Dogtography

13 reviews for Dogtography

1. 

   Gloria September 29, 2020

   The cover of this book, and especially the first inside photo in this book are more than enough to charm you into reading it. They are enormously fun, warm-hearted pics of our best friends. Any of us who have dogs love to photograph them, and this book is one of the best tools we could have in that regard. I actually want to begin re-reading it already.

   Early on she advises us to “speak dog“! That not all dogs, or even most dogs, are well behaved and perfectly trained. Therefore, we need to know how to work with them. After taking many family portraits, I would say much the same is true of humans :-). Also early on in her delightful book the author tells us not to shoot on auto. I give the same advice to any photographer who will listen :-). So much better to shoot in manual mode.

   One of my favorites of the tips she gives is to have the dog tilt her head for the portrait. How do you do that if you don’t actually speak dog? She suggest using trigger phrases such as, “do you want to go for a walk?“. Of course, she also warns us to follow through on our promise to the dog or lose the power to get the head tilt :-). I love that Greer tells us her hard-won pointers because I suspect the secret to a good pic is in the little things.

   Later on she talks about shooting multiple canines and gives us lots of good advice there as well. For example, she talks to us about the difficult job of achieving focus when you have more than one model. Of course, this comes up often for any photog, not just pupparazi, so I was delighted to have such sage advice. She states the obvious solution which is to increase your aperture, but also the problem that you then don’t get a nice blurry background. Then she tells us her favorite technique which is to focus on alternate dogs over several shots, and then combine them in Photoshop – brilliant solution! This book is full of such useful assistance.

   Greer gives us, kindly, an entire section on using flash, both on-camera and off-camera as well as studio lights. I can never get enough advice on how to use artificial lighting. Even better, she says that if flash isn’t our thing, sticking with natural light is just fine. Good for me to hear since that’s mostly what I use.

   At the end of the book she gives a great tip, especially for me because when I shoot my dog she always has a leash on. Greer tells us how to shoot the photo so that the leash will be easily cloned out in Photoshop. I just love this book and it got even better as I went along. In her concluding remarks the author makes a plea for us to make a difference with our photography by shooting shelter dogs. I have looked into this myself, before our pandemic, and now will definitely pursue it when going to a shelter is safe. She is right, it’s a way for us to give back.

   You gotta love that the author is called a pupparazzi by National Geographic. That should be enough to recommend this book to anyone interested in taking unusual and fun dog photos. I will depend on this book for a long time, when I want yet another shot of my or someone else’s canine buddy.

2. 

   Tim Oliver (verified owner) November 22, 2020

   If you see the cover of Kaylee Greer’s new book Dogtography and don’t immediately want to open it up and take in all of the vibrant, entertaining and skillfully created photos of everyone’s best friend, the dog, you may be dead inside. That wonderful seemingly smiling face on the cover is just the tip of the iceberg for what is contained in the large beautiful spaces of this book. In addition to arguably the best dog photography every created, Kaylee has successfully transferred her infectious, bubbly personality into the pages of this equally informative “how-to” manual. She has captured her “voice” in print, and the printed format is wonderful. Large vibrate images weaved with fun back stories, on-location suggestions, gear information and her career-long tips and tricks. If you are interested in taking photos of our four-legged friends, Kaylee covers dog body language, personalities, behaviors, harnesses, approaches, lens recommendations, lighting suggestions and many key tips to have a successful shoot. I was impressed with the behind the scenes insight and honesty, such as the actual difficulty in achieving a good image. She describes a fun, but challenging photography experience. If you do not intend to photograph dogs and just want a thick, wonderful coffee table book of beautiful canine photography this book will not disappoint. There are so many amazing images in this book that it would make a great gift to anyone that just loves dogs. The e-book version is also colorful and informative and nice to have as an immediate reference tool on a smartphone or tablet. Book publisher Rocky Nook offers a deal for both on their site, and I highly suggest this, but if you can only purchase one or the other, go with the large, printed version. It should be a requirement for anyone with a dog in their life. Highly recommended.

