Ok...dog and critter photographer here. These are, as always, just my own opinions, however here's what I've found through my own experience over the years. This is gonna get a tad long, so go grab a fresh cup of coffee...I'll wait
While I'm typically the last person to say "go spend more money" and I do try to be as budget-conscious, if not frugal as I can, in this case I would actually suggest 2 lenses. For indoor events, such as dog shows and such, yea...you're gonna want that 70-200mm f/2.8. Personally I prefer Tamron over any other brand I've tried (both as a Nikon shooter and a former Canon shooter). Even in a very well lit arena, I suspect you'll find such a lens to be invaluable. That said, these lenses do have a couple of disadvantages as well...aside from price (comparatively speaking), first and foremost, they're a tad heavy. I can't speak to others and I will admit that now that I've hit 50, I'm more aware of such concerns than ever, however having to lug that big ol' piece of glass around for several hours can and will cause a fair degree of fatigue! Second, I also find that in other situations...shooting at a dog park or even a zoo for example...that 200mm can be rather limiting.
With that in mind, if you have any intentions of shooting outdoors...again, zoos, dog parks, etc., I'd also suggest investing in a 70-300 as well. I use a Tamron 70-300mm f/4 to 5.6 for the greatest majority of my critter work (yes, the CHEAP Tamron). In situations where you don't really need the fast glass, this lens has the advantage of being much lighter, easier to handle and gives you a pretty good degree of extra reach. This is just my own personal opinion, however with camera tech being as good as it is with some really great ISO capabilities, given a choice between an extra 100mm and an extra stop or two of light, I'll take the longer reach. You can usually bump that ISO a click or two with the press of a button (and with Nikons and RAW it's usually pretty easy to clean up in Photoshop), however it's not always possible to get close enough to a given critter for your shot to really be effective. The truth is that even at 300mm, I often find myself wishing I had just a bit more...
I will say that personally I'm not really a fan of VR. As I've said elsewhere, I wouldn't thumb my nose at it if I had it, however I simply won't pay extra for it either. The simple fact of the matter is that learning good camera technique will take you further than VR ever will. A good photographer can make due without VR, however VR will
never make up for a poor photographer with bad technique...just something to think about.
Now as far as general tips and suggestions...the best advice I can offer is learn to ANTICIPATE YOUR SHOTS! Dog shows, in my opinion at least, are actually pretty easy to shoot because unlike a dog park for example, where the "subject" may be running all over the place chasing tennis balls, dogs performing in a show are typically predictable, even where you have some fast paced motion. Consider an "obstacle course" for example...you can usually predict where a given dog will be at any time during that run, so you can compose your shot, have your exposure set and pre-focus the camera...all you really gotta do is just click the shutter button when the dog gets there. For that matter, you can do the same thing at a dog park as well...just pick a tennis ball to focus on and when the dog runs by, click the shutter. In such a case, I almost might compare the process to traditional sport photography. Say you're shooting a baseball game...you KNOW the pitcher is going to throw the ball, you KNOW the batter is going to swing, so all you have to do is be patient and be ready, so that when the ball connects with the bat for that winning home run, all you have to do is "click". Now, beyond that there's certainly a few other things to consider...
For dogs or critters in general, pay attention to the angle you're shooting at. One of the biggest mistakes I see people make, whether it's dogs, chimps or even human children, is they shoot from an "adult perspective", which more often than not, tends to make the subject look "small" if not disproportionate in the image. This may be fine if your shooting a toy Chihuahua, but can make a Rottweiler look REALLY awkward. This is more a rule of thumb than anything set in stone, but I generally try to be
eye level with the subject. Sometimes an interesting angle can make for an interesting picture, but it's best to know the rules before you start to break them.
Likewise, I try to get shots that are fairly natural. I've found this at dog parks more than anything, but often I've ran into situations where someone will see me taking pictures of their dog and try to "pose" the dog for me...it seldom works. While this applies to most critters, I always find it best to "let dogs be dogs"...a picture of a happy dog playing always looks better than one who's being yelled at because he/she won't sit and look at the camera!
I am also a very firm believer in the concept of "examine and eliminate". While this obviously applies to most forms of photography, always take a moment and ask yourself "what is this shot about?". For example, let's say your taking pictures of the orangutans at a zoo. As you look thru the view finder, look at what else is being framed with the orangutan and ask what is the shot about. Is it about the other people watching the orangutan? Is it about the orangutan's habitat? Is it about that large glob of poop the orangutan just flung on the wall? Or...is it about the orangutan? The same goes for a dog show...is your picture about the crowd watching the show? Is it about the judges? Is it about the concession stand in the background? Once you've decided what the picture is actually about, then zoom in tight on the subject and
eliminate anything that doesn't contribute to the composition.
