Popular Photography - February 2015 USA

PUP TIP
Be Safe
In unfamiliar
conditions, any
dog can become
aggressive. To
avoid being bitten
(or damaging
your gear), watch
for warning
signs, such as
hackles going up,
and be ready to
recoil. To defuse
a tense moment,
walk slowly
toward the subject
and place
your camera on
the ground. Walk
away and let
the dog sniff
the camera.
to run poop patrol!” he says.
As for composing an image, as
most of the photos here show,
Parker likes to get his camera
low and shoot into his subject’s
eyes. “I love unusual angles so
I’m constantly flat on my back
or stomach or in other odd positions
that tend to require a chiropractor
afterwards,” he jokes.
“When getting down to
the dog’s level, I move slowly,
making minimal eye contact,
especially if the dog is hyper. Eye
contact can cause some breeds
to tense up. It’s important to
come off as nonthreatening.
Stand back, blend in, and let the
dog rule,” he says.
Consider Your Gear
Shooting subjects who move
quickly and unpredictably naturally
requires proper gear. Parker
advises using a high framing
rate, generous burst capacity,
and effective noise control
at high ISOs. “I like the Canon
EOS 5D Mark III better than my
Canon EOS-1D Mark IV because
the 5D is lighter. Often, though, I
end up using the 1D Mark IV for
its 10 fps framing rate,” he says.
His favorite lenses vary with
the setting and the look a client
wants to achieve from the shoot.
Generally, he relies on fast zooms
like the Canon 16–35mm f/2.8L
for in-close work and Canon’s
70–200mm f/2.8L for longer shots
of shy or distant dogs. “I love the
Canon 300mm f/4L since it’s lightweight
for its size, plus it creates
beautifully unsharp backgrounds.
I often use the Canon 1.4X
teleconverter with the 70–200mm
and 300mm for an added layer of
compression,” he says.
He’s also a huge fan of the
Canon 50mm f/1.2L. “It allows
indoor existing light photography
in outrageously dark
locations, catches focus in low
light, and creates a beautiful
look when used anywhere near
f/1.2. At wide open, the lens is
so fast, I can shoot using studio
strobes’ modeling lights as my
sole source,” Parker says.
Other items he brings to
a shoot include waterproof
blankets and gardening kneepads
that let him lie flat on the
ground or work while kneeling.
“Since my style is to spontaneously
react to photo opportunities,
I need the ability to fall to
the ground for the right angle. If
CANINE
CONFRON-
TATION
While doing
portraits of his
son with the
family’s golden
retreiver at a
beach near
Santa Cruz,
CA, this pitbull
suddenly
approached
the family
dog. Parker
captured the
standoff with
a Canon EOS-
1Ds Mark II
and 70–
200mm f/2.8L
lens, exposing
for 1/800 sec
at f/3.5,
ISO 400.
the ground is wet or muddy, plastic
sheeting can be a godsend,”
he says.
When shooting a dog in available
light, one of Parker’s main
concerns is depth of field. He
wants it as shallow as possible
and suggests shooting wide
open or closing down one stop
to hedge your focusing bets.
Shooting near wide open also
allows the faster shutter speeds
needed to freeze a dog in motion.
When he’s shooting with
strobes, Parker sets the camera
to manual. But if he’s using his
Canon 580EX Speedlite, he’ll set
his DSLR to the Aperture Priority
exposure mode, which balances
the overall lighting to include
ambient light. In this mode, the
on-camera flash acts as a fill light.
Pooch-shooting isn’t just for
dog owners; it can be a practical
solution for newbies looking for
a model. “If you have access to a
dog, you’ve always got a mostly
willing subject that can challenge
your skills at composing,
focusing, and exposing,” says
Parker. Dogs can teach you about
human portraiture and sports
photography, too. The only cost to
you? A few bits of bacon.
56 POPULAR PHOTOGRAPHY FEBRUARY 2015
POPPHOTO.COM