Pet photography; how to take the perfect picture of your four-legged friend?
Use something to attract attention
When you are alone and want to take pictures of your pet, make sure you have something handy to attract the animal's attention. Think of a favorite (squeaky) toy, snacks or a ball. Suddenly making a sound can also get your pet's attention. However, most pets respond to this only briefly, so have your camera ready.
An extra helping hand can be a solution for pets that are easily distracted. Ask a friend, girlfriend or family member to help you photograph. An extra person can use a toy or some treat to get your pet's attention and even direct their gaze, so you can fully focus on taking fun photos.
Try to capture your pet's character
Every photo tells a story. So the trick is to capture your pet in a way that completely suits its character. Is your pet quiet and likes to nap? Then take a picture of him yawning or sleeping. Is your pet very playful? Then try capturing him running toward you or chasing a toy. This is not to say that you can't take a sleeping photo of a playful dog or cat, but it's fun to try to see if you can capture your pet's character in a photo as well as you can.
Focus on the eyes
"Eyes are the mirror of the soul" is a well-known expression and certainly not untrue; the eyes are important for emotion and facial expression. This also applies to pets. Therefore, always make sure you focus on the eyes.
Play with point of view and composition
Make sure you are not wearing your new or neat clothes, because to take a good photo of your pet, chances are you will be on the ground or on your knees. In fact, the most common thing in pet photography is to take pictures from the animal's eye level. At this height, you can go with the animal's movements. However, don't stick to one point of view. A good tip is to take advantage of space and play with different viewpoints. Alternate with photos at eye level, from a bird's perspective (higher than your pet) and from a frog's perspective (lower than your pet) and you will soon find that this makes for very different photos!
In addition, vary in composition and try looking at your pet differently. For example, zoom in on details (such as an eye, part of its fur, nose or paw) or add an extra element. Sometimes a photo from the most unexpected angle can be the one you are most satisfied with. Creativity is the magic word!
Pay attention to the background
When taking photos, don't forget to look at your surroundings. Are you and your pet not very familiar with photography yet? Then choose to start in a setting where your pet is familiar or let him get used to it before you let him pose. After all, a new environment can be exciting for an animal.
Make sure to take photos in a place with a quiet background so that the focus is on the animal. After all, the goal is to make your handsome four-legged friend pop off the screen! If you are photographing inside, make sure there is no clutter. A busy and cluttered background can be too distracting.
Make use of natural light
While photographing, try to use natural light as much as possible, preferably daylight. Would you like to take great photos outdoors? Then make sure it is not too cloudy (then the photo will be too dark), but also do not photograph in direct sunlight. This creates harsh light and disturbing shadows. Your pet's eyes are often difficult to see and there is also a chance that the fur will be overexposed. Would you like photos in a domestic atmosphere? Then make sure all the curtains are wide open and choose a quiet room with lots of light. This will allow the light to fall nicely on your pet.
Avoid using a flash. In addition to distracting the animal, a flash often creates a reflection on the fur or in the eyes. It is also likely to result in an overexposed photo. And that, of course, is not the intention!
Don't be stingy when it comes to photography
The more photos you take, the greater the chance that the perfect photo is among them. So don't be stingy when it comes to taking photos and cut away; after all, you can always delete any photos that fail or are not to your liking.
Patience is a virtue
The most important thing in pet photography is patience. Animals remain animals: you have no guarantee that they will always do exactly what you ask of them. When you want to photograph your four-legged friend, take your time and stay calm. After all, your (dis)tension will also reflect on your animal. Try to avoid getting frustrated when your dog or cat doesn't want to stay put and do something else, like going for a walk or playing with them. Forcing is not a good idea, so continue at a later time if you or your pet really aren't having your day.
With the above tips, we are sure you will succeed in taking the perfect photo of your four-legged friend. As with many things, but especially with photography, the more and the more often you practice, the better you will succeed. So get started and don't be discouraged if you don't succeed right away. One learns by doing and you will find that it gets better and better. Having fun together and rewarding your dog or cat in between is most important and don't forget: you don't just capture memories, you create them together. Have fun with photography!
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