Autofocus
Text and photos by Dail Deri
Before you take photos of your pets, here are some reminders that will help you in getting beautiful and memorable images.
Purpose of taking your pet’s photo?
Professional breeders have their pet’s photos taken in a different way. Every breed of dog has
the correct stock position, which judges check and owners would like to be captured in pictures. Before you take on a project like this, research through knowledgeable friends, books, Internet about the angles that judges are looking for in a photo. For example, for Labrador retrievers, a Labrador with his tail held horizontally is better than a Labrador’s tail pointing up or down. Jack Russels, however, should have their tails pointed up.
On the other hand, if you’re not entering your pet in any contest, and you’re taking leisure shots, then you have more variety of poses and setups that you can do.
Get to "pet’s eye-level"
It’s better to take your pet’s photos when you’re as low on the ground as they are. In this way, you’ll get better angles of their faces, plus, you can capture different expressions that your pet makes.
Pet’s personality
Like their owners, pets have different personalities, too. Some dogs like to play with tennis balls, and you can include your dog’s tennis ball in the picture. Your dog’s personality will help you think of the props that you can include in the setup to make your photo look interesting.
Pet’s behavior
Not all pets are trained to stay in one place for a long time. If your pet goes nuts when he sees you, you can consider taking a photo of your pet while he’s sleeping. Place him somewhere with great lighting and then try to make a sound. When he starts to open his eyes, start clicking away.
Pet in action
You can give your pets something to be busy with while you take pictures of him. That way, you can position yourself somewhere where he won’t be distracted and you can easily take photos of him.
Lighting
Especially when you’re outdoors, try to wait for the early morning or the late afternoon sun. Have your dog stand against – yes, against – the sun. The backlight on your dog’s coat will look wonderful. You can use a reflector (which can be improvised like a Styrofoam or an illustration board) or just a small burst of flash to illuminate your dog.
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