| From Photoworkshop.com Double Exposure Challenge  CLICK HERE TO SEE A GALLERY OF IMAGES BY THE RUNNERS-UP
For many of us, our pets are part of our family. And for this reason, they deserve to be revered in photography like any beloved spouse, son, daughter or parent. However, there are several pointers to keep in mind if you want to get great results when photographing Fido, Polly or Fifi. Photographing all animals, whether it’s your puppy or a lion in the wild, requires time, patience and sensitivity. As with photographing people, you should strive for capturing something of a pet’s character on film. Trying to pose a pet is a very difficult proposition, even for the pros, so it’s often best to put the cute wicker basket or costume idea aside and let your pet be himself. You can’t ask an animal to pose for you, smile, or show you their best side, but you can anticipate their behavior. Figure out what trait you want to portray about your pet—the high energy of a new puppy, the beautiful eyes of a cat, or the intricate details of a parrot’s feathers. Whatever that quality is, you’ll need to start with good composition, lighting, and the right camera angle that will emphasize these features. Then, you’ll need to be willing to invest the time to wait for those elements to come together. Just as with photographing children, many of your best images of pets will be from their level, which often means lying on the floor or the ground. It’s the best way to capture their expressions, and will convey something of what their world is like. Get close—your dog chewing on a favorite toy probably won’t be distracted by you lying close to him/her with a wide-angle lens. If you want to keep your distance, use a telephoto to bring your subject in close.
If this is a pet you own, you probably know its personality pretty well and can predict how it may react in different situations. Animals are creatures of habit and like to do certain activities at the same time every day. Does your cat like to curl up in a particular spot? Does your dog come to you at a certain time for a walk? Once you decide where and when you want to photograph your pet, think about the lighting and where you should be when their individual behavior happens. Watch through your viewfinder and click the shutter when the time is right. Look for moments when your pet is doing the behavior you think is typical, like the dog curled up at your feet while you’re watching TV, or a cat sitting in the windowsill. This is how you remember your pet, and you’ll want your photography to reflect these times. Indoors, you’ll want to adjust your camera’s ISO to a fast setting like 400–1600. You may also want to use a little fill flash if the lighting is especially dim. Outdoors, you may want to photograph your dog playing with other dogs at the park, or playing with a Frisbee. You can either use a fast shutter speed to freeze the action, or a slow shutter speed to emphasize motion. Shoot portraits with your telephoto, or even a wide-angle lens, as well as behavioral pictures.
Next to the relationships we share with other people, the camaraderie we share with our pets probably represents the strongest emotional ties we have in our daily lives. So in addition to photographing a pet alone, you’ll probably want to photograph a friend or family member and the family pet together (and perhaps have them photograph you with your pet). Oftentimes, the kind of pets that people have and the way they interact with them reveal a great deal about the person’s lifestyle and personality. You can photograph pets and their owner in a casual, relaxed manner in a rural environment, for example. On the other hand, you may want to photograph a dog breeder with his Champion standard poodle in a more formal pose that reveals the owner’s pride and shows the dog’s features. These images often reveal the special bond between pet and owner. Whatever the pet is and wherever you’re photographing them, try to show some interaction between the pet and its owner, like a boy roughhousing with his dog, or a little girl hugging a new kitten. Photographing pets can be very rewarding, especially if you follow some of these pointers. Soon you’ll be shooting pictures of your canine or feline companion that you’ll treasure for years to come. Take our next Double Exposure Challenge! Look for details in this issue of Double Exposure on our next contest: Shooting Self-Portraits. CLICK HERE TO SEE A GALLERY OF IMAGES BY THE RUNNERS-UP© Copyright 2002 by Photoworkshop.com |
