Pet Photography Tips
Photographing pets – by Pet Photography Tips
Most families own a pet of some sort, from common animals like dogs and cats, to
rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters, a parrot or canary, and exotic reptiles and spiders.
The techniques you use will depend very much upon what your subject is. But one
thing all pets have in common is they are not going to sit patiently while you fire
away, so patience and the willingness to adapt are prerequisites to success.
Dogs are highly intelligent pets, and as such very easy to photograph. Most will
respond to a command, so you can usually position them in the right spot and make
them stay put.
Get your dog’s cooperation
To get your dog in a co-operative mood, take it for a walk and let it run around
to burn off excess energy. You can use this opportunity to take some action pictures
— try panning with a slow shutter speed as your subject bounds along, or freeze
it in mid-air as it jumps for a stick. If your dog likes water, let your subject
go for a paddle then photograph it shaking the water off afterwards — a shutter
speed of 1/500 sec or above will freeze the spray.
For posed portraits ask the dog to sit and stay while you back off — taking a companion
along will provide a suitable distraction. A good pet photography tip is tp make
sudden noises, calling the dog’s name or clicking your tongue which will generate
an alert response and add character to your portraits. You can also take successful
pictures of dogs interacting with people — kids and puppies are a perfect combination.
Lens’ for pet photography
Use a 135 mm or 200 mm lens for headshots, and focus on the dog’s eyes. An aperture
of f/5.6 or f/8 will provide enough depth of field to keep the whole of its head
sharp, as well as throwing the background out of focus to reduce distractions.
Photographing Cats
Cats have a mind of their own, so it is almost a waste of time trying to control
them. Kittens can be kept occupied with a ball of wool or a furry toy mouse, leaving
you to fire away from close range with a standard or short telephoto lens. Alternatively,
take your subject into the back garden, stretch out on the ground and photograph
it peering at you through the grass. With adult cats your best bet is simply to
follow them around. Most have a favourite resting place, like the back of the sofa,
the garden fence or a sunny window sill, so you will often find them curled up asleep
— the perfect time to grab a few pictures.
Small Pets
Rabbits and guinea pigs are quite docile, and will stay in position for long periods.
The back garden is again a good place to photograph them because the setting looks
natural. You can also take pictures through the wire mesh of their cage or hutch
— capture them eating, sleeping or scurrying around.
When photographing smaller mammals such as hamsters, gerbils and mice you need the
help of another person, just in case your subject decides to scamper off. You could
take a picture of a mouse curled up on the palm of someone’s hand, for example,
or a hamster sitting on a child’s shoulder. When shooting through the cage bars,
wait for your subject to go to its food box or water bottle.
Cage Birds
Birds are best photographed sitting on a perch rather than behind the bars of a
cage. Position the perch close to a window so the bird is attractively lit, or use
bounced flash for the illumination. Make sure the background is nice and simple
— a sheet of card taped to the wall will do. To get really close and fill the frame
use a macro lens, the macro facility on your zoom lens, or a +3 dioptre close-up
attachment on a 50 mm standard lens.
Here at Pet Photography Tips we hope you’ve enjoyed this article on pet photography.
Why not try one of our other Photography Tips article. Check the menu down the left
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