Customer Reviews

Pet Photography 101: Tips for taking better photos of your dog or cat

5 star:		(25)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

Obviously, we all look at books differently, and we all open a new book with a degree of preconceived expectations. I tried to place myself in the shoes of a beginning digital photographer who has a passion for pet photography. From this viewpoint, Pet Photography 101, works very well. The tips provided will certainly improve a beginner's Pet Photography and provide insights into the technical aspects of photography that impact the final image.

As a primer on Pet Photography, I did not expect this book to provide an in-depth explanation of all the concepts of composition or camera functions. Those are topics that are covered very well in other topic-specific, photo-educational books. This book does point out those topics so that beginners will be able to identify areas of photography that they need to focus more of their educational energies to master. For the beginner, this book provides an excellent starting point for immediately improving their pet photography and for furthering their photographic education.

Having a companion website that provides additional information and resources for the beginner adds to the value of the book. Photography can be complicated, but Andrew has done an excellent job of providing a Primer that can be easily read, understood and appreciated by anyone with a love for pets and photography. Pet Photography 101 by Andrew Darlow is definitely "book shelf worthy".

I was hoping that this book would be a primer which would help me to get better shots of my dogs and cats with my point-and-shoot digital camera. I needed information on altering depth of field to focus attention on the subject and not the background, advice on getting better action shots, and maybe some tips on setting up props or getting on different levels to capture unique angles. The "101" in the title led me to believe that such were the subjects of the book. Rather, it should have read: "Pet Photography: 101 Tips..." for that is what it contains - 101 tips on various, unrelated subjects. The book lacks cohesion, and jumps from simple subjects such as "Tip 16: Go For The Overhead View" to "Tip #86: Consider a RAW Processing and Workflow Application".

The introduction was written by Karen Quigley, owner of Elwood, the winner of the 2007 World's Ugliest Dog Contest. Unfortunately, shots of Elwood abound in this book, and although I'm sure he is charming, looking at his disfigurement makes me uncomfortable. Other shots seem to be of friends' and neighbors' dogs, perhaps all shot on the same day in order to have material with which to publish the book? It seems mashed-together somehow, and the frequent references to "more information on the companion website" leads me to believe the book was culled from tips on the site, and published to direct traffic back TO the site, though I will not venture a guess at what benefit the author may receive from having hundreds of links published there...

Of the many photographs, there are perhaps two which I could not have taken myself... and many, many more which I would have taken better. It looks like a family snapshot album in places. Yet there is technical information to spare - so much, for so many different kinds of cameras and lenses, that it is not a general how-to book, but more a "diary" of the equipment the author used for a particular shot. Too many details, for digital SLR, to film, to point-and-shoot... the technical info is not presented in a "generic" manner which might help the user of ANY camera.

I read halfway through the book and got nothing useful out of it. I can't believe I could put down a book of pet photos without finishing it, but the photos and text are very disappointing, although I continued to page through it to try to find something actually useful. In looking at the book again for this review, I am struck by the fact that it looks like the author took a random number of shots of friends' pets, and then tried to come up with a description about what he was doing, which would have something of importance to impart. It doesn't.

"Tip #64: Photograph Your Pet with Bunny Ears for Easter or Halloween."

Ya' THINK?

From the moment I laid eyes on this book I knew it was a quality read. There is a lot of information for photographers out there that is free and it can be almost overwhelming not to mention time consuming to sift through! Returning three times to scan this book prior to purchase I quickly verified whether the quality of the links on the companion site would be of use to me. If anything cross referencing an on-line free resource which he also wrote for anyone wishing to take the things they learn to the next level doubles and even triples the value of the book.

Andrew Darlows expertise is undeniable. His knack for sharing valuable information with the inquisitive user is something that really shines through in this very readable and user friendly photography guide which can inspire the reader to learn more and to be confident in what they are already doing. His writing tone is light and fun and I think his love of the craft and eagerness to help really shines through. Even the photos used throughout the book are down to earth and great examples of what he is describing be it pets shot with a phone camera or effects achieved with the higher end equipment we are potentially working with or aiming towards using in the future.

I purchased the book as friends who's pets I have photographed in the past are insisting I should try and do it on the side. I love photography and have tried to organize a personal site for quite some time now but my gnarly overload of images has kept me immobilized. Andrew is the first person to finally get my attention with a simple and logical organization system which I am happily applying now. Thanks for that! That's just one of the multitude of things I spotted on the companion web site service he provides with the book. After all pet photography is well PHOTOGRAPHY so if you aspire to get better at it you will probably need to study up on perhaps some of the less exciting and technical aspects of the craft in addition to utilizing your personal creativity.

I really admire the amount of work which must have gone in to compiling such a resource for the reader. I know I will be using this guide and the resources therein throughout my journey in to the Pet Photography world and photography in general. It's so handy to have them all in such a lovely small package too! It will make learning a snap! ;)

With kids and pets and multiple cameras, I'm squarely in the crosshairs of Andrew Darlow and his latest book. "Pet Photography 101" begins with the premise that the dogs and cats with which we spend our days have distinctive and engaging personalities, and details ways of thinking and seeing moments in their lives that are worth preserving.

Darlow is a professional photographer who has devoted years to portraiture, capturing moments of whimsy and conveying subjects' personalities. It just so happens that his sitters tend to have four feet and tails. Darlow explains that his goal is to capture the spirit of each subject, and thus his work -- and his tips -- definitely are applicable not just to making photographs of pets but of people, as well.

