nichole-i'm about to share my secrets
j/k...ok, for small dogs the backdrop is pretty easy...i just use material about 3 yards and drape it over the couch, being sure there is no wrinkles b/c they create shadow. large dogs you have to move towards table cloths etc. now keep in mind for Parker who is very still and does what i say...it took about 50-100 shots to get poses i like and lighting. as far as my light set up there are these light bulbs called photoflood lights..you can get them in a photo store for 12 bucks but i got mine on ebay real cheap:
bulbs these bulbs are very bright and very hot. ( it is a white light not a yellow light like reg. bulbs) b/c they getso hot you have to turn them off b/w snapshots if you have a difficult subject b/c you will be sweating up a storm. i use 2 bulbs most of the time, but have gotten by with just one. with 2bulbs you move them around until their shadows pretty much cancle each other out. i dont use a dog for this process i use an object about the same size. now you cant use these in a normal light socket, when i first started this we used shop light fixtures or a reptile light fixture:
reptile light *it is important for the light to have a ceramic or porcelain socket! so for the whole set up you can do it for as cheap as $20. me and my mom started doing this about 4 years ago taking pics of her dogs for xmas cards. i just posted some older cards for you to see:
cards