3. 

   ssaasa (verified owner) November 27, 2020

   This is an absolutely gorgeous book that will knock you socks off from beginning to end. There is a wealth of information regarding not just photography, but how to understand, approach, and work with dogs to make photographing them as fun, stress-free, and inviting as possible. From the technical to the metaphysical, Kaylee Greer’s style is engaging and so easy to follow. The book pulled me in with the very first page. Dogtography is virtually guaranteed to make you a better photographer, and will inspire you to reach further, try harder, and care even more for these amazing creatures with whom we share our lives, our homes, and our hearts.

4. 

   sarahdugan2000 (verified owner) December 2, 2020

   Incredible manual and source of inspiration for everyone interested in capturing pets personalities in fresh exciting ways. Seriously, huge beautiful book over 300 pages FULL of images that instruct and motivate you to grab the dog and camera and head outside. Kaylee’s heart is evident throughout.,,,Her love of photography and most importantly love for all the dogs that drive her work.
   You can flip through and admire the images, you can zero in on settings and gear, how to get the best expressions, or dozens of other topics. I’m starting right from the acknowledgements and will enjoy reading right on thru-it’s that good.

5. 

   parton1004 (verified owner) December 10, 2020

   Wow! Perfection and I expected nothing less from Kaylee. She is top notch and among the best of the best and has been my favorite for a few years now. As far as the book goes, it was much bigger than I expected and the quality is the best I’ve seen in awhile. The pictures just pop off the page and tremendously showcase Kaylees talent. I can’t wait to dig into this one. Thank you Kaylee and thank you rockynook for such amazing quality at a great price!

6. 

   jefforns December 17, 2020

   This is an amazing book by an accomplished author and magnificent photographer; by a superb publisher and editor; and a whole lot of great canine friends.

   The author knows her stuff and gives many great tips and secrets to ‘speaking’ dog and getting them to listen to you. She also tells you how to get the dogs to willing pose for you once you understand the dog ‘language’. I have had numerous dogs, mostly boxers, and as a photographer have used them as subjects for thousand of images. I only wish I had known some of these secrets when they were still around. Most everything she teaches and explains in the book could be used for pet cats, pigs or horses and even some human portraits!

   This book can be used as a coffee table book or a major reference tome………..just read it and use it.

   Thank you RockyNook for the publishing and the quality of the text, the images and the presentation………….this book is number 1 in my book!

7. 

   upthecreek (verified owner) December 28, 2020

   PAWSOME book, I LOVE my dogs, ( and most everybody else’s dogs too ) … Kaylee, you touched my very soul with your work. Each dog captured with PAWFECTION. What a way to inspire me ( and people in general ) to get out and enjoy our best friends, and to record them for a “moment” in our lives that is fleeting, but will always be treasured and remembered for the good times, for our fur friends special qualities, their quirks, your goof ball moments, their tender loving moments, ALL the things that make each and every one of our best friends so special to us all . Thank you….. I have now started ordering more as gifts to share the LOVE with my dog friends, some don’t even own a camera, but all love their DOGS and I am sure will love this book. It will bring smiles, laughter and tears for the owners who share or have shared their lives with “just a dog” ….that means the World to them . Thank you Kaylee Greer, I hope ( that’s my Shepherds name too …Hope ) you produce many more beautiful works of art and books for years to come, for generations of dog ( and animals ) owners and photographers to enjoy and learn from PAWSOME book !

   Ian Tinworth
   Melbourne, Australia

8. 

   Michele (verified owner) January 13, 2021

   I have purchased many books on pet photography, but this one is by far my favourite!!!! Kaylee not only provides great information on all aspects of dog photography, from how to read dog body language to how to get those perfect shots, she provides it in a fun, out of this world, most excellent read!!! And the photos are unbelievably AMAZING!!!! Kaylee’s passion and love of dogs is seen and heard throughout the book. She is an incredible dog photographer and a fabulous story teller!!! LOVE EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS BOOK!!!