For critters in general, I also suggest that you KNOW YOUR SUBJECT! To make this easier, again let's consider a zoo for example. Different animals have different behaviors and certainly different times when they're active. What's the point of trying to shoot wolves or the big cats in the middle of a hot afternoon when they're going to be sleeping? Makes for some pretty boring shots most of the time... Likewise, for places like zoos and nature centers and such, it's worth asking when a given critter's feeding time is! An animal that may lay around basking in the sun all day is likely to be much more active when they know that food cart is on it's way! Likewise this same philosophy goes double for animals "in the wild"...know your subject! Many critters, such as white tailed deer for example tend to become active in the evening and hour or so before sunset. If your out traipsing thru the woods looking for deer at 2 in the afternoon, there's a better than average chance you're gonna come home empty handed.
While this one is more about zoo photography than dogs specifically, I also suggest that you pick and choose! One huge mistake I see with people's images at someplace like a zoo is that they blow thru the zoo like a whirlwind trying to see EVERYTHING. They run up to the spider monkeys, stick their camera phone against the glass (usually with the stinkin' flash turn on) and 30 seconds later they're over at the lemurs. This is fine for a family outing and you may even get 1 or 2 pics to send to Aunt Helen, but more often that not such pictures tend to have very little "wow factor". If I'm shooting at the zoo with the intent of getting some GOOD pictures...say for an exhibition or my portfolio, etc., I'll select a few specific subjects...say orangutans, bears and penguins, then I'll spend AT LEAST an hour or two at each exhibit/habitat. I will of course have a couple of backups in case someone is sleeping that afternoon, but for the most part, I really only spend the afternoon with just a few select groups of critters.
And btw...if you are shooting at a zoo, turn off the stinkin' flash. If you -must- use flash, consider getting a remote trigger so that you can put the flash on a tripod off to the side...aside from annoying the critters, on camera flash just bounces off the glass and your image will likely end up with whiteout conditions.
Now I will say that I do often use a few little tricks as well. I would NOT do this at a dog show, but if I'm shooting at the dog park, it's not unheard of for me to keep a squeaky toy in my camera bag! LOL! You may only get a few clicks before the dog starts to ignore you, but most dogs will usually respond to a squeaky toy or whistle long enough to get a really great shot or two. In fact, for zoo stuff, I've actually used a cheapy laser pointer on occasion (do NOT shine it in anyone's eyes!!!). Some of my best squirrel shots were the result of a leisurely afternoon and a bag of peanuts! I parked myself against a tree at a local park, sprinkled some peanuts around me and the little buggers just appeared out of nowhere LOL! I even had a really bold little stinker that crawled down the tree I was sitting against and had his feet on my shoulder! I don't actually condone feeding wild animals...it's a REALLY bad thing to do, but in the right circumstance, a little enticement (treats at the dog park) can make for some lovely images. That said, with places such as zoos and nature centers and such, don't just stand there yelling "hey monkey!"...aside from looking like a complete idiot, most of those animals put up with it every day and tend to simply ignore it (see my comments below about "be respectful").
Finally...and while this should go without saying...BE RESPECTFUL! Be it dogs, chimps or bald eagles, NEVER do anything that actually annoys or disturbs the animal. Here in Lorain County, we have a local nature preserve and a few years back a couple of over-zealous photographers were trying to get some pictures of baby bald eagles in a nest. Tragically, the parents never returned to the nest and the babies died...all so a couple of freakin' yahoos could get a couple of pictures. Likewise, also remember that a great many creatures don't see you and your camera as a "photographer"...a lot of animals (including dogs) will see that reflective lens as a big ol' eyeball! Again be respectful...if the critter don't like it, simply move on! And for the love of god, use common sense! If you're using a 35mm lens, DON'T TRY TO SNEAK UP ON A GRIZZLY! Unless you have a great deal of experience handling "hot snakes", DON'T TRY AND DO MACRO SHOTS OF A RATTLESNAKE! NEVER walk up to a wild cougar and go "Here kitty, kitty..."! Remember that 12 point buck CAN tear your spleen out! Unless your paycheck is actually being signed by the folks at National Geographic, no picture is worth risking your life over!
Okies...I hope that gives you some insight. Obviously there's a lot more, but that's what I would strongly consider to be many of the basics. If you'd like to take a look at my work, my online portfolio can be found at
The Online Portfolio of James T. Walczak - Main Index (please be patient as images load...it's a REALLY slow server) and if you look me up on Facebook, I have a fairly significant amount of work including critter and dog pics there as well. Comments and critiques are always welcomed and encouraged!
Good Luck!
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