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LOCATION Consider the background. You don’t want your backgrounds to be distracting from your photograph. Often the best locations are the plainest. Look for a large patch of green grass, blue sky, a well lit room with light colored walls. Think about where the dog will be comfortable and at ease and not distracted by new or loud noises. Familiar places are ideal. 
 VANTAGE POINT If you are looking down at an animal, they need to be looking up at you. Try getting down to their level. You want them eye to eye with the camera. Getting down on your pets level means you enter their world and get a glimpse of what life looks like from their point of view. You will be amazed by the results as they are so much more personal and have a real element of intimacy.  
LIGHTING You are looking for a well and evenly lit location. Open shade works great or an evenly lit room. Try to avoid harsh shadows with very bright highlights. If your outside try to put the sun behind you but be careful that you don't cast a shadow on the dog. Side light is also really nice and can create a bit of drama. Good light is what makes any photograph great. Natural light is the best option so where possible take photos outside. If you are inside try and shoot in a well lit window. I wouldn’t recommend using a flash as can distract dogs and sometimes frighten them  MIX IT UP Just like taking portraits of people, dogs look totally different from different angles and framing them in a variety of ways can bring out different perspectives in your photos. In your photo shoot take some tightly cropped facial shots, focus in on single features like eyes, noses, ears. But also make sure you take three quarter body shots as well as full length shots. In this way you end up with a series of shots that give your photos a full perspective on who your dog is. FREEZE THE ACTION Many dogs present a huge challenge to photograph because they are so active. The key with any subject that’s on the move is to freeze their action by using a fast shutter speed. Most digital cameras will allow you to shoot in fully manual mode. Alternatively you can work in shutter priority mode where you set the shutter speed and the camera automatically does the rest by picking a good aperture to work with your shutter speed. Once you’ve got your shutter speed nice and fast make sure your camera is always at the ready so you can anticipate the action of your dog. You might also want to consider shooting in continuous or burst mode to take a quick series of shots in a row. This can lead to a wonderful sequence of shots that work well as a series.   I am very pleased to be working with No Dogs Left Behind. NDLB is a global animal rescue organization that engages every stage of rescue, from emergency response to final adoption through international alliances and engaging local resources.
I am in the process of redesigning and optimizing their website, running an online fundraising campaign and managing the social media marketing. I feel passionate about animal welfare and have been involved with animal rescue my entire life so this work is a perfect fit for me. And I absolutely love dogs. No Dogs Left Behind is an awesome organization that has rescued hundreds and hundreds of dogs from the dog meat trade in China. They rescue and then give the emergency and long term medical care and love the dogs need to survive. They operate two shelters in China and they rehabilitate the dogs and raise funds to fly them to the USA where they find them adoptive homes. It is an incredible undertaking and they work with such compassion and tenacity. www.nodogsleftbehind.com I am proud to announce a recent website launch for Galas For Charity Magazine, a stunning magazine that supports the charitable work of South Florida Non Profit Organizations.   Facebook is still the king of social media and the chances are that your current and prospective donors are regularly using Facebook.
Fundraising with Facebook is one of the most untapped online fundraising ideas, and it’s really simple. Capitalize on Facebook’s popularity by fundraising directly on your nonprofit’s Facebook page. Very simply you can add a donate button, which links to your donations page on your website. Or you can utilize the Facebook Fundraising Tools which is a digital payment system that allows a 2-tap giving by using a donor's saved credit card from their Facebook account. We have entered a new era in online and mobile fundraising. If donors understand how the technology works and become comfortable with it then there will be a shift away from donating via the nonprofit's website. Its certainly a hassle free and quick mobile way of donating to your favorite charity. We live in such a mobile age, where almost everything can now be done from your smart phone while waiting in line at the grocery store. It is a radical change in the way we can digitally transfer cash payments. I find myself thinking about how I can use this new technology to help nonprofits process donations better. Due to Facebook’s new Fundraising Tools, we can now track exactly how much funds are raised from Facebook and two-click, password-protected or fingerscan “Pay with Facebook” buttons on our websites, in text messages and mobile apps. The new tools are only available to 501(c)(3) nonprofits located in the United States and you must complete a three-step application process. Many nonprofits, charities, and NGOs located outside of the United States are frustrated that most new online fundraising tools are not available to them. I am told that it is due to a lack of an international database of verified nonprofits. The Facebook vetting process is made possible by GuideStar – a database of verified nonprofits operating in the United States. There are currently efforts underway to rectify this issue and to build an equivalent database on an international level. That said, for nonprofits in the United States who want to use Facebook’s new fundraising tools, your nonprofit must complete a three-step application process. Read more by clicking on this link Charitable Giving on Facebook
We specialize in building non profit websites which need to offer more than your typical business site. A non profit’s website needs to make it easy to find out more about the organization's mission, how to donate money, and how to become more involved.
The website needs to make contacting your organization simple for all those who wish to connect on a deeper level. And it needs to do all this in a way that’s inviting to the organization’s targeted donors and volunteers. The most important information visitors need to know, is your organizations purpose. Visitors need to know why you exist. It is best to have a concise and clear statement on your home page that also links users to a page dedicated solely to your mission. Your cause is moving, and your mission is exciting. But now, what can your supporters do to help? Make sure you make it clear for your visitors both what they can do, and how to do it. Providing multiple means of contact makes it easier for volunteers to get in touch, so include an email address, phone number, and a web contact form if you can. One key to creating a great non profit website is making your site donor friendly. Non profit organizations cannot succeed without the generosity and support of others. And in today’s internet era, a huge chunk of donations are going to be made online. So your website can be a great place to solicit donations, especially from new donors. It can also make it easier for recurring donors to make additional donations. In either case, you want it to be a simple and straight-forward process for people to give you money. And be sure not to limit the ways your supporters can donate. Provide the option for both one-time and monthly donations, as well as clear instructions for those who want to donate by mail. Here are a few keys to creating a successful website:
Must be built to be fully responsive on all devices
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Author
Heidi Marie Grassley |
