Choose Affordable Lights for Studio-Style Dog Portraits
Studio lights come in two varieties: hot lights, which are akin to really strong light bulbs and stay on continuously, and strobes, which use flash tubes to create powerful bursts of light. For dog photography, strobes are the way to go.
As you’d expect from their name, hot lights get very warm very quickly — not exactly ideal for a dog, unless you want photos of a panting Penelope. Most dogs don’t even notice that powerful flash of light.
The downside to studio-style lighting is cost. Yes, you will need special lights if you plan to continue shooting this way, but you can find ways to keep costs down. The most affordable option is to simply use your external flash unit (you know, the one that snaps into your digital SLR’s hot shoe) as an off-camera flash.
Just purchase a light stand to hold your external flash unit, an umbrella to bounce your flash into (or a softbox to shoot through), and a radio transceiver and receiver designed to work with your camera and flash, such as a PocketWizard.
You may not even need a radio trigger; some digital SLRs can trigger an off-camera external flash unit on their own. This is called using your external flash as a slave flash.
The slave flash fires when it senses any other flash going off — in this case, another external flash unit connected to your hot shoe or your digital SLR’s built-in flash if it’s capable of commander mode, a special setting that allows it to act as a master flash.
Just keep in mind that the slave flash fires within milliseconds of any flash firing, so if you suddenly find yourself in a room with multiple photographers, all of whom are using flashes, your slave flash will be triggered by their flashes, too (this may seem like superfluous information now, but it won't be when you become a famous “pup”arazzo).
Also note that your external flash unit has a limited amount of power and may take awhile to recycle (that is, you may have to wait for the flash unit to fully recharge before you can take your next photo).
Regardless of the limitations, using your external flash unit as an off-camera flash is a great way to experiment with a studio-style setup before deciding whether to buy more powerful strobes.
If you fall in love with the look of your studio-style portraits and decide you want a more powerful external lighting system, you have two options: a monolight setup or a power pack setup, both of which are used with a wireless transceiver/receiver setup like the PocketWizard.
Monolights are self-contained lighting systems, meaning they have a small capacitor (the place where all that energy is stored) built right into the flash head that provides the power needed for the flash to fire. All you have to do is plug each monolight directly into an outlet.
Monolights are compact and affordable (starting at about $200 for a new AlienBees flash unit) but are limited in the amount of power they provide.
Conversely, a power pack setup includes a separate capacitor that all the flash heads plug into. The power pack itself then plugs into an outlet. Power pack lighting systems provide more flexibility and power than monolights but generally cost more money (starting at about $1,000 for a new two-head lighting system from Speedotron).
The good news is you don’t have to buy a new power pack lighting system; these systems have a long life span and can last decades, so look for a used one.
Decide what you’re looking for and do an Internet search for “how to set up a Craigslist alert” to find out how to have an e-mail automatically sent to you every time a post containing your desired words (for instance, “Speedotron,” “AlienBees,” or “monolight”) appears on your local Craigslist site.
Always be mindful of just how powerful studio lighting equipment is and practice safe handling techniques to avoid any accidents. Never connect or disconnect your flash heads when the power is on. Never replace flash tubes or modeling bulbs when the flash heads are plugged in, and never touch the bulbs with your bare hands.
Not only are they hot after use, but the oils from your skin can shorten the bulb’s life and cause it to eventually explode! Also, never attempt to make repairs to your monolight or power pack; these are high voltage systems that can cause serious injury if you attempt to open them up. Familiarize yourself with your equipment’s operating instructions.
If you purchased your equipment used, you can usually download the user manual from the manufacturer’s website.
Dogs Glossary
A-B-C assessment
Checking a dog’s airway, breathing, and circulation.
Dogs Glossary
animal shelter
1. An animal control agency run by local government to protect people from animals, take in strays, and manage animal issues and problems within the community. 2. A privately run shelter managed by individuals who want to protect, advocate for, and find homes for animals.
Dogs Glossary
BARF diet
A method of feeding dogs as closely as possible what they would eat in the wild: raw flesh and bones, along with vegetable matter from the stomachs of their prey. The acronym stands for either Bones and Raw Food or Biologically Appropriate Raw Food.
Dogs Glossary
blow out
A twice-yearly shedding of a dog’s undercoat.
Dogs Glossary
blue slip
An application to register a purebred puppy.
Dogs Glossary
breeder
A person who raises, sells, and often shows dogs of a specific breed. Reputable breeders screen parent dogs in an effort to produce healthy dogs that conform to breed standards.
Dogs Glossary
castrate
The removal of a male dog’s testicles to render him infertile.
Dogs Glossary
clicker
A small hand-held device that makes a sharp cracking sound when pressed. Paired with a food reward, an effective dog-training tool.
