Making It Better: Top Pet Photography Tips And Tricks
The photographers professional make it look easy, but anyone who’s ever tried to photograph an unpredictable animal like a cat or a dog knows it’s anything but. Here are some tips for pet photography Australia that the pros are using to help you get the perfect shot.
Relax, relax. Animals are like little sponges of emotion, and if you’re stressed and anxious, they’ll feel it and get stressed and worried too. A stressed pet can send you the looks of’ ears flattened,” concerned eyes’ that do not translate’ on camera’ well. Remember to have fun with it and take a deep breath!
Work on eyes and expressions. The eyes are the most striking aspect of the face of an animal, so work on the eyes and facial expressions if you want to make very compelling portraits. A well-timed whine puppy (from you) will concentrate on a puppy or curious dog and get them to look at the camera quicker than you might say “woof.”
Stay rid of the first clutter. Before you even take your camera out of your pocket, look around at your shooting location, and first get free of cluttering and distracting objects. Do you want to see in your cat’s photos the empty Starbucks cup on your coffee table? Does the garden hose snake through the grass where you photograph your pet, adding to your images an aesthetically pleasing element? If there is an item in your context that does not enhance your images in any way, either delete it or move to a different spot.
Shoot on their world. While a few shots can be cute looking down at your pet while you’re standing–creating the engaging portraits, the pros are making, shooting down at their stage,’ in their world.’ Practice’ hip shooting’ to put the camera in their world without having to crouch or kneel on the ground.
Be versatile and first spread. If you’ve ever seen a professional pet photographer in practice, you’ll know they’re bending and twisting and turning and crouching and crawling–whatever it takes to get the shot. To get the right structure, be ready to get those muscles to work. Sometimes all it takes for a dog to break their sit-stay is for you to go from sitting to standing, and reaching and leaning is better than making a significant movement that will cause the animal to move from their ideal pose.
Go to the best place for the lighting. Good light is all in photography, especially in pet photography, where it is essential to see the catch-lights in the eyes of the pet (white reflective parts). Avoid taking images in dark rooms or during highly cloudy days. Bright yet diffused light is the easiest way to create flattering pet portraits underneath, so before you even start shooting, look around the area of your subject and figure out where the best bright yet diffused light is; then switch to that spot.
Pay the model. Each animal needs some encouragement during the shooting to pay attention to you; otherwise, they will wander away and become disinterested. The biggest’ trick’ in pet photography is to fool the animal into thinking they make the decisions when it’s you who motivate them to do what you want without telling them so straightforwardly. Be creative when it comes to’ rewarding’ the models, and with great shots, they can reward you and be more friendly as well. And the shoot will be more fun, and it’s meant to be good pet photography!
