7 Secret Pet Photography Tips for Beginners

Hello pawrents, here's our secret sauce of the day - pet photography tips! Most of the time, our pets are just naughty children who are seeking our attention. They would do anything to get you looking at them. And sometimes, you would feel it’d be a waste to not capture their cute antics. You would just grab a camera and start snapping photos of your pets. Although they would make a great photographic subject, photographing your pets would be problematic. Your furry kids are often curious and it’s their nature to drive them to come up and sniff your lens. It’s pretty hard to get them to stay still and pose. They aren’t like us- not a “Say Cheese” could get everyone posing for your camera. Hence, photographing your pets could be a real challenge if you’re not ready. So, here are 7 essential pet photography tips for beginners to get you started:  

1. Get A “Squeaky” Assistant

If you want to get a shot of your furry friends looking straight at the camera, make sure to get yourself a toy beforehand. Now, use the toy to attract their attention by placing it behind your camera so you could get them looking in the right direction. You could also do this if you’re going for a more candid shot at your pets by simply placing in any direction you want them to focus on. However, be sure to fire the shutter as soon as possible as they will soon get bored of your attention-seeking trick.  

3. Patience is the Key

As much as you want to wait for the perfect moment, you need to have a good degree of patience. Photographing pets is almost the same as photographing children. Pets will not likely to look at you and wait for you to take a winning shot. They are fast and unpredictable! Prepare yourself to spend some time working to get the best shots. If your four-legged friends do not have a long attention span, try to work in short bursts. This could give you and your pets a break in between.  

4. Treat your Model!

Having an animal as your photographic subject might be difficult to get the shots you desire. Not only you need to be patient with your furry friends, make sure to treat your pets at regular intervals. Throughout the shoot, give them something to encourage them to cooperate or reward them if they did a good job at cooperating. You can check out our products here that might do just the trick- Happi Doggy Dental Chew Treats which is specially designed to combat dental and oral issues; CIAO Churu Cat Treats, a premium lickable treat that helps to reduce urinary tract infection (UTI). These treats could do as a reward for your furry friends and provide health benefits at the same time!  

4. Shoot at Eye Level

Not yours but theirs! Shooting from your pets’ eye level is a better approach to get the shots that you want. If you are photographing your pets from your eye level, you will be looking down at them, and yet, it would only make your subject appear smaller than it already is. By all means, sitting, kneeling, or however awkward the positions may feel, this perspective would guarantee you with better shots.  

5. Take Notice of Your Backgrounds

One of the most useful pet photography tips I learnt is that it is best if you could find a neutral background to minimize the distractions to make your photos look great. Try avoiding trees, messy rooms, or crowded areas as your backgrounds.  This could cause your overall photo composition to be a little chaotic and your pets to lose the spotlight.  

6. Fast Shutter Speed/ Sports Mode

It is best to use fast shutter speed to match your pets’ swift movements as normal shutter speed would only make your photo to become blurry. That’s it if you’re using a DSLR camera but what about smartphone cameras? Normally, most smartphones camera nowadays comes with manual mode, which allows you to change ISO and shutter speed manually. If you’re taking the photos of your pets outdoor, make sure to adjust your shutter speed setting as high as the scenario will allow; if indoor, you will need to use a flash and adjust your shutter speed setting accordingly until you get your exposure right.  

7. Don’t Be Afraid to Take Tons of Photos

Our final pet photography tips - Take as many pictures of your pets as you want! It’s like casting a wide net, in that you will get at least one perfect shot of your furry friends. If you’re using a smartphone camera, it will be much convenient as the camera comes with ‘burst mode’, which allows you to take a lot of photos in one go. For most smartphones, you can hold the shutter button to activate burst mode; if not, check the camera settings to turn it on.  

To Sum It Up

Having an animal as your photographic subject might be difficult to get the shots you desire. You need to be patient with your furry friends and make sure to pay your “model” at regular intervals. Throughout the shoot, give them something to encourage them to cooperate or reward them if they did a good job at cooperating.