By Tata Rossi 14 days ago, Photographer
Claudio Piccoli is a talented dog photographer, who is famous for his dynamic, arresting, and energetic images. He likes interacting with dogs and manages to take dog photos that depict cute pets while running, jumping, and playing around. Claudio resides in Italy but frequently travels to other countries for master classes and photo sessions.
Claudio Piccoli lives with his family and 3 border collies (Leep, Tris, and Chester) in the North West of Italy. Claudio is a very active photographer, as well as a Nikon Ambassador in his homeland and a Nikon School Master. Moreover, he cooperated with Corriere della Sera, Gazzetta dello Sport, and Nikon to create the "Master di Fotografia".
His interest in dog photography actually stems from his love for these animals. Year after year he honed his skills to figure out how to capture the genuine beauty of dogs and the unique temper of every dog. He claims that spending time with dogs was a fantastic experience that primed the pump of his photography career.
Claudio Piccoli believes that every dog deserves special care during a photo session. He meticulously selects creative pet photography ideas that allow showing the temper of a dog in the most vivid way. He wants every person looking at his photos to admire dogs, their poignant wit, and their playful nature. Claudio never seizes a chance to visit new places and photograph new dogs.
His genuine passion for dog photography didn’t go unnoticed. He was a speaker at the largest photography conference in the world in 2018. Besides, he won several awards in high-profile international contests including Oasis, American Photography, International Photo Awards, and SIPA. You can find his images in many reputable magazines, newspapers, etc.
Claudio Piccoli photographer is totally in love with moving dogs. He likes taking images of pets that jump high while playing, training, or participating in competitions. He constantly thinks about new locations, shooting scenarios, techniques, and activities to make a dog active in front of a camera. His portfolio is replete with amazing photos of flying dogs and Claudio states that 'With running, flying dogs, I want to catch their soul through their eyes. I want to show people what dogs can do with the right motivation.
Getting dynamic photos that you can see on his website is actually a demanding process. Claudio says that every pup or adult dog is absolutely unique in the way they move, behave, and interact with a photographer. So, it is a must to adjust camera settings every time you photograph a new dog.
It is also very important to hash out with a dog owner about what will happen during a photoshoot. Of course, it is impossible to predict everything but you can discuss how an owner or dog handler will throw a frisbee disk, how he/she will pose once a dog starts pursuing the disk, and where a dog should stay before jumping. It isn’t an easy task to achieve the max athletic expressiveness on the first try, so all participants of the process should understand it.
Undoubtedly, producing Dogs in Action requires great patience. Claudio Piccoli always repeats that “Dogs are not machines or models we can pay to do something, and every dog and breed is different!” However, these differences are worth capturing no matter how challenging the process is.
In addition to taking dog images, Claudio likes sharing this knowledge with like-minded colleagues who are just learning the ropes of this genre. He claims that dog photography is actually a whole world with its many pleasant moments, as well as tough challenges. Fortunately, if you are well aware of all intricacies, you can successfully handle them.
Claudio Piccoli photographer partakes in photography workshops all over the globe. He has organized over 50 training sessions in Europe, Scandinavian countries, America, and Canada. Besides, he offers private coaching and mentoring.
He creates workshops for photographers with different expertise – from novices to experts. Claudio feels it right to dwell on his professional experience, how he approaches a photo session, what equipment he uses, what his favorite shooting techniques are, how photographing outdoors and indoors differ, and what proper image editing is. Currently, he is preparing workshops in South Africa, the United States, and Germany.
You can get an insight into his photo editing routine by reading his book called “Personal Workflow 2022”. It is like a step-by-step guide to dog image processing in Adobe Photoshop. Claudio shows how he improves dog pictures and these methods will also work well for shots of other animals.
This book sums up his experience of using Ps for photo processing. While teaching students, he discerned what problems they usually face and how they can solve them. Collecting all such cases, he turned them into a great manual that can come in handy for rookie photographers, as well as enthusiasts and even experts.
Of course, there are lots of books on photo editing out there but few of them are so detailed. Reading Claudio’s book, you can grasp his photo editing process blow-by-blow. There are 80 pages in the book, each shedding light on Claudio’s unique approaches to improving dog photos and preserving the quality of shots at the highest level. Besides, he explains to readers what settings to choose to so, posting on social networks, marketing campaigns, etc.
Claudio likes having his favorite camera bodies and lenses at hand, so his camera bag is usually large and heavy even if he has to carry it on its back high in the mountains. He mainly uses 2 cameras - Nikon Z9 and a Nikon z6II (backup for landscapes with wide lenses). As for lenses, Claudio prefers Nikkor 300mm f/2.8, Nikkor 200mm f/2.8, Nikkor 105mm f/1,4.
Claudio Piccoli is a proponent of moderate photo editing. He usually takes lots of photos to capture that unbridled dog’s joy and enthusiasm when catching a frisbee disk.
Some images are fantastic as they are but most shots will benefit from slight editing. This mainly refers to tweaking colors and removing distractions instead of applying overlays and changing the background. Claudio recommends perceiving photo editing as makeup applying – it is OK when used properly but can totally ruin a native beauty if you go overboard with it.
In addition to winsome and powerful dog photos on Claudio’s official website, you can keep tabs on his activities on Instagram. There he shares not only dog images but also personal photos from trips, family shots, and behind-the-scenes from projects in which he takes part. Moreover, you can learn info about upcoming workshops and some tips on choosing equipment.
