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The Right Way to Travel, Weekly Photo Tip
September 26, 2007
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To Wink or Not To Wink:  Animal Expressions in Photos

By Shelly Perry in Portland, OR.

I expected this month's challenge theme, "Fins, Fangs, Feathers and Fur," to be popular. But I had no idea we'd get the kind of response we've seen so far. More folks have entered than ever before.

(If you're not among those who have submitted a photo for consideration, it's not too late to do so on our website: www.thephotographerslife.com. Remember -- we'll be picking our grand prize winner next month and he or she will get a check for $2,000 and bragging rights for the year's best photo.)

Even though we're getting a record number of submissions, please don't let that discourage you from entering your best shot. After all, you can't win if you don't play!

Here's a tip that will help you sell your photos -- whether they win contests or not...

(continued below...)

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When photographing people (my usual gig) I always go through and pull out the shots where eyes are closed, expressions are off, hair is out of place, etc.  Anything that is not flattering to the person, I delete.  The client NEVER sees them.

Here's why...

** 1.  I know that a client is only going to buy pictures that show  him or her in a good light (no pun intended).  So why waste everybody's time with bad shots?

** 2.  I only want to present images that both my client and I can be proud of. I want people to look at the photos and say, "Wow, you made me look GREAT!"  Not, "Oh my gosh, is that what I really look like?"

When you're photographing people, you can be sure that your clients will show the pictures you took to their friends.  If you can make your subjects look good, you'll look good.  And you'll likely get a referral out of it.

But with pet photos it's not the same. I learned from Master Certified Pet Photographer, Ren Netherland, that a.) pets don't get hung up on how they look, and b.) pet owners often like to see their pets doing something goofy; animal expressions in photos are great.

Ren explained, "If you're photographing a dog that starts to yawn, take the shot.  Same with licking, blinking, and winking.  And whatever you do, don't pull those shots from the ones you present to the owner.  People like them.  They think they are cute or funny and they buy them all they time."

So with people, shoot for flattering and pull the blinks and yawns out of your presentation. But with pet photos, be sure to grab all you can of those silly, funny, goofy character shots; the more expressions the animals have, the better.

I found several shots in this month's challenge that illustrate that cute, silly, funny side of animals... some of these aren't saleable because of the lighting and background but they're definitely good for a giggle or two and I bet their owner's love them:

Last week, Lori and I took what we learned at the pet photography workshop in Hershey, PA and set up a small studio in Lori's living room.  Take a look at this photograph I manipulated in Photoshop with a picture we got of a dog yawning:

[EDITOR'S NOTE: If you missed us in Hershey last week, but you're interested in learning to take better pet photographs, you can get started with AWAI's new three-DVD set -- Pet Photography DVDs with Ren Netherland and Shelly Perry.  They're in production right now, but you can reserve a pre-press copy HERE]

Remember - this month's challenge is your last chance to enter for this year's $2,000 grand prize.

ENTER TO WIN!

This month's photo challenge theme is "Fins, Fangs, Feathers and Fur."  If you have a picture to submit, log on to our website and click on the Enter to Win tab.  (Note: First-time users need to register on the "register" link on the right side bar first. Once you have a username and password, click "Enter to Win" to upload your photo. Only one photo per applicant will be considered. No purchase necessary to register.)

Photos are due by 8:00 a.m. EST, Monday, October 1, 2007.

[ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Shelly Perry from Portland, Oregon, specializes in people photography, what she calls documentary or lifestyle portraits. She is known especially for her imaging of children. Shelly's concern for people is reflected both in her sense of purpose and the images she produces.  Her images have been seen all over the globe on music CD covers, books, magazines, catalogues, web sites, ad campaigns and even on TV. Her work has also appeared in several local exhibits and gallery shows.  To meet Shelly in person, visit: www.thephotographerslife.com/santafe]

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