Challenging shot - black lab

BIGEYE

BIGEYE

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Jim
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I am trying to get a decent shot of my black lab running about in the snow, but it is proving very difficult to bring out the detail in my dog. He is very black, and I am trying to expose so that I get the correct colour of the snow as well.
The snow looks fine, but there is no detail in the dog, eyes, hair, etc.
I have been shooting in manual at f2.8 to blur the background (which is not pretty), shutter speed is 1/320 and shooting in AI Servo mode, ISO 100. Anyone can advise on how to get better results with what I'm trying to do.

Was going to give it another try after reading some old posts, but now we are blessed with bright sunshine causing really hard light. I thinl I'll wait until it dulls down again.
 
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Make sure that whatever light there is in the sky (i.e. the brightest part of the sky) is behind you and not behind the dog. If you can pick a day with at least a hint of sunshine, rather than flat, overcast grey, it will help pick out detail.

I can't compete with "black", but here's my dark brown dog in snow. I spot metered from the snow at +3, setting the exposure manually to lock it down, and let the exposure for the dog fall wherever it may. That way I recorded the scene as brightly as possible, capturing maximum detail in the dark subject, while avoiding blowing out details in the snow. The only edit on this is cropping.

20101224_114455_2033_LR.jpg
 
You'll probably find that you'll want slightly harder light. Soft light is great for flattering people, it fills in wrinkles and skin imperfections. But what you're trying to do is show the definition between objects, the best way to do this is a crisp shadow, so a hard light source.

I hope that makes sense.

However there might be too much dynamic range between a largely black object and a largely white bg, expose for the dog and if necessary adjust the bg in post. It's easier to brighten a background than to pull detail out of the shadows.
 
I have to agree with everything that has been said - it is much easier when there is plenty of light. I have a black dog, and use manual, going a couple of stops above the metered exposure then taking a couple of test shots to fine tune and make sure I am capturing the detail in Pip's face. Always use RAW, as when it is overcast it can be necessary to slightly over-expose the snow and then pull it back in PP, which is what I did here:
13Jan377_zpsc4adfb5c.jpg


It is so much easier when the sun is out, as in this example (very warm sunset light here):
13Jan430_zpsda8df6d3.jpg


I am lucky as Pip has bright eyes which is also a big help!
 
Great tips guys, and thanks. Unfortunately the snow had disappeared by the time I got back, so missed the chance. Will get it next time.
 
Hey, i have no idea how that happened but those pics are just awesome :)
Last days i was trying to take pictures from my samsung of friends while they were surfing, and the situation was that it was blur or they never came in the photo :P
In one of these, a wolf and the dog is captured while moving, looks as if they were stone before taking the pic. Awesomely amazed :)
 
I love taking pics of my two dogs playing in the snow, though it is very challenging.

Will read the guide, and see his i get on (provided it snows again).
 
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