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| Drake #53952 Unidentified photographer Wake County Animal Center: WakeGov.com Date copied: 6/8/11 |
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| Drake #53952 A closer look |
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| Nala # 54194 Unidentified photographer Wake County Animal Center: WakeGov.com Date copied: 6/8/11 |
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| Nala # 54194 Later the same day she arrived; still scared, but a still a better image |
Artistic skill can make a big impact on these images. What is great about the class is that each person brings a different perspective to their work. Anyone can take a picture and post it, but being able to enhance that picture is that much more beneficial to these animals. For an example, I decided to post some before and after editing shots to illustrate this.
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| Brent #53842 before editing |
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| Brent #53842 after editing |
Brent is one little bundle of energy! He has this little trick he kept doing. He kept standing up on his hind legs and waving his front paws up and down. I was lucky to get a shot of him with all paws on the ground. You can see in the first image there is a lot of background clutter and his fur looks very dull. In his updated image, his eyes are bright and he is up close and personal.
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| Sedrick # 53947 before editing |
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| Sedrick #53947 after editing |
Sedrick was another little fella on the move. I never could get a good crisp picture of him because he was constantly running around and barking. I was able to make this one look better with some extreme rotation and brightening of the eyes and fur. I also used a mask to desaturate the blanket a bit.
Two other art forms come to mind that would benefit the shelter. The first is graphic design. This being my major, it is almost always the first to come to mind. The white cards in the shelter are frequently decorated with stickers. I wonder if making their pictures on the web somewhat like a scrapbook with messages that play to their strengths as pets, such as "Loves to fetch" or "I love other dogs." Maybe adding a frame or having the bio info added in around the image...
Another venue would be through video. Capturing them with a handler so that potential owners can see more of their personality would be a great benefit. Sometimes these animals are so intimidated when a stranger approaches, they will act counter to their true personalities. Seeing them with someone they are comfortable with would give people a glimpse of what they have the potential of becoming as a pet.
Just giving these animals a better picture is a huge step to getting them adopted. What better way to hone my Photoshop skills!
Till next time...happy shooting!
Karen,
ReplyDeleteI love how you related your graphic design background with suggestions for helping the website. The scrapbook idea would be a lively, interesting alternative to the endless scrolling through these photos, although it would obviously take extra time to set up. But perhaps that would mainly be in the beginning to develop the templates. Also, given the limited staff and volunteer hours, it could be something that was done for a portion of the animals, perhaps those that have the "featured" labels at present. (Also, I like the video idea but not knowing much about that area don't know how feasible it would be.)
The photos of Sedrick and Brent are perfect illustrations of the value of our class (I'm amazed at how much more I can do even after 4 1/2 weeks) and the value of good editing for the shelter. The cropping alone made a huge difference, as did the lightening of Brent's face and the desaturation of the orange blanket which allowed Brent to become the focal point of his portrait. Two cutie pies as a result of your efforts!
@ Georgia...The "featured" pets is a great idea! I threw in the video part because I know that they are making class in Spring 2012 for Final Cut Pro (I think that's the name) video editing software. It goes hand in hand with the web design side of my studies, but as for now I don't know much about it. I do think it would be valuable because I see how different the animals act around me that see me week to week and have gotten comfortable with me. They act completely different than they did the first time I met them.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your comments. It is very helpful to hear the different perspectives. I myself am drawn to aesthetics...it should "look right," how it's placed, etc. You bring your wonderful color knowledge to the mix. Professor Johnstone brings her vast knowledge of digital imaging and photography. We have a strong mix of majors and each brings a unique point of view. I have to say, this is what I miss with the online venue, they dynamic that comes with face to face critiques. What we get here is very helpful, but what happens in a classroom when everyone is engaged at the same time...can't be replicated. No matter what technology you use.
Your before and after photographs are a great demonstration of how photography makes such a big impact. I don't think I would have been able to identify the "after" Nala and Drake to the "before." I also really love your video idea. I think this is especially good for those who can't come and spend a lot of time at the shelter, due to distance, time, or money, etc. And this would provide them a better opportunity to get to know the animals before they come into see them because a picture can't explain everything. For, example, how Brent does his trick, one picture can't express how amazing it is!
ReplyDelete@ Allycat...Thank you so much for your comments. I do think the video idea would be a good one. Just have to get the "know-how" or find someone who has it. :)
ReplyDeleteThese before and after photos are amazing. Perfect examples of what we can accomplish in this class. They do make a big difference.
ReplyDeleteI do agree with you about the value of face-to-face critiques. The spontaneity of shared ideas, and excitement of engagement is best when we are all in the same room.
@ Professor Johnstone...This class has been amazing for all the photo correction tools that I have now added to my skill set!
ReplyDeleteThe class dynamic cannot be mimicked no matter how fancy the technology is, but this has been a great class overall. Your critiques have proved extremely valuable as well as insights from the rest of the class.