As with the photos of your children, it is always fun to photograph pets, to be able to put the shots on social networks, print them or share them. Here is a guide on how to take great photos to make your pets look even more beautiful. Still or moving, animals are ideal subjects for photographs. Follow the advice in this guide and your pet's photos will be true masterpieces.
Steps
Step 1. Always have a camera with you
It sounds obvious, but it isn't. Many people do not immortalize precious moments because they do not have a camera with them when they are in the company of their pets. Also, if your pet is used to the camera, they will focus more on doing nice things, rather than on the car itself, without being afraid of it. Modern compact cameras are very easy to carry around while playing with animals, strolling or just being with them. So remember to always carry it with you.
Step 2. Consider your pet's personality
Before taking pictures of your pet, ask yourself what differentiates them from others. This shouldn't be difficult considering the time you've spent with him, raising him and taking him for a walk. The aim is to capture the best part of his personality, and to do so it will be of great help to know the right moment to highlight those aspects.
- For example, if your dog is known to be particularly sleepy, lazy or quiet, take pictures near his kennel or where he usually goes after eating to rest in the sun and you will have the chance to take a snapshot that fully sums up his personality. of your pet. Alternatively, if he is hyperactive, curious and always on the move, it would be best to take photos in a park, running, jumping for a ball or playing with other animals.
- Demonstrate your pet's special abilities. Rabbits, for example, can keep things balanced on their heads. Hamsters tend to stuff their cheeks with food, cats are flexible, and dogs chase their tails, squirm and play games!
Step 3. Think about the context
It is advisable to choose the perfect shooting spot based on where your pet feels most comfortable and comfortable. For [Walking the Dog | dogs] it could be anywhere you are, but for those less rowdy and more timid, the best context might be more about themselves than you.
- Find a place that evokes memories and excites you, as the owner of the animal, for years to come. For example, you could choose the place where you and your dog shared special moments together, a place that will mean a lot when you look back at those photos in the future.
- Consider the background of your photos very carefully. You need to avoid the background distracting attention from the subject of the photo. Often, the best places are the simplest ones, such as a large green lawn, a well-lit room with white walls and plain carpet. However, they may seem too simple and sterile, so pay attention to the details. Also, there should be no trash cans and ugly, boring walls in the background! Remember that if the background details of the photo do not enrich it, you will have to delete them.
- For more details, read Improving Your Photo Skills.
Step 4. Pay attention to the lighting
Light is very important when it comes to animals. To begin with, it is not recommended to use the flash, because it distracts animals easily and many of them tend to get scared. In addition, the flash creates a terrible red-eye problem with some animals and, although it can be easily eliminated with a photo editing program, it should be avoided. The only real exception is when you are photographing an animal with very dark or black fur, as it tends to absorb light and the flash adds detail. Therefore, for animals with particularly dark fur it is advisable to have a greater exposure to light.
- Go for outdoor light as much as possible, because it is the most natural light and comes in a wide range of shades than indoor light. Also, the photos outside tend to be better. Remember that photos of animals with white fur are likely to have excessive exposure to light, so find a place away from direct sunlight and avoid flash.
- If you want to take photos indoors, try taking them near a well-lit window or in a room with lots of natural light. Do not use direct flash as you may have washed out photos and also damage your pet's eyes, not to mention the fear factor.
- Always use exposure compensation. On digital cameras this setting is one of the most important improvements. Check the LCD screen for underexposure or lower the pure white level. Change the exposure compensation if necessary.
- For more details, read Using Light to Take Pictures.
Step 5. Set up your camera
If you are planning on taking phenomenal shots, it will be best to be very familiar with some important settings. Many pets are a real challenge to photograph because they are active and in constant motion. To photograph a moving subject, you need to freeze the movements by increasing the shutter speed. Most modern digital cameras allow you to shoot in manual mode, if you are experienced enough in using the shutter and the right aperture. Alternatively, you can set the shutter in shutter priority mode, in the shutter speed settings. Then, the camera will do the rest automatically, optimizing the aperture to speed up the shot. You can ignore the following steps if they are confusing to you or if you are not interested in the technical details. Composition and lighting are more important and more interesting.
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Increase the ISO as much as possible. The higher ISO allows for a faster shutter speed, leaving the other settings unchanged, to capture even moving subjects. However, a higher ISO results in more noise, so tweak it until you reach a noise level that feels acceptable to you. If your camera can set ISO automatically, ignore the previous advice, use it in automatic mode and set it to shutter priority mode to ensure a faster shutter speed. Finally, you can set the camera in "sport" mode. This way, the camera will select the fastest shutter speed according to your situation.
Photograph Pets Step 5Bullet1 - Use automatic settings as much as possible. Set your camera to one of its automatic modes and set it fully to automatic mode to get the results you want. Animals tend to move very fast, without allowing you to work manually.
