Week Two: Post One
On Monday May 14, 2012 I visited the animal shelter to start practicing proper ways to take pictures of the animals to get them a home. I quickly realized it was much easier said than done. Many of the animals were so excited to have some human interaction it was difficult to take a picture of them. It took me several tries and a few hours to get five animal pictures that I was satisfied with. I understood how time consuming I was for the animal shelter to take pictures of each animal that came in.
I browsed the Wake County Animal Shelter Adoption website and realized how important it was to have good personable pictures of the animals. In many of the animal's photos the animal looked scared, their face wasn't able to be seen or there was too much going on in the background that took attention away from the animal.
I was however, inspired by the picture below.
Butterfly ID: 68922
Butterfly ID:68922
Photo Courtesy of Wake County Animal Shelter
Photo retrieved on May 15, 2012
I was immediately drawn to the cat's eyes. The catch light in the cat's eye make them sparkle and gives the cat extra personality. I also was intrigued by the lighting because it shows all the different colors in the cat's fur. The vignette pulls your attention toward the cat's eyes and face because the background is faded out.
Prestone Animal ID:71054
Photo Courtesy of Wake County Animal Shelter
Photo retrieved on May 15, 2012
Above is Prestones original picture from the Wake County Animal Shelter. He doesn't seem very happy and the background is distracting. For example the yellow spots in front of him. I would probably pass this picture by and look for a cat that looked more inviting.
Prestone ID:71054
The picture I took of Prestone above, makes me want to stop and actually look at him. He looks much more adoptable and the details of the picture show off his handsome charm.
I tried to capture the same personality in Prestone's eyes by increasing the catch light. I made sure that I was positioned in a stop with the maximum amount of lighting so I could bring out the beautiful orange on his forehead and mustache. I also made a vignette to draw the potential adopters to his face.
I love the retake of Prestone! You must tell the shelter they have to put that one on the site! I think you did a very good job of increasing the catch light in his eyes and brightening the image up. You did a very good job at making him seem very sweet, inviting, and most importantly adoptable! I like the angle you have your camera at and how you captured him laying on his side it makes it seem like he is a perfect lazy house cat. You also do a very good job at talking about how hard it is to photograph these animals. I don't think many people understand how hard it is to do that.
ReplyDeleteGood points Kayley! It is very easy to underestimate how time consuming it is to take a "good" irresistible photograph.
DeleteThank you Kayley! I don't many of us really knew how time consuming it was to take pictures of the animals. I defiantly have a great respect for the shelter and better understand why their website photos are not always the greatest!
DeleteLauren, your picture of Prestone is great! For example, he looks much more adoptable in the picture you took. He does not appear scared or nervous and this picture would definitely make me stop and look at him for adoption. I like that you had your camera angled this way and caught Prestone laying down. I completely agree with what you said about Prestone's original picture; the yellow spots in front of him are distracting and could make potential families looking to adopt pass by this photo. I also like that you included just how difficult it truly is to take photographs of the animals. It is very challenging to get the animals (especially dogs) to stay still long enough to capture a photograph.
ReplyDeleteVery well said Brittany!
DeleteThank you Brittany! The angle was a bit hard for me to get because he was laying on the shelf. I pretty much had my whole body in the cage and was turned so I could get a picture head on. Part of me thinks he has such a sparkle in his eyes because he is laugh at me for being in his cage trying to get this shot!
DeleteExcellent post! Your new photograph makes Prestone look loving, calm, and squeezable. The eyes sparkle and his body language is inviting. Fantastic work!
ReplyDeleteThank you Professor Johnstone! Prestone was an easy cat to work with but it was great practice getting a good angle and the right amount of light.
DeleteLauren,
ReplyDeleteI love all three of your pictures, especially the one of Prestone. The lighting seemed just right and highlight this cats need areas, like his eyes. You made Prestone seem very comfortable and welcoming. He defiantly caught my eye when i was there and I hope he catches the eye of someone, picture can say a thousand words and you did a great job under the conditions of how hard it is to take the perfect shot!
Thank you! The last photo of Prestone is the only one I actually took. Surprisingly the one above that is a photo of Prestone too taken by the shelter. I did have to take several picture to get the just right amount of lighting but it seems like my hard work paid off!
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