Feature RJ
March 2010

inter is over. Those chilly, low-temperature days are behind us. Our bodies, and those of our dogs, itch in anticipation of spending more time outdoors. We will take to the field, to the riverbanks, to the parks for training, hunting, and for the pure enjoyment of being outside.  

Even though we look forward to this season, there is one man who will not like to see winter go – primarily for professional reasons. “With snow, you essentially have one giant reflector on the ground bouncing light back up at your subject, eliminating or illuminating some of the unwanted shadow areas,” says photographer Chip Laughton.  “For instance, the underside of a black dog, where sometimes when in print comes out as just a black, detail-less spot in your photograph.” 

This is just one of many tips to come from the regular photography contributor of Just Labs, Pointing Dog Journal, and Retriever Journal. Before we get to that, let’s learn a little about the man himself. For Chip, photography has been a passion since he was a teenager. “I am self taught with the exception of some black and white classes in college and a couple of on line classes I took to get a better grip on the digital photography,” remembers Chip, who quickly discovered he loved action photography, especially in relation to the outdoors and dogs.

He started photographing dogs about 15 years ago. “I realized the enjoyment I get from their [dog owners] faces when I nail a shot of their dog doing something amazing -- something they do not get to see because they are concentrating on handling the dog.  Nothing against other breeds of dogs but working, sporting breeds get my blood pumping.  They love what they are doing and I love making images of them doing it.”
Since spring is kind of when things get going again, picture-taking included, this article and the following one will give you guidelines on how to photograph your dog doing the activities it loves to do.  

ccording to Chip, “Action photography is really pretty simple.” Equipment-wise, it’s best to have a camera that doesn’t delay when you hit the shutter release. Unless you know how to anticipate your camera very well, you’ll likely miss the shot.  Chip recommends digital SLR’s (single lens reflex) “because they fire instantly, and you can set them to a burst mode where you fire off six or seven shots or more one right after the other.” If you were to go through the photos after burst mode, it would be like quickly thumbing through a flip book – the images combined create a “moving picture.” This way you can make sure you get the shot you want.

“Secondly, for stop action photography,” says Chip, “you will need a lot of light so you can shoot at the faster shutter speeds possible. You can achieve this through “F” stop/aperture, shutter speed, and ISO (film speed) settings.” He usually shoots at an “F” stop of F2.8, F4, or F5.6. “What this means is that when you press the shutter button, the door inside the camera that opens when you shoot is letting the maximum amount of light into the camera to expose the “chip,” or film according to the size of that F stop,” says Chip. The higher the number, the smaller the opening in the shutter, and the less light that makes it through the lens. 

Y ou combine the aperture with a fast shutter speed, which is how long that door stays open and literally “stops” the action. “I like to shoot at least 1/500 of a second and faster when it comes to shutter speeds, Chip says. This enables him to capture such fleeting things such as water droplets or moving objects such as ears flying around. Beginners should begin in Aperture Priority mode. This is where you set the aperture but the camera will set the shutter speed for you.  “This way you can concentrate on shooting and not having to set the exposure. As you get better, you can do it manually to adjust for specific things, black dogs, white dogs etc.  But that’s another lesson.”



Now to consider the film speed. “The film speed or ISO, I do not like to mess with too much. I like to shoot at an ISO of 100 or 200; In really bad conditions I will go to 400, but you start to get grain or digital noise in your image. The lower the number, the slower the speed and the less grainy a photograph will look,” says Chip. What’s the difference between shutter speed and ISO? Shutter speed is exactly as it sounds. ISO speed is the sensitivity of the film. The more sensitive it is, the less light that will be necessary for capturing a shot.

The third most important thing to have on your camera is a good auto focus on a fast lens. “Set your camera to what is called ‘Continuous,’  ‘Servo,’ and in ‘burst mode’ or sports mode.  You will have to look in your cameras manual for how to do this,” explains Chip.  “This basically has the camera continuously focusing where your focus point is set in the camera, so as the dog is moving you should be able to stay with it and keep the focus. Burst mode or sports mode just sets the camera so you can take as many shots as you can by holding down the shutter release button.”

The only way to get better is to practice. “Set your aperture or ‘F’ stop,” recommends Chip.  “Get in front of the dog if possible, I prefer straight on; in your face shots to panning shots [from the side] for my stop-action images.  Position yourself at the dog’s eye level or below.  Try to focus on the dog’s eye or in that general area. When the dog is moving towards you, start shooting. Hold the shutter button down and let it rip, so to speak.” As the dog moves up and down during its walk or run, try to keep your focus on the head area. That means you’ll have to move up and down, too, though not jerkily.  Press the button when the dog is at peak action. “At these times the dog actually will stop for a split second, and it is easier to get the shot.”

ince Chip is a professional photographer, you’re probably thinking that there’s no way your shots will look even remotely similar since most likely you don’t have the same camera equipment. (He prefers Nikon DSLR’s D300, D200, D70’s, and the Nikon point-and-shoot P5100.)

But there are a lot more options out there now that everything is digital. Just follow Chip’s recommendations: “I would recommend a 10 megapixel or more camera body.  Nikon has some nice cameras for the consumer at reasonable prices, but what is more important than the camera is the lens. Purchase the best lens you can buy this is where you need to put the money.  My favorite lens is Nikkor 70-200 F2.8 AF-S.  I shoot all of my action shots with this. But I have images published that were taken with a point and shoot digital camera.”

Get what you can afford or start using that older model again and start practicing!

In the next “edition” of The Retiever Journal Online, Chip will explain conditions to be aware of when shooting outdoors, and the difference between outdoor and indoor photography. Visit Chip’s website at www.daysafieldphotography.com. Photos were included by permission of Chip Laughton.

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