DDR German Shepherds

altostland · Site Admin Joined: 08 Feb 2007 Posts: 788 Location: Texas

OK, for starters, let's talk about selecting a location for photos:
FIRST RULE : The sun rises in the east and sets in the west!
It is not required that you have a built in compass or GPS system in your brain - you'll soon know by working with the angle of the sun which direction is which. If you are thinking of setting up a good backdrop, planting some colorful flowering trees, etc... select a spot on the east and/or west side of your property to plant your backdrops. Whether you take your pictures at home or away, Whenever humanly possible, always pick a good LEVEL spot, free of clutter and obstructions. Now granted, you can't always do this if you seize the moment at a club event to stack your dog out, and have a friend snap a photo, etc. BUT, you can look around and find the LEAST obnoxious backdrop Smile

Make sure the sun is BEHIND the photographer if at all possible. Otherwise, the lighting will be messed up - shadows on the dog will mask the color, markings and detail if the sun is behind the dog or directly overhead in fron or behind the dog.
If the backdrop is dark, and so is your dog, try to find a lighter spot so the dog stands out from the background.
NOTE: Try to avoid a very bright or whitebackground as well, as the lighter colors cause the camera to try to shut out some of the light (Gisela might be better at the proper terminologies) and thereby makes the dog appear darker and less detailed. Just doesn't work!
Photos taken in shade are not necessarily bad, as long as both the dog and the photographer are in full shade without little spots of light coming through trees, etc.
Any other ideas, G~?
_________________
Judy Malone
www.altostland.com
HOME of CHAMPIONS!
3 UKC GRAND CH, 6 UKC CH, 17 INT CH
"Don't make me get my flyin' monkeys!"

Gisela · Joined: 08 Feb 2007 Posts: 1774 Location: Houston, TX

I love it!
Although you best find someone else to help you find your way through the shutterspeed, aperature, etc jungle!!!! Laughing

But yes, background is a big one. A huge advantage with the digitals for me right there. Sometimes it is hard to see as we focus so much on our subject and not what goes on around.
Strydor on sandy background can look really washed out depending on what kind of day.
I also am still playing around what time of day to take pictures due to shadows. From backgrounds and on the dogs themselves.
Taking salespictures of horses has made it very clear how easily toplines, heads, legs are being distored by a treeline or something of that kind.
_________________
Gisela & Gang (all of them!)

(even the BC"s)
"Gewalt beginnt immer, dort wo Wissen aufhoert und wo Verzweiflung ihren Anfang nimmt!"

altostland · Site Admin Joined: 08 Feb 2007 Posts: 788 Location: Texas

altostland · Site Admin Joined: 08 Feb 2007 Posts: 788 Location: Texas

IF you decide to plant a good backdrop, it's easy and free to check with your local agricultural extension to get help with good plants for your area and soil type. I could name off hundreds of plants that make great backdrops, but I don't know if they'd grow in all areas. You can think of planting a hedgerow of something variegated, that should be lighter than your DDR dogs, then put flowering trees in between the hedgerow plants that will bloom at crucial times of the year. In my area, I've used variegated Pittisporum, which is a super nice, naturally thick, rounded hedge you do not have to trim, Texas Mountain laurel (royal purple clusters of blooms) flower out at the same time as redbud, (beautiful neon pink) and then find a few white flowering fruit trees for the same time. For summer pictures, Crepe Myrtles come in some outstanding colors, and bloom profusely later in the summer. The "watermelon" color variety is very common, and is super for taking pictures when planted in conjunction with the white ones.
Again, check with your local garden shops or ag-extension office to get suggestions.
You can also plant a backdrop of flowering Jasmine - if you plant several different varieties together, you can easily get yellow and white flowers year-round from them as well, and they'll create a very lovely natural tall hedge. Same goes for Lady Banksia Roses - climbing vine-type, small yellow roses, and no thorns if I remember correctly!
Remember to make sure the plants you choose are not toxic to animals!
_________________
Judy Malone
www.altostland.com
HOME of CHAMPIONS!
3 UKC GRAND CH, 6 UKC CH, 17 INT CH
"Don't make me get my flyin' monkeys!"

Gisela · Joined: 08 Feb 2007 Posts: 1774 Location: Houston, TX

Okay now, if I have to start gardening too just for my pictures.... Embarassed

_________________
Gisela & Gang (all of them!)

(even the BC"s)
"Gewalt beginnt immer, dort wo Wissen aufhoert und wo Verzweiflung ihren Anfang nimmt!"

altostland · Site Admin Joined: 08 Feb 2007 Posts: 788 Location: Texas

I came across this pic today on the pedigree database, and wanted to use it stricly for illustrating what I was talking about with selecting your background. This is not meant to criticize the photographer or the dog!
But because they positioned the dog with his head against a dark back ground, the top of the head gets "lost" in the shadow. Imagine how different this would be if the photgrapher had taken a step to the left, or had the dog handler move the dog about two steps back...the dog's head would be in front of the lighter trees, and not lost in the only dark shadowed spot in the area. Additionally, by pivoting his body and/or the dog's to the left just about a few degrees, he could have gotten his shadow off the dog's feet (although THAT part is easy to clone out).

_________________
Judy Malone
www.altostland.com
HOME of CHAMPIONS!
3 UKC GRAND CH, 6 UKC CH, 17 INT CH
"Don't make me get my flyin' monkeys!"