9. 

   todd_s_reimer (verified owner) January 14, 2021

   This is a PERFECT book so far! (I’m only 73 pages in, but am LOVING it!) Do you want a big beautiful book with high quality photos of lovable dogs? This book is for you! Do you want an educational book that is soo much fun to read, that it doesn’t feel like it’s actually homework? This book is for you! Are you new to photography and need to start from the beginning, or an expert and just need specifics to working with animals? This book is for both of you!

   First of all, this book is physically BIG! Yes, it has a lot of pages, but i mean the dimensions are close to a coffee table book. Then, the quality of the photos, the beautiful saturated colors, really do the photos justice! You will literally want to tear out several pages and frame them. I really have to give the rocky nook guys credit for doing Kaylee’s photos justice. Even if you had no interest in reading a single word in this book, it’s worth it for all of the wonderful high quality photos.

   Next, Kaylee’s way of explaining everything in her own charming, whimsical, silly way has me smiling or chuckling on just about every page. I can almost picture her talking to me as a friend, walking me through each chapter. It makes the read sooo enjoyable.

   I’m not far enough into the advanced topics yet to fully state the overall benefit I will personally receive as a photographer, but all the concepts that I have read though the first 3 chapters have been well laid out, informative and fun. I am sure that the rest is gonna be fantastic!

   Lastly, this book is inspiring. Reading each of these chapters, even the concepts that I already know like the back of my hand, makes me want to grab my camera, get out there, and find a cute animal to photograph! (If i can find other books so motivational and fun for the rest of my life, I would be all set!)

   Based on the above, I would also highly recommend getting the printed version. (I bought the combo, as i usually like to read stuff on my tablet). It truly is a beautiful book, and even though the PDF version looks great, seeing the glorious photos printed on the page is so worth having a physical copy.

   Todd Reimer
   Redondo Beach, CA

10. 

    Susan (verified owner) February 10, 2021

    I’m loving this book. It’s just like Kaylee is right there talking to me. I’ve taken several classes with Kaylee and love her style. I knew the book would be great, so I bought three copies – one for me and two others for my helpers. The quality is awesome and the photos just POP!

11. 

    randlstone (verified owner) April 25, 2021

    A great and helpful book on a sometime not so easy form of photography. Everyone young, old, a beginner, or seasoned can benefit from this book.

12. 

    maek.gale (verified owner) September 30, 2021

    Great insights for any level photographer. But the pictures. Wow Wow Wow. Simply stunning work.

13. 

    wepsphoto December 23, 2021

    Glancing at the back and front covers of Dogtography, I opened the book expecting a formulaic approach to stylistic dog pictures- wide angle, large depth of field, underexposed background with fill flash and post processing that adds saturation to landscape colors, increases clarity and cleans up the inevitable “imperfections” of the dogs’ faces. And that style is indeed demonstrated in this book- but there is so much more.

    Greer introduces herself and from the start we see a woman who loves dogs- her photography is secondary to her passion for the animals and this makes this book not only one on photography but also about dogs and the joy of being an owner. Very impressive is her understanding of dogs- from lessons on perceiving a dog’s mood based on body language to ways of shaping and reinforcing desired behavior, Greer explains the details of working and managing animals while respecting their unique personalities.

    Beautifully illustrated throughout, Dogtography is an interesting journey- there are readings about dogs themselves, stories of challenging shoots, pictorials of styles/techniques/tricks of the trade, stunning dog portraits, discussion of photographic principles, suggestions for professionals and those pursuing it- and much more. It does not read like a typical photography book; rather, it’s loose yet also cohesive and entertaining.

    What I respect most is the down-to-earth approach of writing for virtually any reader- there’s no expectation of knowledge (she addresses basics) but there’s also plenty of great information for pros. And Greer speaks minimally about brands and gear, making dogtography a hobby that anyone with any type of camera can pursue. There are always options for challenges like lighting, assuring that a photographer with any (or no) budget can successfully make great dog images.

    Not since Natlie Dybisc’s Self-Portrait Photography: The Ultimate in Personal Expression have I a read a photography book by such a consummate professional who self taught herself to great notoriety without self indulgence and commercial promotion creeping into her sharing.

    This is an enjoyable book for anyone who loves dogs or photography- and an absolute perfect match for those who love both.