Matt__Connors
FollowA photo from a recent shoot I did for the owner of the Cheeky Hound in Providence.
A photo from a recent shoot I did for the owner of the Cheeky Hound in Providence.
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Awards
Action Award
Chatter Award
Zenith Award
Contest Finalist in Adorable Pets Photo Contest
Legendary Award
Contest Finalist in My Favorite Pet Photo Contest
Top Shot Award
Contest Finalist in Friendly Pets Photo Contest
Contest Finalist in Only Pets Photo Contest
Runner Up in Dogs at Play Photo Contest
Contest Finalist in Dogs at Play Photo Contest
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Contest Finalist in Pampered Pets Photo Contest
Contest Finalist in Monthly Pro Vol 18 Photo Contest
Peer Award
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Absolute Masterpiece
Outstanding Creativity
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Magnificent Capture
All Star
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Behind The Lens
Location
I took this photo for the owner of the Cheeky Hound pet store at her home in Seekonk, MA. She had me doing a "Doggy & Santa" photoshoot at her store in Providence later in the week and wanted me to take some photos of her own dogs before the event. The most difficult part of this shoot was that I wasn't allowed into the yard with the dogs and all the shots had to be taken from outside the fence. While this made the shoot extremely difficult, I improvised and used it to my advantage.Time
This photo was taken around 2-4pm in November.Lighting
The shoot was outdoors in the shade so I just used the natural lighting. The only "lighting" per say, was the christmas lights wrapped around the trees in the backyard. I thought this area would make a good background due to the bokeh effect on the christmas lights.Equipment
I am a bit of a minimalist when it comes to my photography. The only camera equipment used on this shot was a Canon 5D Mark II with my Canon 70-300mm lens. The ISO was 800 and the shutterspeed was 1/320.Inspiration
I tend to be a spur of the moment photographer and pride myself at catching the right moment at the right time. If you look at some of my other work this is something you will notice(Especially when it comes to the unpredictability of working with dogs). As I said, I was not allowed in the backyard with the dogs for this shoot and since the dogs were really keen on meeting me, they kept jumping up onto the fence. I took this opportunity to get eye level with them and shoot away.Editing
I post-process all my photos using Lightroom (Photoshop for more difficult edits). I believe that nearly all photos should have some post-processing done, whether it be just color corrections, sharpening, etc, it really puts the "umph" in your photos. Most of the time I do very minor edits, however, in this photo the owners hand was literally right in front of the dogs nose with a treat. I couldn't have that distraction so I used Lightroom to get rid of her hand and then used Photoshop to clean it up a bit.In my camera bag
Everywhere I go, I carry my Tamrac backpack loaded with my Canon 5D Mark II, Canon Ultrasonic 70-300mm, Canon 50mm prime(newest model), and Canon Ultrasonic 17-40mm L. I also carry my Canon Speedlite 430EX II, a Pawn Flash Trigger, and Viltrox timelapse controller. Lastly, I always have an extra charged battery and a few extra memory cards. Depending on the situation, I will bring my tripod but 95% of the time I do not.Feedback
My biggest advice would be to always remain FLEXIBLE. As they say in the Army, "no battle plan survives first contact with the enemy." This is true for photography as well, because no matter what plans or ideas that you had going into a shoot, they will inevitably change. Also, try new things! Don't be afraid to experiment and try something you haven't done before. Lastly, know your software! This is one of the most crucial aspects I find in photography because even if you take a so-so photo, you are able to make it into something amazing!