- Set up your camera to speed it up. If your pet is moving fast, you will need to shoot in continuous shooting mode to get a series of sequential shots. This way you will have a stunning sequence of perfect shots together. It uses continuous shooting mode and autofocus, although the specific name of this setting depends on your camera, so read the user manual for more details.
- Once you've set the best shutter speed, make sure your camera is always ready to shoot to anticipate your pet's actions.
Step 6. Get your pet's point of view when taking pictures
Lower yourself to your pet's level, looking him in the eye. Images taken by a photographer who is standing and looking down at his animal will give the feeling of too much distance between the shooter and the subject; the point of view of a person will also give the idea of a mere instant photo rather than a portrait. Lowering yourself to your pet's level means entering his world, seeing it from his point of view. You will be pleasantly impressed with the results, because they will be more personal and have a real element of intimacy.
Don't be afraid to stretch out on the lawn to take more interesting photos. Get as close to his level as possible. Move around to take photos from different and unusual angles. Use your imagination
Step 7. Come closer
Pets can come in all sizes and shapes, however, in most cases, they are smaller or shorter than a human and therefore tend to get a little lost in photos, unless you make one. effort to get close. Of course, getting close isn't always easy, especially if you have pets that are in constant motion. However, it is worth it, because that way you will be able to grasp the details. Plus, the personality, which can be captured by a photo taken up close and in a more intimate way, takes your pet's photo to the next level. Get as close as possible when you can and make sure there are no elements that divert attention from the subject of the photo.
- If you can't physically get close, get yourself a goal. With a large focal length you will be able to isolate your pet in terms of depth of field, which means having a beautiful blurry background with your subject being the center of attention without distraction.
- Try a wide angle lens. A wide wide angle lens allows you to get close (point 3) but catch a large part of the animal. Doing so will also give the image a little distortion that will give it a creative touch and a fun perspective. Learn how to use it creatively or experiment.
Step 8. Surprise your pets
Wait for your pet to do something cute (or just look cute, because animals usually are) and take the picture. Do as much as you can, as animals are constantly changing activities from one moment to the next. Also, taking photos is free with digital cameras (and if you had the film, you'd think how many photos you could have taken with the digital camera you "didn't" buy). Play with your pet. Take some pictures of someone playing with him. Try to involve him and keep him in business. Animals are unpredictable.
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Pay attention to posed shots. In addition to the near impossibility of keeping a pet still for an extended period, the best photographs are those in which animals do what they do best: be tender and spontaneous. Catching them having fun with their favorite game or enjoying a delicacy will be much, "much" better than photographing them in unnatural coats and everything that is typically wrong with posed amateur photos.
If you really care about taking a posed shot, photograph your pet in a spontaneous, paparazzo-like way. In fact, it is a lot of fun to take a picture while your dog digs in the flowers, buries a bone or tries to catch a bee. All you have to do is sit back and wait for him to act funny. That way, you can photograph him all the time without him even noticing you
Step 9. Try different shots
Pets, as well as humans, always look different based on angles. By taking shots with many different angles, you will be able to capture numerous perspectives. During a photo shoot, it is advisable to take some close-ups on your pet's face, also focusing on a particular detail such as eyes, nose, ears and whiskers. However, it's best to make sure you get at least three quarters of your body in the frame. In this way, you will get a series of shots that will give a complete perspective of the animal.
Step 10. Be playful.
Pets can be playful little creatures. Rather than trying to contain this nature of theirs to pose them for some special shots, it's much more impressive to let them play around and make this the central feature of your photographs. With toys, stimulate their attention to make them look into the camera longer; keep the toy above your head, or take a picture of them on top of you while you fight. Make your photo shoots a fun experience for both you and your pet and the photos will mirror your enjoyment.
Advice
- People look instinctively in the eye and photographs are no exception. Animals do the same. When taking photographs, be sure to pay special attention to them. Use autofocus lock if your camera has one.
- Forget the tripod, because you don't need it. If you're taking telephoto shots that require a pedestal to limit camera movement, then you're not close enough to the subject. If you set the shutter speed too fast for shorter lenses, you will end up with a blurry subject in case your pet moves. Animals are subject to constant movement and a tripod is "never" necessary for shorter lenses with good exposure.
- A pet is a great subject for photography practice. In fact he is very tender and he will certainly be happy to be the subject of your photos for a few hours, moving and comic, not necessarily in that order. Use your digital camera, if you have one, for instant evaluation and to experiment without breaking the bank.
- Eventually, your pet will be tired and fall asleep. Take pictures! In addition to looking adorable while sleeping, it's also a lot easier to get close to your subject without them noticing you and your camera - while trying to eat it.
- It is said that one should never work with children and animals, which also applies to photographs. This is because posing is not among their priorities. But put them together and let them do what they want. You will have wonderfully tender and spontaneous photos.
