Photographing families as a profession for over ten years has taught me a lot. One of the major lessons I’ve learned is that animals can be much harder to capture than humans. But no one can resist an adorable pet photo! And, we all want to be able to naturally document our beloved family members, so it’s important to understand how to photograph pets in order to get the best results, whether it’s for clients or for your own family memories.
I photograph animals often. My family and I have a hobby farm in Maryland, which includes a dog, chickens, quail and rabbits (so far). I love to photograph my kids with their pets, and I’m a firm believer that the best camera is the one that’s with you, so my photos are a mix of iPhone and DSLR. Our animals know our land and are used to the tiny hands of my kids that handle them regularly.
This leads me to my first tip for photographing pets naturally…
1. Photograph pets in a familiar environment.
I’ve photographed many fur babies during family portrait sessions at parks, and this situation is much less familiar to the animals than their own home. New sights and smells are exciting, but can be distracting for animals.
For the most relaxed pet portraits, I recommend photographing pets in a place they’re comfortable — like their bed, your bed, your yard or another familiar location — at home. This may also lead to some absolutely heart-melting sleeping pet photos.
3. Try different angles and perspectives.
Just like when you’re photographing people, you want variety in your pet photos. Look for the best perspective or angle to tell the story and don’t be afraid to change things up or try a different lens. Close-up pet portraits will have a much different feeling than wide-angle environmental shots, so give both a try.
One trick I use with both children and pets is to get down on their eye level. This not only gives you a great perspective, it also makes them feel comfortable.
I prefer getting close to my animals, so I like to use either my 35mm lens or my Canon 100mm macro lens.
3. Focus on the eyes.
Just like with human portraits, the eyes are the window to the soul. We’re programmed to immediately look at the eyes of any creature, so the animal’s eyes need to be sharp if you’re taking a picture of their face. Some dogs and animals like horses and cows have long noses, so you may need a wider depth of field (try f/5 or higher) to keep the pet’s whole face in focus when they’re looking towards you.
4. Use natural light.
If you’re indoors, try photographing pets near a window or glass door. Most dogs and cats love to bask in a sunny spot or light beaming through a window, so you may be able to let them take the lead. Just make sure you turn off all overhead lights, as they can cast a yellowish glow and produce unflattering shadows.
If you’re outside, use the natural light of the sun to highlight your pets’ adorableness.
5. Try something totally different.
I love shooting from way down low or from above my pets. Try framing your pet in between furniture or even something as simple as holding up a leaf or flower in the foreground. Almost anything you see around you can be used to make your image more interesting.
6 Creative ideas for photographing pets:
1. Photograph details like ears, paws, whiskers, etc.
2. Step back and show where the pet lives. Whether its an indoor bird cage in front of a window or your cat snuggled on his favorite chair, capture the whole room. Or, if you have pets outside, get the whole scene and even some sky.
3. Photograph parts of your pet’s daily routine. Does your dog grab his leash when he needs a walk? Do your chickens gather around you when you have a handful of mealworms? Whatever your pet is conditioned to do would make a cute photo.
4. Capture your pets together! Varying species in the frame makes for a more interesting capture (as long as everyone is safe).
5. Get humans in the frame. If you have kids, capture them interacting with the animals. Or take a self-portrait with your pets.
6. Let your kids take photos of the family pets as a way to express their vision.
Hopefully these tips for photographing pets will inspire you to create some adorable images of your own animals. I’d sincerely love to see your pets, so please tag me or #clickmagazine in your posts!
Photos by Helen Don
More tips for photographing pets and other animals:
For photographers, creative therapy can look a lot like funny dog photos on Instagram
See the top 7 winners of the Click photo contest: Animals & Pets
How to include the family dog in your next photo session
6 tips for including the family pet in lifestyle photo sessions
How to photograph wild animals safely and ethically
