10 Pet Photography Tips You Can Apply Right Now

If you’re looking for more ways to tell her that you care, why not start giving her the attention that only photography can bring?
Pet photography can be a wonderful hobby, and getting started might be easier (and more fun!) than you think.

Here are 10 non-technical tips that anyone can use right now, with any kind of camera:

1. Be Patient.
If you’re new at pet photography, it won’t necessarily be easy at first. Don’t try to rush or force things. Just wait for the right situations to come to you, and you’ll have excellent results when you least expect them!

2. Schedule for success.
For formal portraits, it will help if you schedule your shoots during times when your pet is calm or tired. This might entail planning the session for after she’s been running around and her energy has been spent. And for successfully capturing her most energetic moments, take pictures right as she’s first entering the dog park and has the most energy!

3. Go for “personality” shots.
Is your pet known for being thoughtful? Playful? Sleepy? Cautiously suspicious? Catch her with a look that perfectly sums her up and makes everyone say, “Oh my gosh! That is JUST LIKE Princess to be giving that expression!”

4. Put her in the best light.
Although it’s not always easy to be outside in the cold winter months, sunlight is often better than a flash whenever possible. Flashes distract (and sometimes scare) pets. They also produce red-eye, which means you need to spend extra moments editing their eyes afterwards with software.

5. Get down to her eye level.
When you’re taking a picture that looks down on her, there’s often a sense that you’re just too far away from your pet. Also, the top-down view can look a bit cold. Eye-level shots achieve more of a loving portrait look that most pet owners are after.

6. Go for candid shots.
You know she’s going to do something cute or funny at any moment, so spend some time aiming your camera at her until you see it! You can’t go wrong by catching her in a yawn, bark or meow. Take as many shots as you can, capturing her best moment-to-moment actions in the act.

7. Involve people
Pet-and-people interaction always makes for a fun and loving picture. Experiment with shots that are planned and posed, as well as pictures of the candid moments.

8. Never lose focus of her eyes.
With people and pets, subjects with sharp, well-focused eyes show the most expression and personality. Your pet’s eyes can reveal an amazing amount of love, happiness and curiosity, so remember to take them into consideration.

9. Catch her in everyday playful motion.
To guarantee a wonderful picture every time, you can’t go wrong with animals in action – no matter what the breed or species. For excellent action shots, always have your camera handy when she’s doing what she loves best: Playing!

10. Spark cats’ interest with toys and laser pointers.
To quickly get cats to gaze at a certain direction or become instantly active, some pet owners break out the big guns: laser pointers and other curious objects! You know what works well with your pet, so do the things that pique her interest and create some photo magic!