Pet Photo's for local asylum.

[hennie]

I have been asked to shoot pets in the local asylum during the coming holliday period.
For these pets it really can be a matter of life or death because the pictures are used to find a future home for them.
mainly it will be cats and dogs.
Most of them are quite skitty because of neglect and/or abuse.

I will be using my 40D, but am not sure what lens and if I should try not to flash.
My lenses are 50/1.4 100/2.0 135/2.0 and 24-105.

What should I use?

[smilebug]

Can you bring 2 lens? If so, I suggest bringing the 50mm and the 24-105. Because they are shy, I think getting too close would probably scare them even more. I know the 24-105 doesn't have an amazing f stop, like your other lens, but it has zoom. The primes might not be handy, unless you are in a spacey room.

[hennie]

This morning I visited the site together with the regular fotogr.
I can bring two lenses, also have a spare body (350D).
Space is very limited, fortunately the rooms are well lit through rooms and have white ceilings / walls so bouncing fill-in flash is an option.

To give an idea of the currently shown pics, this is a link to their site : click here (http://www.asielenrijnmond.dierenbescherming.nl/asieldieren/katten)
(Watch the ears flat in the neck)

When the pets arrive they are often in a very bad condition, so I cannot take them out of the cage.
In that stage they hardly move, so I think footzoming with a prime wide open is an option.
The 24-105 with IS will be fast enough, just doubting if F/4 will be sufficiently open to blur the background.
Would a 100/2.8 macro be handy?

[BaliHai]

Hi Hennie, I've been doing this at our local shelter for 4 years now so I've gotten it down to a system. My camera of choice is my 5D with a flash and defuser with 24-105 lens, I shoot in manual at 1/200th at 5.6 to 7.1 (this distance varies as the longer muzzles of the dogs need a greater depth of field).

I have an assistant who goes and gets the dogs from their cages and we photograph them in a small room, she keeps them away from me so that I have a better chance of photographing them. Also by having the assistant I can isolate myself from the animals if I am petting them or fussing with them they are no longer at a distance I can photograph them safely or well. A friendly golden put me on the floor with my camera one time because I forgot and petted him. Other dogs may befrightened by the flash or camera and come for you, this has only happened a couple times but be careful.

As for the cats again my assistant takes them from there cage and we place them on a table at eye level and my assistant fusses with them and uses toys to get their attention. In almost all cases the animals are photographed focusing on the eyes but occasionally we will do a body shot as well if the animal has a beautiful coat pattern or the size is important.

Have fun photographing the shelter animals and remember you are helping them find a furrever home.

[hennie]

Thanks for your help.
Today i went in for the first time.
Only had to make som pictures of new cats.
With my 40D, the 24-105 would not autofocus on the darker cats, a 5D or 7D is on wishlist.
I revert to my 50/1.4 with 420EX and diffusor shooting manual at 5.6 and 1/125.
See some of the results :
http://webdisk.planet.nl/hkleywgt/publiek/album/Dierenopvang/2010-07-07/_w/IMG_6099K_raw_jpg.jpg
http://webdisk.planet.nl/hkleywgt/publiek/album/Dierenopvang/2010-07-07/_w/IMG_6095K_raw_jpg.jpg
http://webdisk.planet.nl/hkleywgt/publiek/album/Dierenopvang/2010-07-07/_w/IMG_6134K_raw_jpg.jpg
http://webdisk.planet.nl/hkleywgt/publiek/album/Dierenopvang/2010-07-07/_w/IMG_6144K_raw_jpg.jpg


For the full set : http://webdisk.planet.nl/hkleywgt/publiek/album/Dierenopvang/2010-07-07

[BaliHai]

Good start, some things to watch out for crop in tighter either in camera or in Photoshop, remember the saying the eyes are the windows to the soul. Our local shelter has adoptees coming in and saying I looked at her eyes and I knew I had to adopt.

Try not to photograph in cages also clean up the cat before turning image over to shelter again a little photoshoping and the cat looks well cared for.

Black cats are tough bump up your ISO. Normaly I bounce the flash off the ceiling but with the black animals I point it toward them.

Here's a link to our local shelter http://www.warrenhumanesociety.org/ADOPTIONS/petphotos.php I have photographed any of the animals that have a frame around their portrait. We started framing them to make each animal special.

[hennie]

Nice hints, tomorrow I will give it another go.

[hennie]

Second try today.
I took advantage of your hints, thanks again.
The whole lot:Dierenopvang (http://webdisk.planet.nl/hkleywgt/publiek/album/Dierenopvang/2010-07-14)

#1 http://webdisk.planet.nl/hkleywgt/publiek/album/Dierenopvang/2010-07-14/_w/_MG_6171_raw_jpg.jpg

#2 http://webdisk.planet.nl/hkleywgt/publiek/album/Dierenopvang/2010-07-14/_w/_MG_6158_raw_jpg.jpg

#3 http://webdisk.planet.nl/hkleywgt/publiek/album/Dierenopvang/2010-07-14/_w/_MG_6197_raw_jpg.jpg

[BaliHai]

Nice job!

[Ange]

Beautiful kitties, hope it helps find them a home :) Well done for helping them.