Professional Techniques for Pet and Animal Photography [Paperback]

Debrah H. Muska (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 2003

From posing a wiggly ferret to encouraging a frog to sit in one place, this guide's specialized techniques will benefit both existing animal photographers and newcomers looking to diversify their portrait business. Discussed are the personality traits best suited to the business, ways to create a people- and animal-friendly studio, and tips for making clients and their pets feel at home in the studio through the selection of decor, backdrops, furnishings, and props that wear well and are easy to sanitize. Technical advice includes which lenses and cameras lend themselves to animal portraiture, the advantages of shooting digitally, and the best shutter speeds and apertures for the job. The unique challenges of pet photography are covered, such as how to get the best expressions from pets with attention-getters suited to each type of pet. Special techniques for working with dogs, cats, horses, birds, ferrets, reptiles, and other creatures are provided.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Debrah H. Muska is a professional photographer and studio owner and the recipient of two Kodak Gallery Awards and a Fuji Masterpiece Award. She lives in Newark Valley, New York.

Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Amherst Media, Inc. (May 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1584281006
• ISBN-13: 978-1584281009
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.6 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #254,513 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars I Was Disappointed, October 17, 2008

By 

S. Grooms (St Paul, MN USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Professional Techniques for Pet and Animal Photography (Paperback)

I rarely bother with negative reviews, yet I was quite disappointed by this book. I guess I read the positive reviews too quickly and didn't spot the little clues that this book would not meet my needs.

What are my objections?

1) This is a skimpy book. I know that probably sounds like the patron who sends back his soup in the restaurant and says "This soup tastes like bacon grease mixed with rotten tomatoes . . . and the serving was WAY too small!" But there simply isn't much here.

2) Muska offers almost no technical advice, and what she does offer is curiously dated. She apparently shoots with a terribly expensive film camera in the medium format. That, I guarantee, is not the equipment that will be used by 90% of her readers. We are in the digital age now, for Pete's sake.

3) Muska has one basic way of photographing most pets, which is (to me) a dated and limited way. That is, she shoots those artificial portraits with the pet posed against an artificial backdrop of some sort. It is important to know how to do this classic "studio" portrait, but there are many other ways of shooting great pet portraits, including photographing the animal in the field in motion. Muska is so limited that her big decision about a portrait seem to be whether or not to include some sentimental prop.

4) Finally, Muska is an endless fountain of hollow suggestions, such as the advice that the photographer should study the personality of each pet and try to see the best way to work with that animal. Gee, I knew that before I bought the book, but when I was done with it I didn't know any more about HOW to work with fidgety, neurotic, aggressive or phlegmatic pets. She runs out of words just when she might be getting specific enough to be interesting.

If you get much from this book, God bless you. You REALLY needed a basic book.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Pet Photo Book, April 14, 2006

By 

Jennifer S. (Nevada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Professional Techniques for Pet and Animal Photography (Paperback)

I bought this book from pet photographer Barbara Rice at the WPPI Convention. She presented a very informative program on this subject and SHE recommended this book, which she offered for sale after the program.

I figured the book had to be pretty good if the speaker was recommending it and she didn't even write it. I was not disappointed! There were lots of great photos and ideas throughout the book. The marketing was also well presented.

This is a must if you want to photograph dogs, cats or horses.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good practical ideas, May 12, 2007

By 

A. Saunders (USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Professional Techniques for Pet and Animal Photography (Paperback)

There are a lot of good practical tips that I liked in this book such as using fabric backdrops instead of paper incase of 'accidents'
and how using natural brown tones enhances fur. Also how it's a good idea to use a low table for the animal to stand on, not too low that they jump off but not too high that they think they are at the vets. I would say this book is aimed more at established studio photographers wanting to branch into pet photography rather than novices wanting to learn how to photograph animals.I would've liked a little bit more information for someone starting out but it is full of very good tips.