Fun ideas for taking great pet photos
If you have tried to take a snap of your pet, you would know its quite challenging. Pets get distracted easily, and unless they are trained to pose, they generally don’t follow ‘instructions’ - after all that’s the fun part in having a pet – they love you, but never listen to you!
But it is possible to take a lot of fun photos of your adorable pet with a few tricks.
Here are some simple tips that you can use for your next pet photo shoot.
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Choose the best possible light source:
Always try to take pet photos under natural sunlight – but also remember avoid direct sunlight to light up the subject. If it’s not possible to take them outdoors, place them near a large window or an open door. Choose your angles such that there is good light on the subject and a fine backlight. But keep an eye on background and exclude distracting objects from the frame.
The use of flashlight is not advisable for pet photography, as they get distracted or frightened by the lighting. Besides that, the flash can distort the real colors as well as the natural textures and shining on the fur. The sharp shades that flashlights make can also be avoided. Another issue with using flashlight is red eye. But if your pet’s color is black then flash can be used sparingly.
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If the use of flashlight is unavoidable and your pet is familiar with lighting, consider bouncing the flashlight off the ceiling or walls. The bounce lighting technique helps you to avoid distracting shades and it helps you light up the surroundings.
Focus on the eyes:
Since most pets keep moving around, it’s a challenge to focus on their unpredictable movements. So always have your camera focused on the eyes and click when you get an eye contact. A pet photo with eye contact is more interesting. By this method you have a better chance of avoiding blurry eyes in the photo too.
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Capture the mood:
If your pet is very lazy on the day of your photo-shoot and wants to spend its time yawning and sleeping, let it do what it wants to and wait for the best moments. Take them to their favourite places and take photos there. Ever seen your pet in pensive mood and stay poolside, just to gaze at the blue waters? Rush for your camera when s/he does that the next time.
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Show the personality:
Each pet has its own personality that sets it apart from other animals. Being your pet means you would know its daily routine or quirky and fun things that your pet regularly does. For example, if you have trained your pet dog to carry newspaper every morning to your bed, that’s a good point to take a snap.
Choose the right location:
The preferred location for a pet photo-shoot is outdoors, where you have the advantage of natural light. Take your pet to the lawn and ask your kid to pamper them or play with them. You just have to watch them play through the viewfinder and click at the right times.
Get down to their level:
As most of the pets are smaller in size, shooting them from a higher angle, i.e. at your height, won’t look good. So, get down on your knees to have your camera at their eye level – this helps to get a view of your pet from their perspective.
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Use props:
Props can be used to set the theme for your photo session or to make pets play, which helps get them into their natural mood. But make sure that the props you use are appropriate and make a positive impact. For example, how about taking a shot of your dog playing football on your lawn?
Get closer:
Move close and click a lot of close-up photos. Try taking some shots with a telephoto lens as well. Keep in mind that with a telephoto lens, the details you get with it would be minimal. But in some cases, a minimal depth of field has an effect of focusing on the eyes.
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Freeze the action:
A variety of techniques can be used to record the action. Imagine your dog is jumping to catch a bone; use a combination of slow shutter speed and flash (set the camera for flash light). Pan the camera towards the direction of action and click. You will get a nicely lit-up and sharp photo with some blurred portions, which indicate the ‘action’.
Take candid shots:
Click when your pet is completely unaware of your moves. Different animals behave differently during photo shoots and if your pet gets uncomfortable in front of the camera, this is the right technique for you. Having a telephoto lens will be an added advantage in such situations.
Some pets enjoy themselves anyway so its okay with them, and they might even get close and play around with the camera which also results in some interesting shots.
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Use the Timer:
When are your pets the happiest? – when they are with you! So set the timer on your camera and go play with your pet. You can also use this chance to hold your pet in place or keep him or her interested till the photo is taken.
Bonus: You will end up looking quite happy and natural too. 
Keep on experimenting:
Keep on experimenting with different angles, light, locations and lenses. For example, close-up photos of pets using an ultra wide-angle lens give you a nice, funny perspective.
Also read
Capture beautiful images from everyday life with candid photography
Fun ideas to take great photos of children