Learning composition – leading lines in dog photography

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One of the well known rules of composition is leading lines. Quite literally a line is the distance between two points. Simple. 

In composition, leading lines can be simple or implied, man made or natural. Leading lines lead the viewer’s eye into scene, directing the gaze to land on the subject if done correctly. They can be straight, or curved or even diagonal. 

In dog photography, leading lines are wonderful ways to highlight your subject – the dog! 

First, learn how to see leading lines. 

Step outside, sans dog and look. Your front sidewalk is a leading line, your driveway, the road, the fence wrapping around your yard. All man made and the easiest to find. Paths in the park are also easy leading lines to find and utilize. 

Leading lines don’t just have to be vertical! They can be horizontal, diagonal and curved as well! 

Keep looking for leading lines – did you notice the curve of the shoreline of the lake? It works as a leading line! As do creeks & streams! Note the leading lines in bridges, brick, stairs, rocks, railings, docks & piers, logs & branches, even hard edged shadows! There are a bazillion different leading lines you can spy as you stroll out and about!

** DO NOT USE RAILROADS! **

The cool thing with leading lines is they can also lend a sense of depth to your image, along with leading the eye to your subject. 

Now, there’s another aspect of leading lines to consider. These are implied leading lines and typically come from the direction of eyes. If you position your dog in a path and he turns to look into the trees, your eye will follow the leading line to your dog, then you will follow the direction of his gaze, your brain curious as to what he is looking at. Implied leading lines are lines our brains make to fill in a gap between subject & their gaze. 

Utilize implied leading lines and gaze to give your images more curiosity, if not impact.

Is your dog standing on rocks on a shoreline? Looking at you? Then the shoreline leads you to him, a stunning image of a dog on the rocky beach. 

Now your dog gazes out to the water. Does he see something there? Is he contemplating life? Or is he working out how to launch into water? Does the mood shift? 

Try it with your dog! Let them look up, left or right or down (you may want to use a treat for this). Does the gaze that leads more impactful than the gaze that looks back at you? 

Additionally, implied leading lines can be found in things that aren’t actually lines – rows of trees or streetlights, street signs with arrows, in movement direction, human elements that point to the dog, repeated shapes & textures can also create an implied line that leads the eye. (Though pattern & texture are their own elements of composition that can create loads of impact in an image…) Waves, sun rays, clouds, rocks, paw prints & footprints, can also create implied leading lines.   

The leading lines point right to Blue. We then follow his gaze to wonder what he is looking at beyond the chain link of the bridge. (It was ducks swimming in the river haha!)

Kris is awesome and a great set of spare hands with Blue. Back when we had snow (and before the subzero freeze) we traipsed out the the Mississippi Regional Park to capture what winter looks like in the trees and prairie. I caught this moment of them together, Blue on his tippy toes to give Kris a nibbly kiss. The trees not only lead us to them but they also frame them. The implied line of Blue’s neck & head lead up to Kris, who is looking down at him creating a cool bond. 

Frequently implied leading lines are paired with leading lines. The grass leads us into Blue, then our eyes follow to the further edge of the frame to follow his gaze. Also, the line he is sitting on where the snow meets the grass is another leading line – a horizontal one!

If you want to get super creative with implied leading lines you can play with focal plane to create vertical or diagonal planes of focus that pushes your viewer’s eye into the in focus area. And no you can’t do this with a typical camera lens – you’ll need a tilt shift or a free-lens / freelensing. Or you’ll have to fake it in post processing. Or fake it with a tilt shift effect in post processing.

Botched leading lines. 

It can happen. You’ve got a great leading line that leads to nowhere or nothing. Botched. 

Your leading line leads past your subject and essentially leads the eye away from your subject. Botched. This typically happens if you have a diagonal line from left to right and your subject is closer to the left than the right. Same for right to left and your subject is too close to the right side. 

Implied leading lines where your subject is too close to the edge of the frame and their eyes look out of the image. Botched. If you don’t have enough eye room for the gaze, your viewers will be led right out of the image, your subject & scene hardly noticed. 

Same goes for movement. Make sure your subject has enough space to move in your image, to help with the implied leading line of where they are going, not where they have been. 

See how the bridge lines don’t work? Then lead us past Blue to the sunlit rectangle closer to the top right of the image. The bridge structure does point to Blue, as does the chain link – those leading lines work. It is a lovely image of Blue, though the main leading lines lend towards some unsettling eye movement. If I would have given more space in front of Blue to put him closer to the top / horizon, then they wouldn’t be botched leading lines. 

And nope, I didn’t even think of this when I captured this image. Not until I was gawking at them in Lightroom did I notice that I botched these leading lines haha!

Whew! What a ton of information & examples! 

