Mount Charleston Pet Photography Location Scouting
3 Tips for finding the perfect spot for dog portraits in Mt. Charleston
Let me start by introducing you to Raven, a 5-year-old girl described by her humans as "a ball of energy and enthusiastic about everything. She is always ready for the next fun thing." Raven is one of the dogs who will be featured in Tails of Las Vegas, my fundraising project to support Wagging Tails Rescue.
Because of the extreme temperatures here in town, we decided to do her session at Mount Charleston to keep her safe and comfortable, and OMG I'm so happy we did!
I've done some shooting up there in the past, so I have my favorite spot and I thought I would share what I look for when I shoot in forest areas.
1. Use a log or stump
The first thing I look for is the most obvious, a log or a stump, which sounds easy, but it never is. The log needs to be big enough for the model to comfortably use and the log size and direction will determine the pose of the dog. The next thing is the background. The area behind the dog needs to be clear to some extent. I don't want trees right behind the dog's head, but it's nice to have trees on each side, either up close or in the distance. I'm fine with branches, leaves, pines, just not trunks. That's the toughest part, finding a nice background. So I do the best I can and I rely a bit on photoshop if necessary. In a perfect world, I would like lots of light on the dog, so it would be amazing if the log happened to be in an open area. That NEVER happens, but I'm optimistic that I'll find the perfect log someday. To see how I use Photoshop to improve my Mount Charleston dog portraits, check out my recent before and after blog post.
The search for the perfect log for Raven to get her entire body on was a fail, but we found a branchy log thing to use.
2. Find the right background
We didn't find a big log, but we found the most amazing spot to frame her with the trees and branches. Okay, so when I saw the spot was amazing, I could be stretching the truth a little. Due to the uneven ground, it was a challenge getting myself low enough to get the background I wanted. There was a little bit of a divot in the ground and that's where my head went while I tried to frame the shot, and Voilà, this is what we got!
3. Use the trees
With all the trees, there is always something cute to do with them. The easiest, and one of my favorites, it peak around the tree. It's totally set up, but somehow always looks natural.
Ready to schedule a Mount Charleston portrait session for your dog? Please contact me for more information or schedule your session. Limited availability.
To learn more about location scouting, continue reading starting with Tracy Allard of Penny Whistle Photography who shares three important things to consider when selecting a location for your pet's portrait session.
8 Comments
Aug 12, 2021, 7:10:08 PM
Nicole Hrustyk - Thank you Tracy!
Aug 8, 2021, 11:08:21 AM
Tracy Allard - Raven, and that location, are priceless! Terrific job, if I were the client, I don't know how I'd ever choose what to print!
Jul 29, 2021, 8:40:16 AM
Nicole Hrustyk - Thank you! So hard! We just don't have the chunky trees in the spot where I shoot and if we did, I'm sure they wouldn't just fall in the perfect spot. haha
Jul 28, 2021, 7:31:17 AM
Linda Perdue - Great tips, I will have to keep these in mind. I totally understand that "log" and not being able to find it!
Jul 23, 2021, 11:08:02 AM
Nicole Hrustyk - Thank you! Raven is for sure a special girl!
Jul 23, 2021, 11:07:35 AM
Nicole Hrustyk - Thank you!
Jul 23, 2021, 8:40:05 AM
Nancy - Raven ...and your images of her are beautiful
Jul 23, 2021, 7:55:07 AM
Terri - Love the photos of Raven especially the one peeking out from behind the tree