Does this sound familiar? You want to capture your pet’s cuteness on camera but by the time you get the camera ready, they’ve turned their head, or left the room! It’s tricky to get your pet to pose for the camera, but with these tips, you’ll capture more of those perfect moments, whether you’re grabbing the shots with your iPhone or a DSLR.
For the best results you’ll want to pay attention to a variety of factors:
Get Eye-Level
You know the eyes are the “windows to the soul” and there’s no doubt that your pet’s eyes hold plenty of expressions. To best capture them, you’ll want to get on their level, so bend down, lie down, or do whatever it takes to capture their mood.
Wait Until They’re Relaxed
It’s tough to take “action” shots, and if your pets are in a playful mood, then introducing a camera may cause even more excitement. If you wait until your pets are relaxed, you’ll have an easier time getting a good shot.
Clean Up Clutter
Sometimes you may be lucky enough to grab the perfect pet photo and then, you realize the background is filled with papers, books, coffee cups, or other clutter that mars your otherwise wonderful photograph.
Grab Their Attention
Since one of the challenges of pet photography is getting your pet to look at you, you can make unusual noises to capture their attention or use an app like Dog Squeaky Toy or Human to Cat Translator, both for iPhone.
Kelsey Uhlinger of Colorado Pet Photography recommends,”Use a treat, toy, or awesome animal noise to draw their attention and be ready to snap the shot!”
Good Lighting
Lighting can make or break a photograph. Your pets will look their furry best in natural light. If you can, capture your pet’s moments when the sun is streaming in a window and lighting up their faces. Whatever you do, don’t have the window behind your pet though because then they’ll be in shadow. If you’re taking photos indoors at night, then turn on extra lights and try to position a lamp in front of your pet so their face is well-lit.
Take LOTS of Pictures
Do you know that National Geographic photographers take hundreds of shots to for everyone that’s published? It’s all about numbers. The more pet photos you take, the more likely you are to have a stellar photograph.
Move Slowly
Often your animals want to go where you go. Take the cat who’s lounging perfectly but when you get up for your camera, she runs into the kitchen to be fed. Move slowly around your pets and you’re more likely to get the shot you want.
Make a Shot List
If you intend to upgrade your pet photography from cute pictures on social media, then you’ll need to act like the pros do and make a list of the shots you want. Do you want to capture Fido in his sit/stay/beg position in the kitchen? Great! Do you want a profile view? Or maybe a photo from a high angle?
No matter whether you’re an experienced photographer trying your hand at pet photography, or a simply a loving pet owner who wants to capture your pet’s personality with snapshots, these are a few tips that will help you elevate your photos.
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