Outlaw
For this project, I wanted to create a lighthearted take on the expressive portrait by turning my dog into an old western character. Instead of using a traditional human subject, I chose her to explore personality and expression through humor and stylization. The photo of my dog, Nava, actually came from a Halloween marketing shoot I did for one of my sister’s clients, where we had to dress up our animals. I put her in a chair because she genuinely sits at the table like a human, not to eat, but because she wants to be on the same level as everyone else and be included. That behavior already felt so human and expressive that it fit perfectly for this piece.
We dressed her in the hat and bandana for the shoot, but the rest of the details came together through compositing. I photographed my roommate’s worn out cowboy boots at the same angle and added them to Nava’s legs, adjusting the proportions, stretching them slightly, and layering shadows so they looked natural. The cigarette was added afterward to complete the Western feel. Because she has so much curly fur, it was tricky to find where her lip curved up, so I had to blend the cigarette carefully to make it believable.
To add motion, I animated a small puff of smoke coming from the cigarette in her mouth. The movement adds just enough life to the scene to make it feel cinematic while keeping the tone playful. The final composite mixes humor and character, she’s serious in expression but completely ridiculous in concept, which was exactly the balance I wanted.
smoke video: https://www.vecteezy.com/video/68947476-white-background-smoke-flow-abstract
cigarette: https://www.vecteezy.com/photo/11345398-close-up-smoking-cigarettes-in-hand-smoke-spread-with-a-soft-focus
background: gen fill
boots and the dog are photographed by me
One work that stood out to me was Outlaw by Megan. The motion makes the portrait exemplary because it is used sparingly through the use of smoke from the cigarette the dog is holding her mouth. The limited motion with the smoke reflects a level of content in the dog. The composition is exemplary as it reflects a feisty personality of the dog. The dog is personified with the addition of, plate, drink, boots, hat, cigarette, and most importantly, sitting at the table.
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