Dogs Glossary
cohesive bandage
A stretchy wrap that clings to itself used to cover and secure gauze bandages without tape.
Dogs Glossary
come into season
The advent of a female dog’s term of fertility.
Dogs Glossary
dead ring
The stationary ring on a training collar that pulls on the collar, not the dog’s neck.
Dogs Glossary
double coat
Two layers of fur — a top coat of stiff guard hairs and an undercoat that serves as insulation.
Dogs Glossary
dropped ears
The term for hanging or drooping dog ears.
Dogs Glossary
Elizabethan collar
A wide, cone-shaped plastic or cardboard collar that prevents a dog from being able to scratch her head. Used to prevent further injury or hasten healing.
Dogs Glossary
euthanize; put to sleep
To kill an animal to relieve suffering.
Dogs Glossary
fall
Hair that extends over a dog’s eyes.
Dogs Glossary
feathering
Long hair that runs from armpit to paw on the backs of a dog’s legs.
Dogs Glossary
free-feeding
Keeping a constant supply of dog food available so that the dog can decide when and how much to eat. It works best in single-dog households where there’s no competition for food.
Dogs Glossary
heartworms
Parasites that live in dogs’ hearts and cause heart failure. They’re transferred through mosquito bites.
Dogs Glossary
heat
The period when a female dog is fertile.
Dogs Glossary
heel
A command and position in which a dog walks at your left side staying with you as you change direction or pace.
Dogs Glossary
hip dysplasia
A painful malformation of a dog’s hip socket. Some breeds are genetically predisposed to the condition.
Dogs Glossary
hot spot
A localized area of skin infection. It’s usually round, red, and warm to the touch.
Dogs Glossary
live ring
The floating ring of a training collar. Attach a leash to this ring for training purposes.
Dogs Glossary
neuter
A general term to describe either spaying or castrating a dog to render it infertile. Neutering and castrating are often used interchangeably.
Dogs Glossary
pantaloons
The tufts of hair on the backs of a long-haired dogs legs that make him look like he’s wearing bloomers.
Dogs Glossary
pedigree
A diagram of a dog’s ancestors for three or more generations that lists the registered names of the dogs and the titles they earned.
Dogs Glossary
pinch collar
A training collar with interlocking prongs that pinch a dog’s neck when tugged on. Some veterinarians recommend them above all other collars for training purposes.
Dogs Glossary
praise
A verbal reward for a dog , such as an enthusiastic “good dog!”
Dogs Glossary
prong collar
A training collar with interlocking prongs that pinch a dog’s neck when tugged on. Some veterinarians recommend them above all other collars for training purposes.
Dogs Glossary
pulse
Normal dog pulse is between 70 and 120 beats per minute. The pulse of a puppy ranges from 120 to 160 beats per minute.
Dogs Glossary
puppy mill
A place that supplies puppies to pet stores, usually without screening for possible genetic defects or properly socializing the puppies.
Dogs Glossary
registration certificate
The paper certifying a dog’s registration with an accredited organization.
Dogs Glossary
registration slip
An application to register a purebred puppy.
Dogs Glossary
release word
A word that lets a dog know that she is free to move.
Dogs Glossary
rescue group
A network of animal lovers who rescue and find new homes for their favorite breeds or animals.
Dogs Glossary
reward
To give a dog a treat for a correct response while he’s still in the desired position.
Dogs Glossary
ruff
The long, thick fur around a dog’s chest, shoulders, and neck.
Dogs Glossary
separation anxiety
A condition in which your dog becomes anxious and stressed when you leave him.
Dogs Glossary
shed
A twice-yearly process of casting off the undercoat in a double-coated dog.
Dogs Glossary
single coat
A single layer of hairs that comprises a dog’s fur.
Dogs Glossary
spay
To remove of both the uterus and the ovaries of a dog to render her infertile.
Dogs Glossary
stripping
Plucking the dead hairs from a dog’s coat.
Dogs Glossary
titer tests
Tests that check a dog’s immunity levels to determine exactly which vaccinations are needed.
Dogs Glossary
top coat
The top layer of a double-coated dog composed of stiff guard hairs that tend to be naturally water-repellant. The top coat protects the dog’s skin and undercoat.
Dogs Glossary
training collar
A collar that enables you to guide your dog and to check her as necessary — a brief, sharp tug tightens the collar around the dog’s neck.
Dogs Glossary
treat cup
A plastic container filled with small treats or dog food. Shake it and give treats from it as a reward as you train a dog.
Dogs Glossary
undercoat
Fleecy or downy fur shorter than the top layer of a double-coated dog. The undercoat serves as insulation.
