In Person Mentoring
Do you learn most effectively by doing?
One-on-one pet photography mentoring adds jet fuel to your self-study – speeding up progress, taking you farther. As an experienced teacher, Charlotte Reeves can answer every little question, demonstrate, and correct things that are getting in your way.
In-person mentoring is right for you if:
- You have already completed both RealShoots Complete Course and Working with Natural Light - these online learning resources are pre-requisites for in-person mentoring with Charlotte
- You're serious about improving your pet photography skills quickly
- You're willing to invest in your pet photography education and learn from the best
- You have a basic knowledge of shooting and editing but want to learn all the tips and tricks for working with dogs
- You want to find your style and stand out from your competition
"Charlotte is an excellent teacher, very professional and obviously loves what she does. She interacts really well with the dogs and their owners and was very attentive when teaching me and answered all my questions with ease. I feel so much more confident now than I did before the session!"
Nicola Harnett
Brisbane
Learning topics
SHOOTING TOPICS
What better way to gain practical real-life experience than a mock client shoot with me as your personal tutor! Our canine subject, either my own dogs or sourced from my model database, will have a good level of obedience, allowing you to concentrate on getting the best shots possible. If you’re more advanced, we can take on a more challenging subject.
What we cover will depend on your existing skill level, but there’ll be nothing held back from my end. Prepare to be saturated with knowledge, skills, tips and techniques to give your pet photography skills a massive boost!
- Introduction to the dog and assessment of personality and obedience level – learn the best questions to ask to get the information you need
- Communication with the owner – a very important part of the process!
- Evaluation of the location and coming up with a rough, flexible shooting plan
- Camera setup and lens selection for various shot styles
- Focusing techniques
- Finding the best light and learning how to make it work for you
- Shooting action – obtaining sharp, stunning images of dogs in motion
- Techniques and tips for working with dogs on and off leash
- Creating variety and interest within a session
- Working with the dog to capture personality and expression
You’ll need:
- Digital SLR camera and lenses covering wide angle to telephoto focal lengths
- A good level of fitness and no health issues that would affect the session
- Enough excitement to try things out, and enough humility to accept the suggestions you came to get
- A passion for photographing dogs and a positive attitude!
EDITING TOPICS
Editing goes hand in hand with shooting – I always shoot with the end result in mind. We’ll usually concentrate on editing the shots we’ve taking during the shooting component of your mentoring session, but we can also go over any issues you are currently having.
The editing session may take place in a local café or in my home – whatever is more convenient to where we shoot. We download all your images onto your laptop, discuss file management and workflow practices, then get into the fun stuff!
I’ll take you through how to choose your best shots to edit to perfection, making them the best they can be.
- Importing, file management and workflow in Adobe Lightroom
- Quick (and brutal!) image culling techniques and how to select your best shots
- Basic to advanced image adjustments in Adobe Lightroom
- Leash removal and final finishing in Adobe Photoshop
- Advanced Photoshop techniques such as object removal and head swaps
- Colour cast and white balance correction techniques
- Creating your own time-saving Actions and Presets
- Watermarking and optimising for the web
- Preparing images for print
You’ll need:
- A laptop with recent versions of Adobe Lightroom and Adobe Photoshop installed
- Memory card reader or cable to connect camera and download images
- Notepad, recording device or note taking app
Please note: Topics related to running a pet photography business (pricing, sales, marketing etc) are not covered by this mentoring experience. For the business of pet photography, I highly recommend the Hair of the Dog Academy.
Diane Costello, San Francisco
"Charlotte is a very seasoned pet photographer. She knows her light and is not afraid to use it! I had a wonderful time working with Charlotte and came away from our session feeling inspired and motivated!"
Full day mentoring
Shannon Hill, Melbourne
"I would recommend Charlotte not only as a pet photographer but as a mentor as well. Charlotte was very open with her teaching, extremely knowledgeable and inspiring. I travelled from Melbourne and it was well worth the trip."
Two day mentoring
Mel Murzeck, Hobart
"With all her years in the pet photography industry, Charlotte is a wealth of knowledge and more than happy to share her knowledge and personal experiences with you."
Two day mentoring
Have you considered RealShoots?
The RealShoots Complete Course covers 10 different “real” dog photography sessions in video format and comprehensive editing tutorials in Lightroom and Photoshop.
It really is the next best thing to an in-person mentoring session!
FIND OUT MORE
Register your interest
I'm currently revising the format and inclusions of my in-person mentoring experiences.
If you'd like to be kept informed, please register below and join my mailing list so you don't miss the announcement!
