Tips for Taking Great Photos of Your Pet

If you have ever taken a photo of your cat or dog, you know that it is virtually impossible to get them to pose correctly. They tend to be more curious about the camera and ignore your commands! Not to mention, even if you can get your pet to sit still, the photos come out strangely anyway. This article will help you take some great photos of your pet, no matter what the species.

First of all, you need to get your animals used to your camera. Start carrying it around with you, around your neck, in your hand or just fiddling with it. Let your dog or cat sniff the camera and soon they will get accustomed to it and ignore it, even when you are taking a picture. This eliminates those nose-on-the-lens shots and helps keep your lens clean, too!

Once your pet is used to the camera (this could take a few days), you are ready to start taking photos. Outdoors is best, but if you have a cat that is not allowed outside, taking your photos with as much natural light as possible is good. Aim for photos near windows, but not looking out the window, as this will give you just a silhouette of your pet.

Make sure that your flash is turned off unless it is quite dark in your house. The best light is natural and a flash will just make things look flat and unnatural. Neither humans nor pets look good in a flash! It can also cause that notorious red-eye which makes your dog look demonic and your cat will simply look like a ghost! If you must use a flash, use the red-eye reduction setting.

Sleeping animals make the best models. They don't move and they look very sweet. However, standing over your lab as he snores won't result in a great photo. You'll just have yet another shot looking down at him curled on the carpet. Instead, try a new angle. Get down on your stomach and get a shot of your pet asleep from different angles. By shooting from his level, you will have more interesting pictures.

When your pet is awake, you should also avoid the downward angle shots. Instead, get on the floor with your cat or rabbit and shoot from there. Or, if you don't feel like getting down so low, put your pet up on the sofa or table to make it easier to get a nice picture, just be careful they can't fall off.

A good way to keep an animal from moving too much is to use some food. For cats, dabbing a little cream on a paw will result in a very sweet photo of her licking her paw and the cream won't show up. You can also rub some honey onto the table or on a toy to keep your pet interested. Use it only on one particular spot so you can direct where your animal will be looking.

Waiting until a calm time of day is key for taking good photos. If your dog is always hyper in the morning before his walk, don't even think about trying for a photo session until he has had his exercise! A nice grooming or any other activity that you know calms your pet is good before you start taking pictures. Get your pet as tired out or soothed as possible and then take photos. Remember that it could take a day or two to get the right one. That's why digital cameras are so handy! You can just keep erasing the bad photos.

Taking really nice pictures of your pet isn't impossible. You just need to make sure that your animal is calm and possibly even asleep. Check your lighting and avoid using a flash to get rid of that flat look, and remember that angle is key in taking a good shot.