I field-tested this book with the help of my daughter and multiple cameras. She used a pocket digital camera, the camera on her cell phone and occasionally a digital SLR. I worked with a pocket digital camera I use for snaps and record-keeping, as well as two digital SLRs, one of them an older camera with a lens that pivots 90 degrees, which helped immensely with "candid" shots.

My daughter's approach to photography had been so carefree that she often was disappointed with the resulting images. Therefore, I had been working with her about "seeing" more clearly; in other words, on thinking and feeling composition and reflecting on the stories she wanted her photographs to tell. Thanks to Darlow's words, field notes and images, she was motivated to "see" as an artist and a chronicler. We attribute this to the information Darlow provides, as well as the personality that permeates the book. I am an old-school shutterbug, from the days of buying 35mm film in bulk and loading, developing and printing my own. Even though I'm well-versed about why and how to manipulate perspective and depth of field, for example, portraiture is new to me.

Our time with Darlow's book demonstrated to me that while its title and initial appearance indicate that "Pet Photography 101" is accessible for beginners, it has much of value for those with more experience. The website that Darlow created as an additional resource provides further information.

Pet Photography 101: Tips for taking better photos of your dog or cat is a great book for anyone aspiring to take attractive, professional photographs of their pets. Actually, it's so much more than that - the book features pet photography, but everything the author teaches can easily be applied to taking better pictures of any living subjects, your kids included!

My pet related blog [...] recently ran a pet photography contest with two signed copies of Pet Photography 101 as the prizes. The response was amazing; everybody with a pet seemed to want to win a copy of this book.

I only promote products on by blog that I genuinely believe in myself and am happy to recommend. Pet Photography 101 easily fell into that category. It's a well written book illustrated with many superb photographs. The author, Andrew Darlow is an award winning author and photographer and I love how he dedicates his book to several of his past pets, naming them all.

I have to say, I was expecting better things from this book. I'm a fairly experienced photographer, and this book made me double-take.

The problem with this book is that it's not motivating at all. When I look at beautiful photographs, no matter what they are, I want to be moved in some way. I can't say that feeling took hold for any picture in this book. Some of the photos are just downright awful. Poorly composed, poorly shot, blurry. Heck, there's even a photo in this book taken with an iPhone that is just terrible.

In any case, unless you've never taken a photo before, don't bother with this book. It doesn't feel like a professional work, but rather just a collection of photos that random people sent in and were put in a book. Amusingly, there are a few studio-type shots in the collection, and when you see them they stand out SO much that it just makes the rest of the photos that much more amateurish and well... obviously bad in comparison!

Honestly, you'd be more inspired by buying a pet calendar with a different pet on each page....

Pet Photography 101 gives you 101 tips to help you take photos of your pet. Tips are broken into 9 chapters - with the first 2 chapters dealing with your camera and composition. The others deal with outdoor lighting; window lighting; capturing fun photos; holidays and events; low light; and technical tips and printing advice. There's also a companion web site that provides even more information not included in this book.

All tips include photos with information, such as type of camera, lens, ISO, shutter speed, and lighting notes. There are some wonderful pet photos included in the book.

I'm a beginner photographer - I have my digital camera and do only basic photos (I'm a point and click girl). And now that I have a camera phone, I find that I'm using that even more often than my digital camera. I wasn't sure if this book would help me, but I found that this book is useful even for someone with my skills. This book provides basic information that can help any novice take good pictures. It's easy to understand and the tips found here can be used to help someone create better photos of anything.

Great book. Wonderful find at just the right time. My husband and I now have a dog again after 25 years - a beautiful Australian Shepherd. With grandchildren getting older, she is now our favorite subject. However, we found photographing pets is harder than photographing children. But Mr. Darlow's book tells us just how to go about it. The book is easy to read, with great suggestions, technical details, photos that demonstrate each tip, and humor to boot.

What's the first thing that crosses your mind when you decide to shoot pups, dogs, pooches? For me, it's just to go with it and shoot! It's the best way to learn all the wrong things to do! Shooting at a dog run? Whoa! Getting a flash of fur in all the resultant pictures and deciding to ditch your camera and look for another career? Andy Darlow's book helps you put shape to the challenges of shooting the four legged fur-kind. The book gives you balance, structure, ideas to implement and get successful shots. The next time you decide to shoot pooches, take this book with you as a primer to get you started!

Pet Photography 101: Tips for Taking Better Photos of Your Dog or Cat, by photographer/writer/lecturer extraordinaire Andrew Darlow, is a pedigreed, creative, inviting dose of photography how-tos for pet photographers of every breed and training level. Brimming with engaging pet portraits, helpful setup shots, and sparkly, well-written tips, whys, and wherefores, the book is an inspiring and highly informative user's manual.

Well organized, designed with classy, appealing simplicity, and comfortably paced with an abundance of wisdom, Pet Photography 101 Pet Photography 101: Tips for Taking Better Photos of Your Dog or Cat is an extra-large treat for photography amateurs and professionals who are fond of capturing canines and felines while they relax and during their friskiest, most unpredictable moments.

As Andrew tells the reader in the book's preface, his goal is "to help you make better photographs of your loved ones that you and your family will cherish for many years." With Pet Photography 101, he earns a blue ribbon for easy-to-follow tips on finding ideal lighting, flattering angles, and poses that will make your pet or pet client the talk of the 'Net. It is also the best in breed for holiday portrait ideas, action shots, and other tips for creating cherished family keepsakes.

From cover to cover, this creative, detailed, amply illustrated, 185-page guide may very well become a pet-loving photographer's best friend--well, second best.

For updates, visit the companion site for Pet Photography 101, [...], where you'll find new photos and content, links to product information, articles and additional resources.

--Alice Miller
President ([...])