Hopefully this gives you insight into how to incorporate leading lines into your composition, will help you learn to see them, especially the not so obvious ones and how to make sure your leading lines actually lead to your subject and aren’t botched. 

Want to learn even more about leading lines? 

I’ve written about leading lines before! You can revisit these posts here:  “Line” and “Leading Lines” and another “Leading Lines“.  (Seems it is a classic composition topic haha!)

If you want to see even more examples visit some posts from my fellow dog photographers:

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Adoptable dogs at Tri County Humane Society St. Cloud

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Huzzah! The weather has leveled off so I’m able to head back to Tri County Humane Society in St. Cloud and photograph the adoptable dogs (and sometimes cats too!).  Tuesdays are the magical day.

And prior to this week we were in a subzero funk that affected us for two weeks. Everyone was tired of the subzero, it was too cold to do much. Then the weather swung and now we’re in 40s & 50s (20 degrees above average) and all of the snow is melted and swampy mud has arrived, alluding to spring. But it still is February… 

I was quite glad that the temps rolled to warmer, though the snow would have added a neat touch. And Tri County Humane Society was a little muddy, little icy and a little swampy (I think there were two volunteer ponds that showed up…). But the dogs didn’t care! They enjoyed being outside. 

Clyde!

This adorable dude is Clyde! He’s been at Tri County for a bit, just waiting for the right person to give him a new home. He’s a lovely yellow color, has epic head wrinkles and is food motivated. He didn’t yank me around on the leash and he knows how to sit.  Clyde arrived as a transfer from another facility so his history isn’t known. He seems pretty chill with the other dogs. 

BTW his adoption fee is half off! 

Remember, if you have a dog and you’re adding a new one to your family to do a meet and greet and do slow introductions to have the interactions go seamlessly!

Abby!

Look at those wrinkles! This lovely lady is Abby! She’s been at Tri County for a while and is quite excited to head to a new home. She arrived as a stray, so there’s no history about her, but she is sweet, energetic and full of bouncy puppy energy. She LOVES food, but may have some allergies which has made her lose some of her fur. (Ask TCHS if they know why she may have lost some fur). She is a fun, pint sized pittie who will bounce into the right heart. 

Her adoption fee is half off!

Petunia

This lovely lady is Petunia! She’s a food lover and energetic, though a little goofy in her kennel (she may not like her barky neighbors.) She was found as a stray so little is known about her. She knew sit, but was very energetic about the treats. Highly food motivated with a big energetic drive, this girl is going to be a great hiking, adventure or dog sports companion. 

Her adoption fee is half off!

Petra

This teenie weenie puppy is Petra! Don’t let her little size fool you, this lovely lady is full of personality! She also loves snuggling and being as close to a human as possible. 

As of this posting, she does have an adoption hold!

Magic

This big guy is Magic! He’s a little particular about other dogs, preferring bigger dog friends vs small dogs. Initially his energy level was rather bouncy, but he quickly leveled out and was happy to work for snacks. 

He will need slow introductions if you have another dog at home since he is a bit particular about his dog friends. 

His adoption fee is half off!

Lucy

This lovely border collie lady is Lucy! She was shy, preferring to tuck next to my side instead of sti in front of my camera. Once the treats came out, she became braver! She even offered her paws in a shake!

As of this posting it seems she has been adopted!

Lucy Linguini

This lovely lady is Lucy Linguini! She was a stray so there’s no information about her history. She is very very sweet. She’s petite with an epic tail that curls to touch her back. She worked the camera for snacks and would be a sweet, fun companion. I loved her tail and how her ears each had different ideas of how to hang. 

Kipper!

This happy go lucky lab mix is Kipper! (What an epic dog name!) He is a little too interested in kitties, so a home without them would be ideal. He was energetic and food motivated. Originally he came as a transfer so his entire background isn’t known. But that smile! He’s a happy dude who would love an active home. 

Jackal

This lovely lady is Jackal! She was a stray but spent time with the family who found her. They say she crates well, was friendly with the older kids and a little too interested in cats. Overall her personality is shy and it does take her a bit to warm up to new people. Once warmed up, it seems she is a high energy lady who would love an active household. 

Ellie

Ellie is a lovely petite lady. She is quite energetic and enjoyed the tasty snacks (and getting as close as possible). She was polite on leash and has great eyebrows!

As of this post, she has an adoption hold!

Coco

What a sweet face! Coco is a sweet pup, originally a transfer from another facility. She worked for food (which means training will be a breeze) and walked nicely on leash. She’s got an eternal puppy face – she’s listed at just over a year old. 

Blaze

This squishy little dude is Blaze!  This cute puppy was part of an oops litter, the last one left looking for a home. He wasn’t particularly interested in food, wanting instead to crawl on me and be as close as possible. By the way, he’s got a great little tail that curls with a “painted” tip. 

