5 Top Tips for Photographing Your Pet

5 TOP TIPS FOR PHOTOGRAPHING YOUR PET

If you are familiar with pet photography, then you probably know that various challenges need to be overcome to get the perfect shot. People share a deep relationship with their pets, which unfortunately is not accurately portrayed unless the photographer is an expert with the camera, and even then the result is not guaranteed. Most of the time, pets seem far too aware of the camera being there, especially dogs due to their natural curiosity and desire to smell everything..

To bring out the true nature of your favourite pet, be it a cat, dog, rabbit, horse, or any other animal, you need to keep in mind certain things that should be of great help.

These 5 tips come courtesy of The Canvas Factory

Top tips for photographing your pet

1. Get down and dirty: Every professional photographer who has dealt with pets knows the importance of focusing on eyes. Don’t be afraid to get down on the ground and put yourself at the eye level of your pet to get the perfect focus that will add intimacy to the final frame. Change your camera focus settings from auto to single point to perfectly concentrate on the eyes and bring out the subject’s real expression.

A great example of shooting at your pet’s height – from The Canvas Factory

2. Adapt to your pet’s personality: If you have ever attempted capturing your pet on a picture, then you already know that it is tough to make them pose. What you’d want to do is begin by taking candid shots as your pet goes about their daily life. If you think about it, some of the best photos come out when the live subject is unaware. You need to think ahead of the photo shoot and keep some toys and treats in handy to make them act in a certain way.

A candid shot when your pet is just enjoying life can often give the best results – smh.com.au

3. Expect the unexpected: When working with pets, very few things go according to plan and you would have to improvise depending on the situation. Based on your pet’s personality, you can photograph them in different moods; for example – if you have a playful and hyperactive dog, the best pictures you can take may probably be when they are chasing squirrels in the park or playing fetch.
4. Experiment with all have angles: Similar to humans, pets also look different from different perspectives. So the last thing you would want to do is be boring when framing your furry subject. Don’t shy away from experimentation, invest time and effort in focusing various body parts of your pet from different angles to get a complete range of images that truly capture your pet’s personality. Noses, ears, and eyes especially are right focus points that can give you stunning shots.

Don’t be afraid to experiment, like this shot focusing on the left paw with the face slightly out of focus – DailyMail

5. Use proper gear and lighting: Having the right photographic tools and appropriate lighting is of the essence when it comes to photographing pets. Bright natural lights are an all-time favourite that you can use to your advantage to click magnificent quality shots. Since lighting is responsible for lending different moods to pictures, it is advisable that you think about what kind of image you would want to capture. But be careful not to use the default Flash because it may scare your pet.

These are a few simple but crucial tips that you should keep in mind before setting up the next photo shoot.

This article is courtesy of The Canvas Factory.