Anxious to try out some new studio lights I gladly took the challenge of shooting a black dog and her owner in black on a black background. This type of photo is called a Low Key Portrait and without the right lighting the photo can lack definition in the blacks and there is no separation between the subjects and the background. I’ve shot low key portraits before but with my new grid strip lights it’s much easier and looks even better. I plan on using this set up for my 2016 high school senior portraits along with our new painted background.
Dogs can be just as unpredictable as toddlers in the studio and they both have great reactions to my impersonation of a dog barking. Once they figure out it’s me they both ignore it so I usually only get one real chance to get that reaction shot. Jack and Maggie were great to work with, and in the end we got the exact shot that Jack was wanting to use for his business and personal social media sites.
Check out more of my portrait work at: Studio101West.com
