Don't try to photograph your dog before he/she has had breakfast/dinner. A pet distracted by
hunger isn't going to cooperate with you.
If you have an energetic pet, tire him/her out first. Go to the park and throw the ball for a while.
Your pet doesn't need to be exhausted just calm and relaxed.
Make sure you're well rested and have plenty of time to take many different shots. Your pet will
sense your impatience and worry they have done something wrong.
Pick a day that has decent weather. It doesn't have to be sunny and 75 degrees, actually overcast
days are great for picture taking. Just no rainy days. But a picture of a soaking wet pet could be a
great portrait. It just depends on what kind of portrait you want.
Don't pose your pet too much. A little bit of staging is necessary but too much makes a portrait
look stale and dull. Try to catch your pet in natural poses. Take candid shots of your pet doing
something it does all the time, i.e., sits crooked, lays on belly with feet out back, etc. You want to
capture your pet being itself.
Face your pet so that it is looking into a light source. If you have a pet with large bulging eyes (pug,
chin, cats, etc.) you can briefly shine a flashlight in his/her eyes to close the pupil. You want to
avoid a picture of your pet with glowing red/blue eyes. You may need to use the flashlight even if
your pet's eyes aren't overly large. It is very important to get an accurate picture showing your
pet's eyes. The eyes are a key element in a good portrait.
You may want to remove any collars, harnesses, or the like before you start shooting. Obviously,
you would only do this if you're in an area that is safe to do so. If your pet has a very obvious collar
mark I can fix the hair in your portrait so it looks perfect. Collars and harnesses can distract the
eye and sometimes introduce an unwanted color into the painting. However, if your pet wears a
collar with special meaning then leave it on.
Shoot your photos at your pet's eye level. If your pet is looking up when you take a picture their
ears fall back in a funny unnatural way and you loose any wrinkles or folds that make your pet look
like itself. If your pet won't leave you alone when you're trying to take photos have someone
distract him without exciting him too much.
Don't try to take all your photos in one day. Take your time and be patient. Plan on one or two
short picture sessions in a day and plan on needing a few days to get your shots. If at any time you
start to feel frustrated and nothing is going right, stop and try again later. Remember, this is
supposed to be fun for you and your pet.
When you are finished shooting your photos take some time to review all your shots. Try to weed
out the bad ones first, photos that are out of focus or obviously unsuitable for a portrait. Next look
for photos that show your pet's eyes, coat texture, coat color the best. If you have a photo you like
but your pet has red eyes you can still use that photo just provide another shot that shows a good
example of your pet's eyes. You'll need to note, on a separate piece of paper, which picture is
showing what. Don't write on the back of the photo itself, ink sometimes shows through. Now go
back and look at the photos you have left, look for shots that are what you would say are "good
photos". You can send me as many photos as you like, the more the better, but in the end only one
photo will be used to represent the actual composition of the portrait.
hunger isn't going to cooperate with you.
If you have an energetic pet, tire him/her out first. Go to the park and throw the ball for a while.
Your pet doesn't need to be exhausted just calm and relaxed.
Make sure you're well rested and have plenty of time to take many different shots. Your pet will
sense your impatience and worry they have done something wrong.
Pick a day that has decent weather. It doesn't have to be sunny and 75 degrees, actually overcast
days are great for picture taking. Just no rainy days. But a picture of a soaking wet pet could be a
great portrait. It just depends on what kind of portrait you want.
Don't pose your pet too much. A little bit of staging is necessary but too much makes a portrait
look stale and dull. Try to catch your pet in natural poses. Take candid shots of your pet doing
something it does all the time, i.e., sits crooked, lays on belly with feet out back, etc. You want to
capture your pet being itself.
Face your pet so that it is looking into a light source. If you have a pet with large bulging eyes (pug,
chin, cats, etc.) you can briefly shine a flashlight in his/her eyes to close the pupil. You want to
avoid a picture of your pet with glowing red/blue eyes. You may need to use the flashlight even if
your pet's eyes aren't overly large. It is very important to get an accurate picture showing your
pet's eyes. The eyes are a key element in a good portrait.
You may want to remove any collars, harnesses, or the like before you start shooting. Obviously,
you would only do this if you're in an area that is safe to do so. If your pet has a very obvious collar
mark I can fix the hair in your portrait so it looks perfect. Collars and harnesses can distract the
eye and sometimes introduce an unwanted color into the painting. However, if your pet wears a
collar with special meaning then leave it on.
Shoot your photos at your pet's eye level. If your pet is looking up when you take a picture their
ears fall back in a funny unnatural way and you loose any wrinkles or folds that make your pet look
like itself. If your pet won't leave you alone when you're trying to take photos have someone
distract him without exciting him too much.
Don't try to take all your photos in one day. Take your time and be patient. Plan on one or two
short picture sessions in a day and plan on needing a few days to get your shots. If at any time you
start to feel frustrated and nothing is going right, stop and try again later. Remember, this is
supposed to be fun for you and your pet.
When you are finished shooting your photos take some time to review all your shots. Try to weed
out the bad ones first, photos that are out of focus or obviously unsuitable for a portrait. Next look
for photos that show your pet's eyes, coat texture, coat color the best. If you have a photo you like
but your pet has red eyes you can still use that photo just provide another shot that shows a good
example of your pet's eyes. You'll need to note, on a separate piece of paper, which picture is
showing what. Don't write on the back of the photo itself, ink sometimes shows through. Now go
back and look at the photos you have left, look for shots that are what you would say are "good
photos". You can send me as many photos as you like, the more the better, but in the end only one
photo will be used to represent the actual composition of the portrait.
| Okay, so this isn't rocket science but I've learned, after many frustrating attempts, a few things about photographing pets. |
| 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. |
| All artwork is for personal enjoyment only and may not be reproduced or used for financial gain. Artist, Kary Kidder, retains full copyright of her artwork. |
| To Contact Kary Kidder: e-mail: onesmugpug@comcast.net phone: 425-413-5032 |
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| Taking Good Pet Photos |
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