Give your pet photos a new leash on life!
Get low down and dirty...
Try to take the photo from the eye level of the pet or close to it.
Great Dane owners shouldn't find this too difficult, but the rest of us should get down on the floor, the grass, the pavement or the dirt. Whatever it takes.
"Getting down" is perhaps the most effective way to photograph your pet. Avoid the "Giant's Eye View" unless that's the effect you're going for. (By the way, this approach is also great for taking snapshots of children.)
Mike's dog Yoshi at eye level
...while keeping a clean background!
Whether you are taking photos of your pet indoors or outdoors, take care not to include extraneous elements within the frame of your photograph. Parts of trees, cars, washed out sky, people, bright spots, etc. can ruin an otherwise nice pet photo.
Keep the focus of the image on your pet, and only include those background elements which add something to the overall image or "tells a story".
Also, the further away the pets are from the background, the more you can isolate the pets visually, and the more they will stand out from distracting surroundings. Make your pets "pop"! This can be accomplished by changing your shooting position in proximity to your pet, changing to a different lens/focal length, or both.
Note: I won't make any bones about it: following those first two tips alone (get down at pets-eye level, watch the backgrounds) will improve your pet photography immensely. You're already ahead of the pack!
Take it outside.
Taking pictures of your pet outdoors is often (but not always) the most reliable. Natural light often works out for the best. Indoor flash can be dicey. Flash can create harsh shadows if not used properly. Also, there's the likelihood of "redeye" which some people do not care for.
Sometimes indoor flash is best.
The sun usually shows off the pet's coat the best, and you don’t always have to worry about the harsh sun as you might when photographing people. This works especially well with dark-colored pets. Still, contrast can be a problem if you aren't careful.
Overcast conditions and open shade are great! Take advantage of the soft, diffused lighting of an overcast day when photographing pets as well as people, flowers, and a host of other subjects.
Note: You can take great photos of your pet indoors and with a flash, of course. And sometimes you can get some really cool and humorous shots of your pet with demonic, glowing eyes. Good times.
Does your pet have the blues?
With overcast skies or open shade, your photos will likely take on a bluish color cast.
Here's something a lot of people seem to miss out on:
You can neutralize the cold blue color cast and warm things up a little by
choosing the "cloudy" setting on most digital cameras (check the exposure menu in your digital camera for different scene options). And no, it doesn't have to be cloudy outside for this setting to warm up an outdoor scene. Try it!
Another approach is to use a warming filter in front of your camera lens. Good warming filters come in different strengths, from subtle to Hawaiian Tropic. (Some wildlife photographers shoot with "warm" settings or filters all of the time, regardless of the weather and lighting conditions.)
Catch the gleam in your pet's eye.
An old wildlife photographer's trick is to try to capture a gleam of light in the eye(s) of the animal they're photographing. Known as a "catchlight", this usually results in an overall appearance of the animal having a "spark of life" as opposed to a dull looking "doll's eye". Give it a try. It works!
One more thing about eyes: try to make sure they are in focus. If the eyes are tack sharp, the portait often "works" even if the rest of the pet is not in focus.
A gleam in the eye of a rascal
Try not to "bullseye" your pet every time.
Just a friendly bit of advice: your pet does not always have to be in the center of the frame when you take pictures. This should be your mantra.
This isn't a rule written in stone, and sometimes having your pet in the center of the frame works out wonderfully. It's just something to think about if you find yourself in the habit of "targeting" your pet in a "bullseye" every time you snap a photo.
It can be fun to shake things up creatively by placing your pet off-center, as is often the case with many subjects in photography and painting.
When flattery gets you nowhere, try bribery.
Capturing your pet's attention can be a challenge, but doing so can result in some terrific photos of your pet making direct eye contact with the viewer. On the other hand, candid pet photos often exude a relaxed, "natural" feeling. Which do you prefer?
Graham - a real party animal
(Photo
courtesy of Jennifer Peterson)
If you want the pet to look in your direction or tilt its head or ears for your photo, make sounds. A squeak toy near the lens might do the trick. Often times, your pet will only pay attention for a brief period of time, if at all. So be sure to have your camera ready and be prepared to work fast before your pet decides to look beyond you because you are either annoying or just plain nuts.
On the other hand, if your pet is fiercely strong-willed and independent (as my dog often is) you may have to resort to the granddaddy of all attention-getters: a delicious treat. Wave it around with one hand while looking through the camera. It's amazing how much fun you can have while doing this, although slobber can pose certain problems.
What grabs the attention of your pet?
Don't get hot under the collar.
Whether you are "staging" a posed photo of your pet or pursuing a fleeting moment through candid photography, remember to relax.
I've noticed that pet photography reminds me a little of taking photos of boats in a harbor. They're always moving, drifting, rarely standing still. But if I'm patient, everything will all fall into place, even if only for a brief moment.
Frustration and stress can happen to the best of us. Directors of TV commericals and movies are fond of saying that "children and animals" are the most trying beasties to work with.
Your pet will sense your aggravation, so it helps to have patience and a good sense of humor. If you don’t get the pictures you want, you can always try again some other time. Remember,
this is supposed to be fun!
Put your best paw forward.
Not only is it OK to make mistakes, it's actually a good idea!
You can learn a lot from lousy photos just as you admire the nice ones.
What worked? What didn't?
It's a good idea to take lots of photos of your pets, but it isn't necessarily a good idea to show everyone all of those photos. (Although now that I think about it, this could be a pretty good way to make annoying neighbors or in-laws disappear...)
Become a ruthless editor and select only the picks of the litter.
You know - the best in show.
Panning for gold is one analogy which comes to mind. Or perhaps you are searching for diamonds in the...ruff?
* * * *
Mike Alden is an outdoor & travel photographer based in Brewer, ME.
He seems to have an affinity for lame jokes and is known to be something of a wag.
If you have comments or photos of Paws On Parade that you'd like to share, you can send Mike an email. He won't bite.
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