I'm doing my happy dance!

[debbry531]

Sorry, but I'm so excited that I just had to share!!

I got a random phone call yesterday from a big publishing house (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt) and they are hiring me to shoot the cover of an upcoming book, as well as some other possible publicity shots. This was totally out of the blue - the Art Director found me through my website (which has officially paid for itself now!).

I'm crazy nervous (I haven't done anything like this before!), but very excited. To add to the awesome, the author is someone who should be a fantastic contact for me going forward.

[ttusa]

Wow, Wow, Wow!!!!

[KenJulio]

Debbie - Congrats!

[L Stegall]

Yeah Debbie - that is so exciting. Congrats!

[sldi]

My random phone calls are never that good, usually just a sales pitch about something I don't need. :0

good luck!

[debbry531]

Thanks y'all! I'm a little in shock (okay, a lot in shock)!

[LEATHERNECK]

Hot diggity....good for you...congrats!!!!!

[CaptainTom]

Hot Dog is right !!

Keep me in mind if you need any technical stuff, lights, remotes, etc.
I know you shoot available light, but sometimes you have to orchestrate things for a commercial shoot.

[84young]

Huge congrats for you!!!!! Just remember, take a step back and focus (on both your happiness and when you do the shoot) Of course you need to keep us all up to date. Very happy for you.

[debbry531]

Just remember, take a step back and focus (on both your happiness and when you do the shoot)

This is what I'm most worried about! I tend to compose completely in camera, so I don't always have extra negative space -- but for a book cover, I have to remember that it may be needed! So "breathe, back up, breathe" is my plan.

Hot Dog is right !!

It certainly is! And it certainly will be - I'll be shooting a search and rescue dog out in an open grassy/hilly area. They want a more serious look so the heat is going to be a challenge (panting tends to photograph as happy). The author has a couple places where they've trained the dogs so I'm going to check them out and do some trial runs with one of my pups. I'm hoping that natural light will work (we're planning on shooting early morning and early evening), but if it doesn't, I'll definitely keep you in mind, Cap'n!

[84young]

If you want a real challenge, you can try and shoot a serious photo of my pup. she is an all American mix breed of what ever jumped the fence. yes she is a good dog and all, just reall really spastic. if you can shoot her, you should be able to shoot anything. just a thought though.

[CaptainTom]

Originally Posted by 84young

If you want a real challenge, you can try and shoot a serious photo of my pup. she is an all American mix breed of what ever jumped the fence. yes she is a good dog and all, just reall really spastic. if you can shoot her, you should be able to shoot anything. just a thought though.

Debbies got the experience of shooting dogs. It's always a new environment.

Just remember that a shoot like this might take a full time commercial photographer a week to get the shot the editor wants.
Don't waste time, but don't expect to get your shot immediately.

[debbry531]

The dog I'm shooting will probably be WAY better trained than any dog I've shot thus far so I'm not concerned about that part. I should be able to check the location(s) I'll be shooting ahead of time - and probably take a dog with me as a guinea pig - so I'll be able to have some ideas of what I want to do when the time comes. The Art Director has been very helpful and has given me a description of what she's thinking/looking for (and used one of my portfolio images as an example - I figure that's a good sign!).

The beauty/challenge of shooting dogs is that you can't plan too much - you definitely don't get any stiff, posed shots, but they don't take direction well!