pamperedpuppy // luxury lifestyles for dogs

Choosing a Camera

If you're new to dog photography or photography in general, don't rush out to buy a new camera. Borrowing a camera from a friend or using whatever point and shoot camera you have around the house is the perfect way to try out photography as a new hobby with little expense. Even disposable cameras can be used. There is no sense in spending money on equipment if you and your puppy aren't going to enjoy the process. Because it's supposed to be fun - for both of you!

Be honest about what you want

Do you want a printed portrait of your pooch to frame and hang on the wall? Or place in photo albums? Do you want to store your pictures on your computer or maybe post them on a website? Or enter them in online photography contests? These are exactly the types of questions that you need to ask yourself when you look into choosing between a traditional film camera and a digital one.

If you anticipate taking a lot of pictures and you're a relative beginner, you may end up spending a lot of money in film and developing for photos that don't do your princess justice. A digital camera, while not inexpensive, would allow you the luxury of disgarding less than flattering images while all the while perfecting your photographic eye.

You need to decide on the type of camera that will work the best for you and your dog.

And if you're going to take all of your favourite printed images, scan them, put them in a shoebox and never look at them again, except on your computer or on your website, maybe you should invest in a digital camera.

What if you've already got a camera that you love using, which takes great pictures? In that case, there's no reason to rush out and buy the latest digital camera. Most film developers are supplying digital copies of each image on CDs for their customers. And they offer traditional print images from digital photographs as well (which we find much easier than trying to get good digital prints from our own printer).

Digital camera quality has improved dramatically over the past couple of years. At the end of the day, the choice comes down to personal preference. You need to decide on the type of camera that will work the best for you and your dog. Because photography supply stores and film developers are becoming more and more accomodating, the choice is yours.

Ready to make the leap? Here are a few tips:

• Read online camera reviews on Digital Photography Review and Digital Camera Resource, or pick up a few magazines like Popular Photography and Shutterbug
• Talk to an expert at your local photography store.
• Talk to friends and family about the camera they use. See if you can take it for a "test drive".
• Once you purchase a camera, take the time to read over the owner's manual.

Keep in mind that there are almost as many different types of cameras as their are dogs! Compact "point and shoot" cameras with everything automated and SLR (or single lens reflex) cameras which offer interchangeable lenses and more control are now available as both traditional film cameras and digital cameras, so do your homework before you buy.

If you're using a traditional film camera, you need to spend a few minutes thinking about film. Aside from choosing between black and white and color print film, you also need to think about the speed of the film. For dog photography, especially indoors, you probably want to use ISO 400, which is a little more forgiving in low-light situations and the prints can still be enlarged to about 8 x 10, without being too grainy. (Grain refers to those speckles that make up a printed photograph. A slower speed film will result in finer grain.) You can use ISO 200 if you're going to be shooting outside on a sunny day, but we find that ISO 400 is a pretty safe bet all around.

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