Sarah Mumby

A first attempt at animal photography yields an engaging canine portrait

sara h says: My image is of a friend’s dog I was walking on the cinder track between Ravenscar and Robin Hood’s Bay on the Yorkshire coast. I was just trying out some techniques for animal photography because I’d never previously photographed dogs, and I wanted a natural looking picture.

She was running away from me until I called her back. When she turned back, I had the camera ready for the point she filled the viewfinder. It was taken on my Sony A77 with a telephoto lens. The exposure was 1/1,250 sec at f/4 and ISO 1,600.

Andrew says: Your timing is really very good on this shot, Sarah. You have caught the dog in perfect ‘fast’ walk pose with the front foot off the ground and forward, so we get a very good sense that she’s moving with purpose.

Your shooting position is excellent too: low to the ground and roughly at the dog’s head height, which has meant the background is much less distracting as it’s further away. Focus looks accurate too: it is on the eye with the catch light, just where you want it. On the negative side, the only bit

I really don’t like is that cinder path background, as the black fur of the dog doesn’t stand out enough against it. As you have made sure it is well out of focus, you’ve got away with it – but imagine your shot of this dog against a lighter background, such as the grass in the top right-hand corner, and you can see how much more contrast you’d get to make the animal pop.

Apply all the good solid technique you’ve used here to a different situation, and you’ll achieve some cracking animal images.

“Focus looks accurate: it is on the eye with the catch light, just where you want it”