Bear

This stunning black pup is Bear! He’s energetic, works for food, has epic ears and a short docked tail. He is looking for a new home due to his previous owner moving. He is house trained, kennels well during the day and tolerates baths when peanut butter lick mats are involved. He would love an active household that would take him on epic adventures!

Bently

This little squish is Bently! Originally he came with his siblings as a transfer. He was adopted but wasn’t the right fit and now is looking for his perfect home. This dude is bouncy – as in literal hops. He’s got lots of playful energy and was interested in treats (which means training should be relatively easy). When he was in the back kennel he play pounced when I walked by with Magic. He will be a bouncy, fun loving dude.  Plus he’s got some neat ears!

These are the adoptable dogs I photographed on Tuesday. If you’re interested in any of them stop in to Tri County Humane Society and meet them in person! 

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DIY Valentine’s Dog Portraits

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Break out the pinks & reds and shower everyone with LOVE! It is Valentine’s Day! 

For Blue’s portraits I broke out the pink seamless paper and box of Valentine’s props, then added in a strobe with a softbox to my left. Weirdly I typically light from the left, though this may be due to the layout of the living room. (I also light this way when I have more space hahaha!)

Blue gets excited when the camera & lights come out, and he happily works for sliced cheese. 

Ready to DIY your own Valentine’s dog portraits with your pup? 

  • First start with lighting! 
    Are you going to use a flash or artificial light? They go everywhere in your house! If you’re using window light pay attention to your various windows. North & east facing windows will get loads of light in the morning, while south and west facing windows will get more light in the afternoon. Want even light? Face your dog towards the window for front lighting. Want a little more drama? Have the light fall more on the side of your dog for side lighting. 

  • Backdrop time!
    This can be as simple as a white or grey wall, a draped sheet or tablecloth in Valentine’s themes, or a seamless paper backdrop. If you are setting up a backdrop, then position it where it gets the light that you want (unless of course OCF). If it is a wall, you may need to time your Valentine’s pictures earlier or later, depending on the light you get in the windows. 

  • Add in props!
    If your background is patterned, opt for minimal props. If your background is a solid color, add in Valentine’s props. Pay attention to the size of your dog and the props. Big dogs with small props can look goofy, and big props with small dogs can overwhelm the scene and the small dog. 

  • Break out the treats!
    Cheese, chicken, soft treats that can be broken in little morsels, treats that your dog will work for. Or break out the bestest toy ever if you dog would rather play than snack as a reward. 

  • Ready your camera or phone
    Make sure your settings are ready BEFORE you add your dog into the scene. If you are using flashes/strobes make sure they are on & firing when you need them to. Make sure your phone is on the mode you want. 

  • Finally, add in your dog!
    Ask for sit, lay, stand. Add in props, swap props, see if your dog will interact with the props. Remember keep it FUN! Reward frequently!  Gently reset if your dog moves, work on wait & watch me and notice when your dog has had enough of the posing for the day. (For Blue when he lays down its usually when he’s done working.) Give you dog the rest of the tasty treat you have, tear down the backdrop and work on the pictures!

Easy peasy! And a great way to celebrate Valentine’s Day!

 

Did you take any pictures of your pup with a Valentine’s theme? I’d love to see them! Send them over to

Happy Valentine’s Day from Blue, Kris & I! XOXOXOXOXOX

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Your reactive dog can have a photography session!

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Yes, your reactive or shy dog can have a photography session and look like an EPIC superstar!

I get it. Your dog isn’t the meet everyone type. New people are scary, new dogs are scary, new places are overwhelming and it can send them into anxiety quickly.

In the past, I essentially understood it. Mick & Icey were personable with dogs & people, Axle was overly excited in meeting other dogs but fine with people, Bender was fine with people but particular about other dogs.

Then there is Blue.

From the onset, this dude has been shy. He growled and nipped at incoming hands, telling those “awww he’s so cute” people to bugger off. He got bigger and the shyness manifested in big Swissy barks, hackles up, hard eyes and body language that fully says f*ck off. Though only when those people want to directly interact with him. If we pass them while walking, its more of a growl at worst, casual sniffing and gawking at best.

If they want to say hi, he says “nope, f*ck off buddy” and if there is eye contact, conversation, a reach to pet that handsome tri-color head at a pace that isn’t Blue’s, then well he might just take off a finger. Oh, did I mention he wants to do his scary introductions within your arm’s reach, with ample crotch sniffing? And he has the audacity to tell you to bugger off when HE is in your personal bubble. Yup, he’s that dog.

To meet new people, he is now muzzled.

