Top 5 Pet Photography Tips

1. Try to Catch Expressions

As the saying goes - "The eyes are the windows to the soul". Same goes for our little furriends. You'll be amazed at what you're able to see once you start paying more attention to your subjects' eyes.

Now this may prove more challenging with some pets than others. Many are naturally expressive while others can tend to have the same face on no matter what the situation. But I'm a firm believer that there's always a way to make a pets personality break through.

It always adds value to the shoot if you are able to bring out your subject's distinct character. Every pet is different. Each has his or her own personality. Your job is to draw it out and capture it by any means possible (well, any reasonable means).

2. Research Your Subject

This is quite related to the last point I made. You want to know what your subject likes and dislikes. No use in taking a cat with you for a shoot at the park if being around people is a bit of an issue for the little critter.

Does your subject like toys? Does he or she have a favorite spot in around the house? Is food the best motivator?

I usually send out a short questionnaire for owners to fill up just to make sure that I know as much as possible before the day of the shoot. This tends to save me time but also shows my client that I've put in some effort to make the experience the best it can be.

3. Experiment With Angles

If you see me at a shoot, you'll often find me lying on the floor or climbing some piece of furniture. I move around quite a lot at shoots - whether for my fashion or pet photography. It's really important to try experiment with different perspectives. Often times - just like with people - pets will have certain angles that work better than others. It's important to find which angles these are early on in the shoot so you make the most out of the time that you have.

4. Make Sure You Get Lighting Right

Lighting is just as crucial as the subject is. Without good lighting, it doesn't really matter how good your shot is - you won't do your subject justice.

If you are shooting outdoors, it's best to avoid lunchtime. I find that between 7-10am and 3-5pm (here in Manila) tends to give me the best results. Otherwise it's either too dark or shadows are way too harsh. These times are lovely because it's almost like the sky turns into a giant soft box.

When shooting indoors, I'll either make sure that I have good window light on my subject or - if artificial light is the only option - I'll make sure the light is white as opposed to yellow so that colors are not distorted.

5. Don't Stress

The last thing you want to do at a pet photo shoot is stress out. Animals are very sensitive to the emotional states of those around them. You want to make your subject feel as comfortable as possible in order to bring out their personality.

Keep in mind that things aren't always going to go the way that you want them to. You're dealing with a different species here. Just remember that there's always a way forward regardless of the predicament you might be in. Learn to work with what comes your way and roll with the punches. I find that things tend to fall in to place much quicker when you don't try to force the issue.

Besides, the whole reason you got in to this was so you could enjoy these cuddly furballs for a living, right? So stress kinda defeats the purpose!