I recently had a request from a client to photograph her Dalmatian puppy (named Gator) on a fire engine at the local fire station. How could I possibly resist? It sounded like a fun shoot but I had a few concerns. Unlike a studio session where most variables are controllable, location shoots present exciting but sometimes daunting challenges. It was a puppy I had not yet met and I wasn’t sure he’d be comfortable and focused with the strange surroundings and unavoidable distractions. I wasn’t certain what the light would be like, the location of the fire engine, or the level of cooperation of those in charge at the station. I would also be working with a new assistant. I was aware of her abilities as an animal behaviorist but hadn’t yet worked with her.
As it turns out, there was nothing to worry about. The client was fantastic. The puppy was a dream to work with. The Captain at the fire station was a great sport, participating in the process the whole time. Sarah, my new assistant, did a fantastic job. My only regret is that we had to eventually stop shooting. I could have kept going. It was one of those shoots where great things kept happening.
Sarah and I arrived a little early to scout the area and see what we had to work with. When we arrived, the Captain was there waiting for us. For the first series of photos, I wanted to tackle the client’s specific request for a photo of Gator on a fire engine. The Captain was incredibly gracious and moved the engine into a more favorable position. As I was setting up lights, the client arrived with the most adorable Dalmatian puppy. He was a real charmer. Thankfully, he had an outgoing personality and seemed eager to please. After we got our greetings out of the way, we started adjusting lights. The challenge with this shot was the ideal lighting set up for a highly reflective metal object (fire engine) is quite different than the ideal lighting set up for the pup. Controlling glare on the fire engine while sufficiently lighting Gator took a little time but we got it. After the lighting was worked out, we could focus on getting just the right “pose” from Gator. He did a great job!
Next, we decided to try a few shots of Gator inside the cab of the engine. After playing with the lights again, we put Gator inside the cab only to realize he wasn’t quite big enough to stand and put his head out the window. The Captain came to the rescue (I guess that is his job!) and provided a booster seat. That did the trick. We shot a handful of frames. I could tell Gator was getting a little stressed so we didn’t keep going with this set up for long.
Feeling confident we had what the client requested, it was time to do some shots against a traditional “studio” setting. We used an empty engine bay and set up a backdrop and the lights. Whenever we begin shooting against the backdrop, the first thing I do is have my assistant play with the dog and offer treats. This gets him comfortable with the setting and takes his focus off me and the lights. I was incredibly impressed by Sarah’s ability to get this three month old puppy to “perform”. She definitely has the “knack”
Gator was simply fantastic to shoot. He was full of energy and absolutely adorable!
Even the Captain got in on the action. He put on his gear for a portrait with Gator. I love this photo!
I’m so glad I had this opportunity. Everyone was terrific to work with, especially Gator. I still have a lot of editing to do on the images from the session. I shot a lot of frames! My thanks to Cyndy for contacting me to do this shoot. Thanks too to Captain Thompson for his hospitality and participation (my apologies if we overstayed our welcome).
by LME
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