Lighting Animals in the Studio: A Whole New World of Possibilities

By Richard Wood – Portrait, Commercial and Creative Photographer

When Worlds Collide: People, Light, and Pets

I recently teamed up with the incredible Craig Turner-Bullock from right here in Unleashed Education, to create something I genuinely think has been missing from the photography education space - Pet Lighting Mastery.

It’s all about lighting animals in the studio.

Craig is a true expert when it comes to photographing pets. Watching him handle dogs and cats in the studio was an education in itself. A blend of psychology, patience, and what I’d call a bit of magic.

He’s got an entire arsenal of tricks: whistles, toys, and squeakers combined with a true understanding of behaviour. Some of the transformations we saw in animal behaviour were extraordinary. Dogs that came in excitable or shy suddenly became calm, engaged, and camera-ready.

When Light Meets Fur

Lighting has always been my world - people, portraits, products, and everything in between. But working with animals opened up a whole new set of creative possibilities.

Light interacts with fur in ways that are far more exaggerated than with human skin. Textures pop, contours deepen, and the subtleties of tone and sheen become incredibly expressive.

What amazed me most is how often these results came down to simple adjustments - moving a light slightly closer or further away, changing angles, or altering the spread.

People often get bogged down in distances, watt-seconds, and ratios, but for me, lighting has always been about understanding why something happens - not just memorising measurements. Once you grasp the underlying principles of light, you can shape it to do almost anything, even across a variety of breeds and fur types.

Scout photographed with the 'Vanity Fur' setup

Adapting to the Subject

Of course, there were fascinating challenges. The way animal eyes catch and reflect light differs hugely from breed to breed. Some needed softer, wraparound lighting to reflect their nature, while others thrived under bold, sculptural setups.

That kind of experimentation is what keeps me passionate about lighting - no matter the subject.

3-Point Lighting Setup with Sam the black Lab

Favourite Setups (and Yes, Rembrandt for Dogs!)

In the course, Craig and I built a wide toolkit of lighting setups - from natural and flattering to dramatic and stylised.

Two of my personal favourites are the Vanity Fur and Three Point Lighting setups, both producing beautifully dynamic portraits. But one standout moment was photographing a black Labrador under a custom setup we developed together. The way that dog glistened under the lights was pure magic.

And while it’s often said that “Rembrandt lighting doesn’t work on dogs”… I’m here to say it absolutely does — at least the way we approached it! The results were rich, dimensional, and full of personality. Rembrandt for Dogs!

Rembrandt Lighting with Loki

What You’ll Learn

What I love most about Pet Lighting Mastery is that it’s not just about photographing pets - it’s about understanding light on a deeper level.

Whether you work with people, products, or animals, the principles we share will strengthen the way you see and shape light in your own work.

- Richard

👉 Explore the course: Pet Lighting Mastery