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Anyone got any hints, ideas, pointers on how to do this successfully?
There will be plenty of toys to add to the mix, plus a few shots with the inevitable Christmas hats. I would really value some ideas.
Photo shoot is this afternoon at 3.30 pm.
Thanks
Natalie
Thanks for the suggestions. I think the lesson I've learned from this particular photo shoot is... don't photograph a white puppy against a white background! However, it was only a very short photo short and I did at one point usesome colourful material, so I got a few usuable shots from that. The rest though I just wasn't happy with.
Thanks again.
Natalie
Shooting white on white is a real test of lighting skill!
You need to remember that, in the zone system, pure white for the background is Zone X and a textured white for the puppy is Zone VIII. These two are two stops apart and this is how you should adjust your lighting. Do an incident reading from the puppy's position for your camera exposure and set the background lights to two stops brighter.
Be careful not to allow any background lighting to spill onto the puppy or you'll lose the separation.
Quote: Shooting white on white is a real test of lighting skill!
You need to remember that, in the zone system, pure white for the background is Zone X and a textured white for the puppy is Zone VIII. These two are two stops apart and this is how you should adjust your lighting. Do an incident reading from the puppy's position for your camera exposure and set the background lights to two stops brighter.
Be careful not to allow any background lighting to spill onto the puppy or you'll lose the separation.
Thanks. I'm afraid I am nowhere up to this skill level with regards to studio lighting. I didn't actually have the use of a studio, it was just a bedroom with large white backdrop and two 500W tungsten lights and limited space.
I think I made a complete mess of the lighting, actually I KNOW I made a complete mess of the lighting. But, hey, live and learn. As mentioned the photoshoot was very short and sweet, so I didn't have much time to experiment or anything. It was only for a friend and no monies involved. So hopefully I will have gained some experience from it, and they will get an image or two.
Perhaps someone can recommend a really good book on studio lighting for beginners?
I'll put one of the shots up in the gallery and add a link to it in a minute and you will be able to see just how badly I did! Anyway, despite my crap photography, the puppy was still VERY cute! 
With a 'bit' (euphamism for 'an awful lot') of photoshop work, I managed this image. Is it any good at all, or have I lost the plot completely?
Natalie, when I say "studio", I mean the space in which you intend to take the pix. A skilled photographer should be able to take pix anywhere.
Your camera probably has a light meter built in and because it's amost certain to be quite accurate, you can use it for measuring your lighting ratios. You can adjust the lighting effects of fixed-power lamps by varying the distance between lamp and subject. You can prevent spill by making a "flag" out of cardboard and gaffer-taping it where it needs to be.
As a first attempt I think you have done well. Not easy to photograph pets at the best of times. A few shadows around the dogs feet etc would help to anchor it. What made me smile was the expression on the bears face and the pose .
Have a look round amazon for lighting books, quite a good selection and the reveiws are ok. If you want to hone your skills then buy a fluffy white animal (preferably stuffed) and just practice.
Thanks so much everyone. I really do appreciate the input and advice. I have now put some shadow back into the image and it does indeed look heaps better. Very much more natural. It's funny isn't, it's so obvious really once you know!
I ran off a little test print creating an image of 14" square (but only printed a part of it as it was on A4 paper). For this size image, without interpolation it printed at 207 ppi, and it really doesn't look too bad at all. I think the owners of the pup will be quite pleased.
Thanks again.
Natalie
Try this tutorial from Zack Arias its for shooting a white T-shirt but I presume the same principals apply. Although it may require you to get a black dog.
Thanks Paul.
For anyone who is interested, I have reworked my original upload and uploaded it again here.
I t-h-i-n-k I'm quite happy with the final result, but please do tell me if you see any areas that I have overlooked.
As mentioned in the upload, I am hoping to do a set of four of these images. Sadly my lighting technique during the shoot was so wrong, it will involve a lot of time consuming and patient Photoshop work, but hopefully it will be worth it in the end.
Thanks again everyone for your helpful comments.
Natalie
Some time later after a lot more time consuming editing I have ended up with this image.
I added the artificial sunflower afterwards. I got my daughter to hold the flower up by the window and photographed it backlit, which I think makes it a really attractive addition to the image.
I am now reading a book about lighting (Light, Science and Magic), and hope to goodness I can make a better job of the white subject with white background lighting next time!
Cheers again to all who helped.
Natalie
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