Stuart Walker Blog » pet portrait

Pet Portrait of Mandie the Collie

Stuart Walker — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 18:20:09 +0000

Today I was off to Edinburgh for a pre-wedding meeting and also pet portrait session – the session was provided by us as a complimentary service to Susan and Phillip who have booked us to photograph their wedding in June.

Mandie the Collie was a good wee soul and let me capture some lovely shots of her, although I think the treats helped just a bit.

Mandie the Collie

Pet Photography

Ten German Shepherd Puppies

Stuart Walker — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 13:20:52 +0000

Photographing one dog can be challenging enough but ten puppies? Now that was tricky. Of course we could have made things a bit easier for ourselves by catching them before they all woke up, or even doing the pet photography session when they were too young to move very quickly, but with some patience and a few well positioned assistants we managed to get a shot with all of them.

Ten Puppies in a Row

Taking a more relaxed pace we got some shots of more manageable groups. Thankfully the vinyl backdrop is easy to wipe clean!

Fluffy Trio

Peekaboo!

Puppy Playtime

Pet Photography Award

Stuart Walker — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 08:46:01 +0000

This image of Doogle our Cocker Spaniel was given a ‘gold award’ in the SWPP February image competition. All gold award images are put forward to the ‘Photographer of the Year’ judging next January.

With this image, I used a single speedlite fitted with a stofen omnibounce diffuser and a small softbox (without diffusion panel) directly in front of Doogle at about 45 degrees to give a nice contrasty sheen on his black fur. In front of a black backdrop I had Doogle sit while I placed a treat near his front paws. He is reasonably well trained and I knew he would look at the treat and then glance up at me without moving his head waiting for the command to grab it. This gave the “pose” I was aiming for that brings his ears and nose together while his eyes are clearly the focal point of the image.

I could have made a “cute” dog photograph, but I like dark and dramatic pet portraits so I emphasised the darkness by adding the negative space above Doogle’s head. It also leaves plenty of space for typesetting – for a motivation poster perhaps?

Doogle the Cocker Spaniel

Having had one of last year’s pet portraits come in as a runner up in the annual awards, and with a run of three gold awards in a row for November, January and February (there was no competition in December) I am allowing myself a bit of optimism for this year! Now I have to work at submitting another image. I have the chance to photograph ten German Shepherd puppies together, so perhaps that will be the next project – I think I might try for “cute and cuddly” this time though

If you would like a pet portrait of your dog – or cat, mouse, monkey… get in touch using the link for the contact form to the right or call us on 0141 416 5141.

Pet Photography – Bud

Stuart Walker — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 16:58:55 +0000

As part of our ongoing commitment to our clients, we recently introduced free pet portrait sessions including a 10×8″ print for everyone who has booked wedding photography with us. Sheila and Mark’s dog “Bud” was a great model and enjoyed the attention.

Here are some images from the photo shoot.

Bud looking very regal

Thoughtful Bud

Ready for another treat

To take up this fantastic offer, contact us either by making a wedding enquiry or general query.

Pet Portrait Gift

Stuart Walker — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 15:36:40 +0000

I thought I would make a timely reminder that our special offer on pet photography finishes at the end of April, so if you haven’t already booked better make it snappy!

For just £30 you will have a professional photoshoot of your beloved pet in the comfort of your own home. Plus a free 10×8″ print!

When I say ‘professional’ photoshoot, that is exactly what it means. Imagine a photographic studio with clean bright white or deep black backdrops, studio strobe units and a creative photographer! Want to see the results you can expect? No problem. Have a look at our pet portrait sample gallery, or check out our most recent award winning image on our previous blog entry.

In addition, 10% of all proceeds from pet portaits are donated to the Dogs Trust.