HOW TO PHOTOGRAPH PETS

We all like to photograph our pets and taking professional looking portraits need not be as complicated as we are sometimes led to believe. The good news is that you will not need loads of expensive equipment, but you will need plenty of patience and a good set of knees!

EQUIPMENT

Unlike many photographic applications pet photography does not require specialist cameras or lenses. Any good quality camera whether it be digital or film based should be capable of producing stunning pet portraits. Obviously, you will not get the same results from a £4.99 throw-a-way camera, as you will a top of the range SLR. Some of the lower spec compact cameras will restrict you as far as studio based work is concerned but to be truthful pet photography is all about capturing the character and personality of your pet and not getting bogged down with technology.
All animals have what is known as a "fear circle", this is what we call our "personal space". If you are planning to photograph someone else's pet or one that is nervous, to help avoid invading this space and upsetting the animal a zoom lens with a focal length of between 35-80 mm is ideal. One thing to bear in mind when photographing dogs is that staring at a canine can be perceived as being threatening, and the glass of a lens can look like a huge eye. One way to get over this problem is to keep lowering the camera away from your face until the dog relaxes and during the session keep reassuring the animal.
Empty crisp packets, squeakers, rattles and even bits of string all help to get that classic cocked head and alert look that is so important in pet photography.

ACTION OR PORTRAIT

High action pet photography really belongs to mans best friend, the dog and to get that once in a life time image you will need to perfect a technique known as "panning". It helps if you can get a handler to throw a ball for the dog to chase, make sure it is running parallel to your position. Stand with your legs slightly apart, swivel from your hips and follow the dog in the view finder as it tries to catch the ball firing the shutter button at the same time. Try changing the shutter speeds to vary the amount of motion blur that is captured. This technique does take some practice…. but it will be worth it.
If you want to take straight portraits think about the kind of life your pet leads and try to include some of its surroundings to show the animal in context. As with all types of portraiture the eyes should be the main point of focus, and with smaller pets this will mean you getting on your knees or even down on your stomach to get to the animals eye level.
Mini pets such as gerbils, hamsters, rabbits and guinea pigs can all be photographed on the dining room table (make sure they are watched all of the time) Simple sets can be made from dried leaves and pieces of drift wood or even a desert scene can be created from a bag of sand and a few cactus seedlings.
One final thing to remember is that the welfare of your pet has to be paramount and no photograph is worth causing any creature unnecessary stress.

10 TRICKS OF THE TRADE FOR PHOTOGRAPHING PETS

1. Use a zoom lens with a focal length of between 35-80 mm.
2. For simple straightforward portraits keep the sun over your shoulder to help put catch lights in the animals eye.
3. Keep sessions short. Pets are like children they soon become bored.
4. Use squeakers, rattles and empty crisp packets to get that classic cocked head look.
5. When taking pictures of dogs jumping, pre-focus on the jump.
6. Practice and perfect the panning technique…it will be worth it.
7. Try making mini sets for mini pets. Check out the local library for some ideas on making the sets look natural for the relevant pet.
8. Cats do not like formal portraits; adopt a "stalk and shoot" technique as they wander around the garden.
9. If you are serious about pet photography get a good book on animal behaviour and read it!
10. Remember in the case of pet photography, practice definitely makes perfect.