At home with his people, he’s a doofus. He poses for the camera like a pro and makes me laugh with his various antics. He isn’t a bad dog, just uncomfortable with meeting new people and new dogs.

I’ve learned even more about dog body language and behavior from him, which gives me even more skill to work with your dog.

If you have a reactive dog or shy or anxious here’s how a session will go:

  • The consult call – tell me about your dog’s personality, what her threshold distance is for meeting people, how does she prefer to be greeted. Do we need to avoid other dogs or people or both? (There are locations we can tap into that will be quiet, and both dog & human free.)
  • The session – we meet. Depending on who your dog is will be how I greet her. Shy & anxious dogs I’ll kneel down, eyes averted, turned sideways to minimize being big, scary and threatening. I won’t touch her, just allow her to sniff me and figure out who I am. For the reactive bite your ass types, we won’t get close enough to do sniffs unless she is muzzled. Still no touching. Then we stroll. We can walk with ample space between us so your dog feels comfortable.
  • I’ve got a plethora of lenses, though I will aim for long lenses only for reactive dogs. Plenty of space so your dog doesn’t feel like I’m intruding on her bubble. For shy & anxious dogs, long lenses will be employed for the most part of the session, wider angle lenses only swapped to if she feels comfortable being closer to me (where the treats will be!)
  • We will take our time to make sure your dog is comfortable. If we want a pose, it will always be an ask, and if it doesn’t happen, then I’ll work with what she gives me.
  • When your dog is done, we are done. We’ll head back to the car, do show & tell of the products and depart. You’ll be wowed by her images!

What are things you can do to prepare for your session if your dog is reactive, shy or anxious?

Visit the location we will be going to before your session, or at the least before the start of your session. Let your dog sniff and explore, get the excitement & anxiety out before we start. (10 mins of sniffing is like an hour of exercise!)

Break out the highest value treats you have. Slices of cheese, lunchmeat, cooked chicken, liver pate – bring the treat that is smelly and the biggest reward, the one you don’t train with everyday. Reward the behaviors you appreciate – use a clicker or marker word like “yes”, then give the reward. Is she sitting nicely without a fuss? Mark & reward. Loose body language? Mark & reward. Practice before the session if you can.

Learn your dog’s triggers, thresholds and body language. For thresholds, how close can a new person get before they are scary? Also, if they aren’t close but in vision for a duration, does your dog stay calm or become worried, even though the new person isn’t approaching? For triggers, is it cars, people, dogs, birds, long grass or something else that could send your dog into a bout of worry. If you know these we can work to minimize triggers, which then keeps your dog under the threshold of scary.

Body language of your dog is going to be a huge thing to learn before the session.

Watch ears – how do they sit when alert, relaxed or stressed? Tail carriage with body tension with body tension being key. Low tucked tails are indicators of shy, nervous and under confident dogs, wagging tails with loose bodies is typically a happy dog, and wagging tail low with light body tension is typically a signal of anxiousness. Wagging tails can also go along with dogs who are aiming to tell the scary thing to f*ck off, though they are usually held high & stiff with only the tip wagging. There also may not be any tail wagging in the over threshold, reactive dogs. Eyes & mouths can also give indicators of stress, anxiety level and if we are headed towards bypassing your dog’s threshold.

If you understand these nuances, then you can educate me on them and together we can create an EPIC fun filled session with your dog!

So yes your reactive, shy & anxious dog CAN have a photography session & look EPIC!

Ready to get EPIC portraits of your reactive, shy & anxious dog? Email or call or text 320.309.2893 to schedule your consultation call today!

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In Memory of Cash

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My heart is heavy this evening. A quick pop on Facebook brought me face to face with a GIANT merle dane face – Cash.  

This wasn’t a happy posting. Karla, Cash’s mom, was posing that this sweet giant gent had passed away in the morning. He was 10 years old. 

I met Karla and Cash back when the Dogs of MSP was a budding group, not quite to the bazillion people it got to before the pandemic. He was the TALLEST dane I had met, a lovely merle color. On one of those occasions, while the group mingled at Lakes & Legends (now Brühaven) I remembered that the weekly blog ring challenge was architecture. 

I asked Karla if we could borrow Cash for some pictures. She said sure! Here are the images from that day in 2017. (And the architecture blog post.)

As the years progressed to the current, I saw Karla and Cash occasionally. He had some health scares, but told them all he wasn’t going to depart any time soon. He got a dane sister and helped her to come out of her shell. He was along when Karla started a dane rescue. I wish I would have seen them more, but I’m glad I did get to photograph him those years ago. 

Run free Cash. Say hi to the ones who have gone before you – Mick, Icey, Axel and Bender – an all the others we have lost. 

Hug your dog deeply tonight and cherish them forever. 

 

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