Of course, getting a great photo of your pet is easier said than done. Pets rarely cooperate in front of a camera unless they’re trained to do so. For some animals, just the act of their owners backing away and pointing a weird object at them makes the pet nervous. For others, the flash is harsh on their sensitive eyes and will make them wary of a camera.
The solution to a camera-shy pet is to work with the pet’s energy instead of against it. That usually means taking candids instead of posed shots. Catching your pet at play, on his or her back, or in the act of being spontaneous will lead to a better shot than trying to get the pet to strike a pose.
Something many professional dog and cat photographers think about when taking pet photos is matching the photography image and the setting to a pet’s personality. A dog who loves to chase balls or catch a Frisbee is best photographed in the act – that’s what he’s happiest doing, so the photo will reflect that (as long as you use a camera setting that captures action). A photo of a lazy cat, on the other hand, will probably turn out better if the cat is happily draped in a blanket.
What do you do about eye reflection? Pets’ eyes reflect light, just like humans do, only instead of “red eye” you’ll often notice “green eye” in your pet photos. Since this problem is caused by the camera’s flash, the easiest solution is to shoot a photo without the flash, using available light if at all possible. If you must use a flash, try to angle it away from the eyes. Obviously this is easiest to do if you are not taking the shot straight on – another good reason for a more informal rather than a posed shot. If all else fails, various software programs are available that can help you eliminate red or green eye.
For some excellent tips on pet photography, read this article by Darren Rowse. Then get that camera out, snap a winning shot of your dog or cat sporting a Dog Tag Art tag, and upload it to our site. We even give prizes for the coolest photos!
When you buy a custom pet ID tag from Dog Tag Art, you’re showing off your pet’s style. And we’d love to show off your pet on our website! All you need to do is upload a photo of your dog or cat wearing the tag and we’ll post your supermodel’s picture.
Checkout these great photos we took at the Asheville Humane Society's annual Mutt Strut on October 10th, 2009.
