Presented as part of the Animals, Plants and Nature Week on deviantART

Animals have long held a fascination for photographers. While luck can play a part in taking a successful animal photograph, knowledge of animal behaviors is essential, as are patience and perseverance. When the opportunity for a good shot arises, you should be prepared to act quickly. The most readily available animal subjects for photographing are, of course, our pets. Many people regard their pets as part of the family. Those furry, feathered, and scaled friends that share our homes are apart of our lives, so it is not surprising that owners often want an animal portrait and that this is a popular area of photography.

The main difficulty is persuading the animal to stay still long enough to be photographed. Since our pets can’t speak, it’s near impossible to communicate to them that you’d like them to sit for a portrait. So, unless your camera looks like a bowl of kibble, they are not going to pay attention to it. Most pets, especially dogs and cats are not at all camera shy and you will be able to move in much closer. Try for portraits that show your pets facial expressions and remember that shots taken from the animal’s eye level usually works better than one taken from a standing level. Dogs are your best bet for a formal portrait candidate, as they will tend to ‘stay’ for a longer period of time. If you want the animal to look directly into your camera, try snapping your fingers in front of them or by using something to catch their attention, bells, feathers, string or pet toys may help. Other pets are trickier to photograph and its best to just try and catch them when they are in the middle of doing something interesting. Be prepared to take a lot of pictures and select the best shots afterward.

Deciding on a Setting
The controlled environment of an indoor setting is ideal if you want a detailed, well-illuminated and carefully composed image of your pet. However, you may be working with an animal that you do not know, make sure the owner is present and the animal is well trained and not of a nervous condition.

For more informal photographs you can choose an outdoor location. Depending on the animal being photographed, your backyard, a local park, or a beach would all make perfect settings. I achieve my best animal (pet) photographs just by letting the animal be their usual unpredictable spontaneous selves.

Below are some fine examples of Pet Portraiture I’ve found browsing the APN galleries:

Cats:


Dogs:


Helpful Tips When Photographing Pets:

* Be ready to react quickly to the animals’ changeable and unpredictable moods.
* Using an auto focus setting, you can give your complete attention to the animal.
* Use a long-focus zoom lens when outdoors to take many shots in rapid succession.
* Animals can be very difficult to photograph in an unfamiliar environment and may need to be restrained. A large dog can be a danger to those around if it becomes frightened and it could also damage your equipment.
* Shoot full length portraits to show off the animals’ stance and facial expression, as well as any distinctive markings or coloring.
* For an endearing image try focusing in on the animals face, shoot close-up portraits to capture the animals’ unpredictable moods and changing facial expressions.
* Composition is important, put some thought into your surroundings and photograph. If you find cluttering or distracting elements in your outdoor or indoor settings change your perspective and angles, don’t be afraid to move around with the animal.
* Once you decide on the location of your photo session, if it is indoors remember to get rid of clutter – stray magic markers, dirty socks, human limbs, things that distract and do not add to the story behind the photo. Outdoors, watch out for lawn furniture, stray toys and other debris that can complicate your background.
* Respect your pet's personality when taking a photo just as you would for a human subject, if they are uncomfortable dressed in some zany costume or made to do something out of the ordinary you're not going to get a natural expression.
* Have your photograph tell a story. Follow your pet's thought process by seeing the subject's point of view; this can give you an extra creative spark which will lead to better photographs.
* Don't forget the treats and the props. Treats are tools of the trade, this can work especially well when photographing people with pets.
* Study your pet, if you want to take a funny photograph, the key is in the behavior. What do they do to entertain themselves? Do they adopt the same habits and patterns of behavior as their owners?
* Something else to consider when photographing pets, unlike us humans, they are unable to perform a ‘make-up check’ so please help them out by having tissues or special pet wipes ready to keep those mouths, noses, eyes and ears debris free. In most cases, but not all, the one element that can blow a great pet portrait is an unclean animal.


This News article forms part of the Animals, Plants and Nature Week on deviantART

The main APN Week Diary will be updated regularly as the week progresses


Take care and Thank you.
^SheTakesPics
Gallery Director for
Animals, Plants and Nature