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Animal’s Perspective

How to Photograph your pet

By Lynn Whittaker
Bow Wow U

It’s no secret that your pet plays a significant role in your family, and why shouldn’t they? They are so human like. They have their own food, toys, bed, likes and dislikes. They are full of boundless energy and the stories we can tell about them can bring a smile to anyone’s face, but the photos we take of them can say a thousand words. No photo album is complete without the family pet. Photographing your pet is a great way to capture your pet’s personality.

There are even some of us who seek professionals to take posed portraits of our furry friends, but the fun lies in capturing those candid and priceless moments that only we are privy to. While hiring a professional can be beneficial, with a lot of patience and some preparation you should be able to achieve good results on your own. The most important tip to remember is to have fun and not to rush. Patience is definitely a virtue when it comes to taking the perfect picture. Capturing the photo is sometimes difficult, as you cannot always get your animal to repeat something, or to even stay still. Regardless of these challenges, taking the time to capture the personality of your pet will be time well spent. You get to spend quality time together and the photos will provide for some wonderful memories to cherish forever. This time of year gives great opportunity for Christmas cards, scrapbooks, and personal gifts, so why not include your pet?

Here are some great basic tips to get you started:

Lighting

Natural lighting is always best. Going outside to take photos gives you the most optimal lighting, but if that is not possible, use a window for the most natural lighting as the next best thing. If you position your pet to the side of the lighting or with the light behind your pet, you can create a nice background, which will diffuse some of the light. You don’t want direct sunlight as this can cause unnecessary discoloring of the photo and it can increase the contrasts in shadows, which will adversely affect your image. Overcast days may be a bit of a drag for us, but when taking photos this creates perfect lighting!

I recommend trying to go without a flash as you may create red eye or unnecessary glares on objects in the photo. An exception to this is for black-coated animals. Using a flash may enhance the sheen of the animal’s coat and bring out those natural highlights.

Posing

Capturing your animal on his or her level always creates the best photo, and I always like to get the photo without them looking at you. Candid shots are often best, unless you are specifically shooting a "head on, eyes looking at you" kind of shot. Try to go to your animal for the shot rather than having them come to you. This keeps them relaxed and creates a more natural photo. Getting on the ground gives a better sense to what their world is like. If you are looking to shoot a full body shot, I recommend shooting from the side as opposed to above.

If you are taking facial shots, I prefer filling the frame with their faces while maintaining sharp focus. Sometimes a three quarter shot, where you shoot an ear and the side of the face going away from the camera at an angle, can be nice shot as well.

Personality

Getting your animal to remain still can be difficult, and sometimes additional help may be needed. Squeaky toys and treats will provide useful distractions as well, and if you are looking to get a full on head shot holding the toy or treat just above the camera will make the image appear as if they are looking directly into the camera. Sometimes silly noises or asking them questions like "wanna go out?" can get them to tilt their heads while looking at you. If your animal is willing and you are looking to photograph a more posed image using props like costumes, sunglasses, hats and other items can make some really funny images.

Now that you have the perfect photo, you have bragging rights and whether you are taking photos for the wall, for a scrapbook, keepsake or for a holiday card, I am certain that your family and friends will enjoy seeing the images that you have personally created.