shooting a dying dog on a sunny day

[OceanRider]

Hey all,

Have to shoot a family's dog today that will be soon put down. :cry: The only time is a very sunny day, today 26 May......She needs to shoot it too at 1:00pm, terrrible time. Any suggestions?

I am thinking in the shade, under a tree, with 580Ex fill with Stofen...using a white/maybe gold large reflector to bounce some soft fill....

Anything else?

Ahhh I hate sunny days and shadows!!

Thanks guys
Joel

[smittymike19]

Hey all,


Ahhh I hate sunny days and shadows!!

Thanks guys
Joel

well sunny days and shadows are better than getting put down:) . Maybe you could use a diffusion panel to filter the sun?

[Muzz]

Personally speaking I find that pics taken before you know that the pet is being put down are 1.000 times better than a "last moment" photo.

[Curtis N]

Personally speaking I find that pics taken before you know that the pet is being put down are 1.000 times better than a "last moment" photo.
I'm sure Joel is grateful for your extremely helpful comment (smirk).

A shade tree and some fill flash seems like a common sense approach. I don't know how sick the dog is or how cooperative he might be but I wouldn't make things too complicated. This will be more of a challenge if it's a black dog.

Condolences to the family. I've been there.

[weemannie]

If you can make it somewhere the family associates with the dog it may help. A favourite spot where it plays or rests. I'm a dog owner (3 little mites!) and lost one a while ago and miss her terribly.

My sympathy goes out to the family.

[Muzz]

I'm sure Joel is grateful for your extremely helpful comment (smirk).


See where I said personally speaking I assumed it was ok to say what I did.

Alas not and if you have been there yourself as you say you have then you will know how it feels and you would understand my comments.

But then again maybe its just me? ;)

P.S I have pics on my other pc of a passed away pet that prove my point but like all things in other folks life it aint my call.

[Todd Jacobsen]

Hey all,

Have to shoot a family's dog today that will be soon put down. :cry: The only time is a very sunny day, today 26 May......She needs to shoot it too at 1:00pm, terrrible time. Any suggestions?

I am thinking in the shade, under a tree, with 580Ex fill with Stofen...using a white/maybe gold large reflector to bounce some soft fill....

Anything else?

Ahhh I hate sunny days and shadows!!

Thanks guys
Joel

It's sounds like taking a photo of the cancer ridden relative!

It's now or never but remembering WHY you had to put a pet down can't always be "hidden" in the photo. Hope they have happier photo events!

I'd suggest indoor photo shoot - make the dog happy - probably doesn't move around much.

[Conk]

Thats uncouth.

[mgbeach]

I feel sorry for you and the fact that you think your statement contains anything but cruelty.

[Southswede]

I...never mind.....

[Southswede]

I am both, as well. But I can't seem to find humor in the death of a family member, especially as joked.

[Curtis N]

Having been in the unfortunate situation of having to euthanise dying animals with firearms more than once, I can tell you it's never pretty. To see it as humorous requires a pathetic lack of maturity.

[12345Michael54321]

I've been an avid photographer for around 25 years now, and am also an Endowment level member of the NRA, a firearms instructor with certification from a variety of agencies, and a lawyer who has done pro bono work on 2nd Amendment cases. And I found the comment to be in extremely poor taste. Reminiscent of something I'd expect from a particularly immature teenager, perhaps.

Sadly, all too often, the Internet seems to be the place where manners and courtesy go to die.

(BTW, in my experience there is an 87.23% probability that when firearms are mentioned in a thread, the discussion will rapidly mutate into a pointless debate on gun control. Let's work hard to support the other 12.77%, shall we?)

[mgbeach]

(BTW, in my experience there is an 87.23% probability that when firearms are mentioned in a thread, the discussion will rapidly mutate into a pointless debate on gun control. Let's work hard to support the other 12.77%, shall we?)

92.876 % of statistics are made up on the spot. :)

[RichardtheSane]

I fail to see the funny side

The original post was, as COnk said, Uncouth.

But this? Clearly you love does not extend to animals or you would show a little more respect

[tommykjensen]

I am shocked that anybody would make a joke out of this.

Sorry I don't have any advice but I hope You did get a lot of good photos for the family.

[OceanRider]

Hi all,

Thanks for the info and conversation, as always, interesting! The poor old pup has a neuro-problem in which he has lost the use of his back legs. I shot under a fruit tree for shade and with a white reflector (held by my wife) and my 300mm at f5.6 The fact that he could not moved actually made for a great subject, weird enough.

Hope you like the shot.

Cheers.

Joel

[Harry Settle]

Somewhere along the line I lost track of what the heck was going on with this thread. . . Having just lost my best pup last summer, I wish I had pics like the ones you shot here of her. Nice job, the family's going to love them.

[kenyc]

Well Done! Very nice pics!

KAC

[Curtis N]

Wonderful shots. How did you get the black background?

[weemannie]

Lovely shots. Something for the family to hold on to.

Well done

[RichardtheSane]

You have done a truly beautiful job. You have captured the old calm look in his eyes.
They should be proud of the shots

[OceanRider]

I took my stands and a piece of black fabric, the dog is sitting on it. I took it away for the green shots.

Joel

[allanc]

I too recently had to put one of my dogs to sleep. Here is my beloved Chula about a 5 days before.

http://www.kihikihi.com/dfw/chula2.jpg

Here is Chula late in the afternoon the day before I took her in. The lighting was bad but I will cherish the photos.

http://www.kihikihi.com/dfw/chula_bb.jpg

Chula
April 25, 1996--March 29, 2005

[OceanRider]

Beautiful hound, thanks for sharing.

Joel

[Wazza]

Beautiful photos. Well done, you'll make the family cherish their loved one forever. :)

[fetching]

this thread makes me sad. i can't imagine having to put my dog down, she's such a friend to me. sorry about your loss.

[neverdone]

Nice shots. I like the second one but the first photo would be my pick; looks natural and very relaxed. Nice lighting.

[Eagle]

Great pics.
I went through the same thing last year. Use one of my last shots of Max as my PC wallpaper.
Now I have a new best friend Duke to take pics of.

[CyberPet]

Joel, you did a great job! I just love those photo's and I'm sure the family will value them even more. You did handle the light well and the dog is/was just gorgeous. So sad when a loved pet falls ill. It's hard to imagine unless you don't have pets yourself how much a part of a family they are.

[gastroboy]

very nice. you couldn't tell that anything was wrong with the dog.

[pdrow]

We lost our dane a year ago this week. We literally lost her as in we had taken her out of town with us, she was frightened by a storm and bolted, never to be seen again. Believe me, we had most everyone in the state of Louisiana looking for her. I had taken some photos of her a few weeks before. Nothing formal, but just playing around with her. I am so glad we have them, but boy do I miss her.

I know this family will be so glad to have these ohotos.
pam

[allanc]

Sorry to hear that pdrow. The parents of my dog ran away during Hurricane Bret. They were never heard from again. Dogs quickly become part of the family.

[Blue Deuce]

Bless his little loyal dog heart.