11 Pet Photography Tips

Taking photographs of your pets can be very rewarding and fun—if you know what you’re doing. The following 11 pet photography tips are geared at helping you improve the quality of your pet photos, whether you’re doing it for fun or trying to start a lucrative pet photography business. 

Tip1: Use the Right Lighting

While there are many ways to light a pet photo, the general rule for pet portrait shots it to keep the lighting diffuse and even. Unless you have a professional lighting studio with lights, you should avoid indoor photos and try taking photos outdoors in natural light. If you can’t do this, taking your pictures near a large door or window is another great option.

When taking photos outdoors, be sure to avoid direct overhead sunlight as this will create very high contrast and awful shadows. For bringing out the details of your pet use side lighting (sunlight or sunset when the sun is coming from an angle below 45 degrees). You can also opt for a softer, more diffuse lighting by photographing your pet during overcast days or by using reflecting material to reduce the shadows from side lighting (like a large foil/reflective surface).

Tip 2: Avoid Using Your Camera Flash

Unless you’ve got a professional flash kit set up, avoid your cameras built in flash. This type of lighting alters the colors and tones of your pet and really flattens the depth of the photo. It also can cause red eye in your pet, turning them into the pet from hell.

Tip 3: Keep Your Pet At Ease

Photographing pets is a lot like photographing kids, except the problems that come with photographing kids are usually amplified with pets. One of the most useful pet photography tips is to keep your pet at ease. Pets can get easily distracted by the camera equipment, especially flashes (which you shouldn’t use!).

For younger pets it can be difficult staying in the same exact spot for multiple photos. Try providing their favorite toys or treats for them so that they can be kept busy and occupied.

Tip 4: Keep Things On Their Level

For pet portraits, it is usually best to keep the picture on the same eye level as your pet. If your dog is on the grass, kneel down and photograph as if you were a dog as well! Try to photograph from their perspective. This will give the photo more of an intimate and friendly feel instead of simply photographing from a human perspective looking down from above.

 Tip 5: Capture Their Personality

Each pet has his or her own unique personality and quality pet photographers know this and use specific techniques to bring this personality out in their images.

Try spending a little time with the pet (if you don’t know the pet beforehand) to get a feel for what they are all about. If the pet is very energetic and crazy try to show this in the image. Wait for their facial expression to show this energy in its essence. A great way to bring these traits out is to use toys or treats to get them fully engaged and out of their shell. Making sudden noises or imitating animal sounds often does the trick.

Tip 6: Use A Telephoto Lens for Headshots

Knowing how to take pet headshots is a must in the world of pet photography. To stat, you’ll need a quality telephoto lens. A good focal length is anything over 100mm to around 200mm. You’ll want to use a shallow depth of field with f/8 or larger. This will create that “portrait” blurry background effect.

Tip 7: Use Macro Lenses to Get Closer

One of the problems of using a larger focal length (from tip 6) is that you have to be farther back to keep the pet in focus. A solution to this is to use a macro lens. This will allow you to use a telephoto lens without having to be ten feet away.

Tip 8: Focus on the Eyes

The common quote “eyes are the window to the soul” is equally true for pets. Their eyes should be the central point of focus of the image and because of this, it is critical that the eyes are in focus. Do not take the photo until you are sure that the eyes are the most in-focus part of the whole photograph.

Tip 9: Wait For Relaxing Time

Most all pets have times when they are hyper and times when they are relaxed and calm. Wait for those relaxed times to take photos as this will make your photo sessions much easier. Often times taking dogs for walks before a photo shoot will make the shoot go over much smoother.

Tip 10: Keep Clean Backgrounds

Be sure to pay careful attention to the background of your photo. Be sure that it is free of excess clutter and relates to your pet as well. Choose colors that augment your pets fur/skin as well.

Tip 11: Patience is A Pet Photographers Philosophy

The final pet photography tip is a must if you’re planning on taking many pet photos or starting a pet photo business. While some pets will be a pleasure to work with, many will not. Having that love for animals will give you the patience needed to get the right shots you have in mind.

For more photography tips be sure to subscribe to our latest posts!