Beautiful Beasties

Introduction x
Chapter One: The History of Pet Photography 2
The Backstory on Pet Photography 4
The True Value of Pet Photos 8
The Pet Photography Industry 14
Classes, Schools, and Workshops 17
Forums 17
Chapter Two: Equipment 20
Cameras, Lenses, Bags, and Accessories 22
Computers, Software, and Computer Accessories 46
Chapter Three: Working with Pets as Models 54
Animal Behavior, Body Language, and Communication 56
Working with Dogs 56
Working with Cats 67
Working with Other Animals 71
Learning About the Individual 77
Photographing Your Pets 78
Chapter Four: Pre-Session Checklists 84
Checking Your Gear and Accessories 86
Shot Lists 89
Defining Session Goals 92
Twenty-Five Tips to Keep in Mind, Before and During aShoot 94
Chapter Five: Photography Basics 96
Exposure: ISO, Aperture, Shutter Speed 98
Exposure Modes 108
Focusing 121
White Balance 124
RAW vs JPEG 126
Quick-and-Dirty Pet Photography Settings 129
Chapter Six: Lighting 134
Natural vs Auxiliary Lighting 136
Lighting Tools 140
Studio Lighting 144
Lighting Safety 150
Lighting Pet Peeves 154
Chapter Seven: Composition 156
The Rule of Thirds 158
Negative Space 159
Pet-Level Photography 160
PLP in Motion 164
Capturing Expressions 167
General Ideas173
Using Lenses for Variety in Composition 181
Photographing Pets with Their Owners 183
Photographing Multiple Pets 185
Location Ideas 189
Ten Ideas for Getting Variety in Every Session 192
Capturing the Stages in a Pet's Life 193
Pet Photography Don'ts 194
Chapter Eight: Pet Photography Challenge 196
Common Challenges 198
Behavior Challenges 203
Lighting Challenges 208
Weather Issues 212
Location Challenges 215
Elderly or Sick Pets 216
"Stage-Mom" Owners 218
Working in a Studio 221
Legal Considerations 223
Chapter Nine: Post-Production 226
Establishing Your Workflow 228
Archiving and Naming Conventions 232
Editing Basics 238
Culling and Processing in Lightroom 239
Editing in Photoshop 253
Alternative Editing Software 264
Common Novice Photography and Editing Errors 265
Chapter Ten: Developing Personal Style 276
Defining Your Photodogstyle 278
Processing Techniques to Help You Attain Different Styles281
Expressing Your Artistic Voice 286
Finding Inspiration 288
Chapter Eleven: Going Pro 292
Self-Evaluation Questionnaire: Should I Turn Professional?294
The Start-Up Process: Getting Started, from A to Z 297
Portfolio Building 300
Expenses 303
Working with Clients 306
Post-Shoot Client Process 308
Chapter Twelve: Business Essentials 310
Pricing 312
Products 317
Branding 322
Marketing 324
Strategies to Increase Revenue 330
Competition and Colleagues 332
The Top-Five Biggest Keys to Success 334
Index 336