These pet photography tips aim to take the headache out of making beautiful images of your furry friend.
If you have both a camera and a pet, it’s a sure bet you’ve tried to take a few photographs of your beloved pet. But when you’ve done so, you’ve no doubt discovered it’s not always a walk in the park.
Tip #1– Look For Natural Light
The fact is that You can’t beat natural daylight when you really want to show the beauty of an animal. So to look for natural light wherever possible. Indirect sunlight will light up the warmth of their fur and minimize difficult shadows.
Tip #2–Ditch The Flash
Number two of our tips is in some ways an extension of the first – ditch the flash! Not only does on-camera flash almost never do justice to portrait photographs, it’s sure to send your pet into a startled panic. So if you plan on spending more than a couple of moments shooting, look for other sources of light.
Tip #3– Focus On Their Personality
Just like people, every pet has their own personality – but sometimes that quality gets lost in our images. Spend some time thinking about capturing that personality in your image. Set up the situation so that your animal can fell comfortable and do its thing – have something to play with if that’s what he or she likes to do, or toss them a tasty treat. Just be sure to have your camera ready when the moment strikes!
Tip #4– Get Down To Their Level
Although most of the time, your pet is probably running around somewhere near your feet, top-down photographs of a furry back never quite work out. Make sure that you get right down to their level for better angles.
Getting down on the floor and capturing your pet side on is a good way to bring out their character and capture the way they look in all its furry glory.
Tip #5–Think About Practicalities
Pets are often unpredictable – but sometimes they’re more unpredictable than other times. Plan your shoot, and think about timing your session when they’re likely to be at their most docile or helpful.
Some pet photographers prefer to work just after the animal has fed, for example, while others swear by those moments just after waking. You know your pet best, so think about timing your shoot for the most practical time.
And lastly, the main pet photography tip to remember is just to enjoy it – the best images will come when both you and your pet are relaxed and happy.
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