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As a family we always had pets. As an adult I find that there is an art to taking a photo of house pets. Here are a few tips to get better pictures of your sweeties.
Get down low
Get down to the animal's level. They don't like being towered over, and the shot will probably be nothing more than its back.
You can get really comfy lying low and resting the camera on the ground, maybe throwing the grass or carpet out of focus. Also, the animal might not see you and on a long lens this could be excellent for capturing a great shot.
Talk to the animals
I pride myself on my purring technique. Less so my bark.
Stroke them and make them like you. Some animals love being stroked under the chin or the back of the ear. With a cat, if you hear a purr you know it's a thumbs up, with a dog it's usually a roll onto the tummy.
Think about your smell
If you smell of something they either love or hate, it will keep them interested. I'm not suggesting you roll in chicken fat – but a hint of cat nip can work wonders.
Have some treats ready
Even X Factor dogs have their eye on the biscuit pocket. My neighbour's cat Olive loves Whiskas chicken temptations. Our old cat Big Grey loved Whiskas munchies, and would run from a great distance if he heard the box shake. Bizarrely not mice – leave that for snakes.
Shoot with a neutral background
Keep it as uncluttered as possible. Gentle blues and greys usually work best. Avoid white with a black animal as it will cause underexposure. And vice versa with a white animal – don't use a black background.
Get the eyes sharp
Even though you can't say "eyes to me please", it's important to get the eyes sharp. They are, after all, the windows to the soul and animals are meant to be in tune with everything. Can't they predict an earthquake? Don't use flash as it will scare the animal and also give a demonic green colour to the eyeball. if you absolutely have to use flash then use it off-camera at an angle of approximately 10 degrees.
Work to the animal's schedule
Don't even think about making them do something they don't want to do. Try to catch them when they are most relaxed, probably when they're sleeping. But remember, even David Beckham looked boring while he was filmed sleeping so don't go mad. When the animal wakes up, catch it stirring and then stalk it to get a bit of action.
Play games with your pet
If I was a cat I would want to be my brother's. His cat has more toys than Hamley's, mostly handmade. Equally my friend Jonathan takes his dog rabbiting. Is that fun or just poaching? Try deploying a friend as pet wrangler so you can concentrate on getting the picture.
Think about abstract shots
Close-ups of noses, parts of ears, whiskers, paws. A collage could be fun.
Avoid shutter speeds under 1/125
Keep the speed quick – unless your pet is sleeping, and then you could shoot down to a 15th if you have a steady hand. Animals move quickly and you will need to avoid blur. If it's an action shot you are after, try a variety of shutter speeds. Panning with the animal as it runs could be good. I found using my 24-70mm lens worked well. It gave me the facility to go in close or capture most of the animal.
Blog Credit:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2010/jul/29/camera-club-pets-photography-tips
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