This portrait of Rufus, our studio dog, won ‘Dog Portrait of the Year’ at the 2018 Master Photographers Association Awards. Here’s how we created it. It’s always lovely to win an award. It’s extra nice to win one for a personal portrait. This shot was taken for Sarah, my wife, as a birthday present. Sarah loves Rufus (a slightly errant working cocker spaniel) possibly more than she loves the rest of us, so I knew she’d be delighted with a …
Sometimes the best light is from an unexpected source: find out how I used the white wall of a house near my studio as a giant reflector for this portrait. I frequently use reflectors in my work to soften shadows and bounce light back on to my subject’s face. The bigger the reflector, the better, as a broader light source is softer and more natural-looking (you also don’t have to watch out for the edge of the reflector’s bounced light). …