How to take Photos of your Pet (a Guide to Pet Photography)
Alison Chinn
Examples of a good reference photo!
Make sure a reference photo has what I call the ‘zoom detail’!
Examples of a bad reference photo…
For taking the best photographs of your pet, here are 6 tips to get the best out of your camera…
PLEASE DO…
Where possible, using natural daylight is key to showing the true colours of your pet. Indoor bulbs can be very yellow and this can make your pet look very orange! Take them outside, or use a large window. never use a flash, as this can frighten your animal and cause red-eye on the photo.
Focus on your pet’s eyes - they are after all the windows to the soul! Get down to their eye-level (sit on the floor if necessary!) it is also very important that your pet feels comfortable with you and the camera, so instead of asking them to come to you or look your way, take the shot where they are comfortable.
To add character to your image, go for a candid option! For example, take your camera with you when you take your dog for a walk - not only will they be basked in natural light, but you can catch them bouncing back towards you or eyeing that rabbit on the trail. Photograph your pet doing what they love best.
Breathe…. and focus! Basic photography means your subject should be in focus (that means you can zoom in on the photo and see individual hairs on your pet). You don’t need a fancy camera to achieve this, as good lighting will do a lot of the work for you - on a phone camera, usually you can ‘tap’ the screen to focus the camera on a specific spot… i.e. your pet’s face!
Take lots of photos! It can be very hard to get your pet to stay still long enough to take a good photo! So take a few photoshoots throughout the day, by catching them in the moment; An easy trick is to let them play or wander quietly… then once you have your finger to the trigger, call them to get their attention; you will have a few seconds to capture them in a nice and alert posture looking directly at you. You can also ask a friend to help you with this!
Have patience! It will likely take a while to get the best photograph. Instead of spending hours struggling, carry your camera with you to strike when the opportunity presents itself! Take lots of pictures at different times of day to change lighting and your pet’s behaviour, then go through the abundance of images later; you’ll bound to have a few golden shots!
PLEASE DON’T…
Take a photograph of a photograph - it’s nearly impossible to take a shot of a printed photo straight on, which means that the image of your pet will be distorted. Glare is also a problem especially when these photos are in a frame or on a computer screen. If you only have printed photos of your pet, you are more than welcome to scan these in or post them to me if you don’t have access to a scanner.
Send me photos of your pet that are blurry, out of focus or just bad quality; unfortunately these are impossible to work from and any portrait created from them will not turn out at the standard I expect of myself. Although it’s not always possible to take new photos of pets (especially if they have passed on) try and dig out the clearest pictures or, take new ones suitable for a portrait.
Ask for portraits of partial photographs, i.e. ears chopped off or missing limbs. I can only draw what I can see, so if your dog is missing his big pointy ears in the photo, I can’t always ‘stitch’ them back in!
Use photographs in bad lighting - indoor bulbs are very yellow/orange and this not only reduces how well your camera can take a photo, but also changes your pet’s fur colours dramatically. Sunsets and bright sunlight from behind the subject can also have this effect by casting strong shadows in the wrong places and changing the true colours of your pet.
Send me unflattering images of your pet! You know the type - when you open your front facing camera at the wrong moment and get shown an angle right up your nostrils. Funny ones are allowed! Or show off how beautiful your pet is with the best ‘portrait’ photos that show off their facial features and amazing colours!
I completely understand that it is not always possible to obtain incredibly high-quality images of your pet, especially if the animal is no longer around. Pleaseget in touch if you’re uncertain whether your photos are ‘reference quality’ and I’ll be more than happy to review them and discuss your options.