a 70-200 lens in their grill or lights flashing in their face. Have an assistant and have your settings pre set to your background make for better photos and a less stressed dog

Lighting, indirect or off camera lighting is best. If you don't have flashes and thousands of dollars in gear, it's okay. Be creative. I have used the flashlight on my iPhone to get some "fill light" in a Doodles deep eyes to bring them out. Think outside the box and get lighting off the lens axis- try it. It's digital so snap away and you'll be suprised and the improvement in photo quality will be visible

If you do use flash, bounce light off the ceiling to rain down soft muted light onto your subject. If you have a pop up flash, (don't laugh) I drape a  small piece of tissue paper over it to difuse that harsh little light and soften it some.

Use a tripod, use a tripod-  use a tripod

Get different angles. Move around and get low, go high- profile shots? silhouettes be creative. it's art

Smile, your dog thinks your crazy (we are). If it isn't working, try later. Dont push it. Smile.... Your dog knows if your stressed

Love to see more photos and tips/tricks you use to capture magic!

Dave/Flynn

[PJ and Zach]

Oh, I didn't know about your job.  Congratulations!  I agree, thanks for all the tips, David.

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

Love the hat over the eyes!  It shows such personality. So far this year, none of my Christmas have been successful.

[Cheryl and Finnegan]

Finn is not one for Santa Claus hats…or antlers, etc. He can dump a hat fast than any shutter. So no luck so far but we'll keep trying. Going to try your remote suggestion.  Here's a "naked doodle" shot...

[David Sands]

well caught. Did you use a flash on this? Pop up or speed light. I notice the catch lights in the eyes- added touch that make this better, or was the sun behind your back?   This is great...

[Cheryl and Finnegan]

Thanks David!!  No flash - just natural light and luck.  Sun behind my back, slightly to the side.  In editing, I'll sometimes enhance the natural catchlights just a little by using the dodge tool at low opacity.  Camilla gave lessons to a bunch of us newbies a while back and one of the most challenging ones was Shooting a Dog Running Towards You. Nancy showed me how to adjust the white balance on the original to make this shot better.

[David Sands]

what camera are you using? Nikon or Cannon (sorry thats the only camera language I speak).

[Cheryl and Finnegan]

Nikon 7000.  

[Minda and Callie]

I love this!

[Linda, Charlie Brown and Beau]

Wow Cheryl ~ beautiful Finn shot. IMO - a great Christmas card!

[DJ & Chance]

Such joy captured here.  Wonderful.

[Elizabeth, Bailey & Bruin]

Fabulous!!!!

[Richard Crowe]

Development of a Christmas Card.  Kolby is not not a doodle but he is a poodle mix...

Here is the original image.  Judy was sitting in an armchair covered with a green fleece fabric.  She was holding Kolby and I placed the wreath over the dog and shot the image using bounced flash on a Canon 7D with a 70-200mm f/4L lens.  ISO 160, 1/60 second @ f/4

This is what our card image looks like after I worked with it on Vista Press website...

Final card: both sides using a slightly different font for "Maltese Rescue California"