Chirag Dharmani*
There are various genres in Photography but Pet photography is one of the toughest genres to deal with.
Shooting with pets comes with its own pros and cons and there are a few things that need to be considered before shooting with pets.
Pets are a little difficult to shoot with as they cannot be directed like humans to smile, stand straight etc.
They are different species all together and we need to make sure about their comfort, which will eventually give us the required shots.
Here are the 5 aspects of Pet Photography, which one needs to follow to capture some amazing shots of their fur babies.
1) Never Rush:
Whenever you are shooting with an animal, just understand that the animal is a different specie all together and it will take some time for him to get used to your equipment and you. Be Patient for some amazing shots! Rushing will make the animal a bit uncomfortable and restless, which will restrain you from getting the required shots. Just keep calm and be patient for the same. The more calm you be, the better photos you get. Sometimes, your number of required shots is tampered because the pet is yet not adjusted in the environment of getting captured by you. We need to understand from another species point of view for the same.
2) Pick a Theme:
Picking up a theme will help you be clear with yourlights and lensing and it will save some major chunk of your time. A theme will also help you to get different angels of shots to be taken. There can be various themes which you can shoot with and get the type of shots you want. Some of the themes are like Monochrome, Wet, and Shake it off to name a few. Each theme has its own pros and cons.
- Monochrome theme means to shoot in such a way and later give it a black and white vintage effect. For shooting in Monochrome, you need to have a good sense of light and mood. Monochrome portraits give a very classy appeal to the photos because of the vintage effect.
- Wet theme means to shoot your pet when he has water all over its body; this wet look brings an absolute cuteness to the pet in the picture. It becomes a memory worth freezing! You can also apply any shampoo or soap of the pet for the same to add some more cuteness to the theme.
- Shake theme is basically when the animal shakes his head to remove the water post getting wet. In this theme, one needs to be very alert before capturing as once this moment is gone it cannot be captured again. If you are shooting with a DSLR then make sure to shoot at a higher shutter speed and in Burst mode, and if you are shooting with your phone then keep clicking and clicking as out of N number of photos, there will be only one perfect shot that would capture the required expressions, which will be worth framing.
3) Keep Rewarding:
Always keep rewarding the pet with praises and treats. A dog should get a feeling of comfort and enjoyment to be around you. The happier he or she is, the better shots you will get! Treats and toys keep your pet in a jovial mood. Pets do not understand the concept of photography like humans so they cannot be guided like humans for the same to pose, so they need to be lured with treats, toys, and their favourite food items to keep them in a good and jovial mood.
4) Avoid Cropping Dog’s Legs And Ears:
While framing your shot, make sure legs and ears of the pet are visible in frame. The aesthetics of these images are on next level and it looks more professional too. Unless you are going for extreme closeups, just make sure to not crop the legs and ears. Many amateur photographers do these blunders but then pictures don’t turn out to be as appealing as they should be and also they don’t express the motive behind clicking, as photography is nothing but expressing in the form of a picture. Cropping the ears and legs doesn’t give the desired effect as required in a professional photography of a pet, unless you are not going too close for extreme close ups.
5) Prefer Outdoor Over Indoor:
This is not a compulsion as every photographer has a different style to handle the shoot. Preferring outdoor will help you to capture some amazing candid shots of the pet as they are more cheerful in nature and not in a studio. Outdoor and Indoor photography have their own respective disadvantages and advantages; still preferring Outdoor helps in getting some amazing poses to shoot with the pet. Pets are more comfortable outdoors than any closed environment and the effect that natural light provides in photos gives it a different appeal altogether, which you may not get in any indoor photos. Outdoors also save your time that goes in setting up the right backdrop, setting up lights and much more.
Capturing animals is an art, somewhere a little difficult one! But with little patience and experience, you can ace it. So keep on clicking and freezing some amazing memories of your pets.
*Author is a Filmmaker, a Photographer, and a Certified Canine Trainer. As a Multipotientialite, he dabbles with multiple genres. He is an avid dog lover and his expertise both in Dog training and Photography has helped him to become a Pet Photographer and understand an Animal’s Perspective. He is also known as THE POOCH MASTER on Instagram. You can visit his Instagram handle @thepoochmaster
