You probably have a phone full of adorable pet photos to show to family and friends, but many of them are Instagrammable or worth framing? Organizing a photo shoot for your pet is a bit silly and uncalled for, so owners who just want a good photo of their pet are left empty-handed. But you can get a great shot every time with these simple tricks.
Focus on the eyes
Like with humans, it would be ideal if the “model” looked straight into the camera lens. However, this is next to impossible when animals are involved, since they fidget a lot and it is hard to get their attention. The only periods when they are calm and cooperative enough are feeding time and sleep. However, they don’t strike a particularly good pose at these times, so you are going to have to trick them to look at you. This can be done by placing their favorite toy or something shiny next to the camera so they would focus their attention on it and inadvertently look straight into the lens. This way, you can take photos of their eyes wide open and from a short distance.
Consider the backdrop
The most iconic photos are those that were taken spontaneously but your photo session will be different. Namely, you are the one choosing the time and the place of the photo, so make sure that the background is beautiful enough. The couch is a nice place but outside among the greenery is nicer. Choose a spot during daylight which has the most natural sunlight behind you for that perfect shot.
Get on the same level
Unless you own a supersized Russian wolfhound, you are going to have to bend a little to get the right image. The thing is, we are used to looking down at our pets, so stooping to their level gives us a whole new perspective. For some animals, like the dachshund or a slender cat, you may have to lie down to get the perfect image. In order to get a better angle and exposure, consider signing up for an Adobe Lightroom course with the help of which you will not have to crawl too much to photograph your pet.
Easy does it
Your pet has to been calm while you are taking its photos, so don’t go too hard on them with a lot of commands. In fact, it would be better if you spoke as less as possible, as you want to get them to act natural. This means that you too should act natural, and apart from the camera inside your hand, your behavior should in no way tell that you are about to capture a moment to remember. You need to be patient if you want to get an iconic image.
Just be patient enough, get the angle right, and don’t stop clicking until you capture your pet’s goofiest facial expression.
Emma Williams is an Australian writer with an MBA in Business Administration and a
passion for anything lifestyle related, especially photography.
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