Snapping Photos of Fluffy, Spot

Shirley Isaacs is one photographer who doesn’t tell her subjects to say “Cheese.” Instead, she holds up a dog biscuit. It’s definitely more effective; she operates an animal portrait studio in Tustin.

And shooting pictures of pets is not always easy.

“Some animals pose and are real hams,” Isaacs says, but “others don’t like the flash, or they just don’t like to be here.”

Animals present a unique set of problems, she says. “People will come in and say their dogs are obedience trained. They will sit and stay. But when they get in the studio, they don’t always do what (the owners) say they will do.”

And if photographing one animal can be tricky, trying to do more than one can be really tough. “I once photographed a litter of 11 5-week-old English bulldogs. Trying to get them to all look alert and in the same direction was a challenge. It took 3 hours, which included feeding and burping them and cleaning up after them.”

Animal photography was not Isaacs’ first career choice, although she grew up in a family that loved animals, she said. She attended Indiana University with the intention of going into social work, and her first jobs involved working with children. After she came to California in 1976, however, she began taking photography classes at Orange Coast College. There, she became interested in commercial photography and decided that there would be a market for pet portrait specialist.

She set up shop in 1983, initially working for free just to build a portfolio. Her walls are now covered with portraits of dogs and cats. She shoots mostly color, but she occasionally takes black and white shots for advertising.

“I felt there was a definite need for a studio because I had some bad experiences going to have my dogs photographed,” Isaacs said.

“I went to professional studios and came back with photographs that were real clunkers. The people didn’t take any time or effort and weren’t really interested in it.

“As far as I’m concerned, animal photography is an art. It requires patience, understanding and perseverance.”

As for how she does it: “I have people come in first, and we have a conference. They look at my work and decide if they want to have it done. They decide on a background, give me information about the dog or cat and what their personality is like.

“If a dog is timid, I will try to make that first shot really count. I also go through a mock photo session so they know exactly what we are going to do so it won’t be traumatic for them or the dog.”

For those who want to try photographing furry critters themselves, Isaacs offers these tips:

Pick a place that has a contrasting background and is uncluttered.

Shoot a lot of pictures.

Avoid using a flash because it can make an animal’s eyes appear red.

Isaacs charges a $70 sitting fee for one pet, plus $60 for the first 8-by-10 print. A second 8-by-10 is $50; prints are available in almost any size.