Nuances Of Pet Photography

Well, everybody knows the win-win step towards the enormous popularity in the Internet. Of course, it’s about animals and especially supercute kittens and puppies. It seems that even the angriest man in the world couldn’t resist the fascination of a little ball of fur. Nevertheless, don’t you realize it is high time to shift your skills from the point of an ordinary pet’s owner to a professional photographer who takes really good pets’ pictures? If so, our article is dedicated to you.

The initial gear necessary for taking a splendid photo consists of a camera and an animal (or animals). That’s all! In fact, the things are not so plain. Surely, you have to improve photographers’ abilities. We go far with some valuable details that will lead you to perfect shots.

Who can resist such cuteness?

Image© liliya kulianionak, Photolia

Ways to get a nice pets’ shot

Natural light is definitely better. The area with lots of light is a perfect place for pets’ photo sessions. That is why shots made in a sunny morning near open windows are preferable. If you take pictures in a dark room you’ll certainly have to use the flash. Artificial light in turn can provoke the effect of animals’ too vivid red or green eyes. Besides, a very bright flash will probably scare your models to death.

If you can’t go without additional light then place its source as far from the camera lens as possible. The power of the nonremovable flash can also be controlled by a piece of paper or thick material accurately stuck to it. Such light diffusion turns out especially useful while taking pictures of fish or reptiles in their glass houses.

The main secret here is that photographers do not need any extra effects or decorations to make a nice shoot. Pets are so cute and beautiful just the way they are, all you have to do is only to switch your camera on and push one button.

Show your love in the photo. There is one fundamental truth of photography: “Photographers need to fall in love with the object of their shooting”. Loosely speaking, only work with passion can bring great results. The ideal story is when your inner warmth and care move to viewers’ hearts by means of your photos. Pets as lovely creatures of nature initially have endless charm. Your task is to transfer it without any losses or wrong interpretations.

Feel the mood. Conform our shooting process to pets’ biorhythms. A big mistake is to annoy and disturb animals in order to find a right pose. Do not interrupt their natural behavior or make any abrupt movement that can alert and frighten them. Just watch for pets silently and let them feel comfortable. Imagine that you are making a portrait of a beautiful man or women and try to emphasize the unique characters of your model finding his/her peculiar poses.

Every cat has a personality of its own, so let the viewers of your photo see and feel it

Image© Africa Studio, Photolia

Catch the right moment. Your puppy is very joyful and playful? It’s marvelous! The fluffy cat lies all day long on cozy furniture? It is great as well. Let the pictures reflect their individuality, but in such a way that they stay unaware of your work (yes, we recommend you to act like a paparazzi). Remember: they do not even suspect about your goals and will hardly pose for the camera. So let them be exactly themselves on your photos (we mean put the cat back on her favorite armchair and keep playing with the hyperactive dog).

One exception still exists. When everything is ready for shooting, your or somebody from the other room can call the pet. This will surprise him/her and photographer get a dramatic image. However, we remind you one more time: do not force animals to take actions unusual for them.

Look after the background. Green grass and colorful flowers suit such kind of photo session perfectly. If you are working indoors, prefer one-color light or dark tones of background. Additional details may divert the attention from pets.

Go down to their level. Lie down on the floor or put your knees on the ground and come closer. Then you’ll be able to see the world from their angle of view and share this knowledge with the world. Of course, for close portraits you need to have the high level of pets’ trust. But eventually your pictures become more private and intimate.

Other recommendations are also applied; we try to gather the most obvious and useful. To sum up the information given above: love pets, respect their uniqueness and capture the highlights of their wonderful lives. Good luck and never stop protecting your masterpieces by adding a watermark to photos!