10 Tips for Better Pet Portraits

Welcome to all the folks visiting from Camp Candid Carrie. Being a bus stop on a virtual field trip is an honor I never anticipated!

My husband and I operate a portrait studio in San Diego. While we do a variety of portraiture, we specialize in pet portraits. I know how much fun it is to take pictures of pets. It's what I do for a living and I LOVE what I do.

I get asked frequently how to take better pet pictures. I am happy to share what I have learned over the years. While I do know some tricks most of these tips are tried and true portrait techniques learned from years as a photographer. Here they are, in no particular order.

1. Patience
Take a deep breath and lower your expectations. Chances are your pet won't sit and stay the way you want, so don't be disappointed or get stressed. Your pet picks up on the stress and no good can come from that. Be patient and have fun! You'll get much better pictures.

2. Get Some Help
I always have an assistant. My assistant [or the pet's owner] should be the only one talking to the pet. I am free to operate the camera setting and focus on composure. This prevents the pet from being overwhelmed with too many commands. My assistant holds treats/toys and directs the pet. Make sure your assistant isn't blocking your light or casting a shadow into your picture.

3. Treats & Toys
Great portraits are not on most pets priority list, so I resort to bribery. Use treats and toys that your dog likes....NOT loves. You want intrigue not insanity. My dog likes kibble and will be interested in getting some. However if I bring out the Pupperoni [we call it puppy crack], he turns into a deranged treat addict and the shoot is over. Use one treat/toy at a time, bringing out a new one as needed to capture your pets attention.

4. Time & Timing
Set aside time for your portraits. Grabbing the camera when your pet does something cute is great, but it rarely yields a masterpiece. Give yourself an hour to play and photograph. Take breaks, take lots of shots and take your time. Timing is also key. A good long walk or run will help your pet be calm for pictures.

5. Your Camera
Every camera has features and limitations. You can get wonderful photographs with ANY camera. The trick is to know what your camera will and won't do. I know you read your camera manual from cover to cover......what...you didn't? Well, no problem. I am going to give you a few features to go and look up. [tip: most camera manuals can be downloaded from the manufacturer, in case yours is as lost as mine is]

Features to look for:

• Exposure Compensation
• White Balance
• Macro
• Fill Flash
• Portrait, Landscape, Action & Night Shot Modes

Don't get overwhelmed, just see if your camera has these features. If it does, spend some time playing with them one at a time. Each feature has a real life application that will greatly improve your pictures.

6. Prepare
Dead batteries and empty media cards love to ruin a cute pose. Have spares on hand.

7. Composition
Composing a portrait means looking at the big picture. As the photographer you must be aware of what is in and out of the frame.
Be sure to look for distracting details in the background. Watch for things that appear to grow out of your pets head, like house plants and floor lamps. At the park, avoid parking lots and trash cans in the background. Simply moving a few feet left or right can often be all that is needed.
Don't be afraid to get up close. Close up shots are often the most meaningful and compelling. Show off your pets lovely eyes, fur or paws with a close-up. Spend some time looking at professional portraits. Notice how the image is composed, the angle of the camera, the lighting. Look for ways to use what you like in your own pet portraits.

8. Experiment
Break the rules. Shoot into the sun, play with camera setting, stand on a ladder, lay on the floor. If it doesn't work out, you can always delete it.

9. Light
The single most important consideration in any photograph is light. In photography school, I was taught that by learning to look at and manage the light on your subject you will get better pictures [my, that sounded serious!]. This just means that it helps to give a bit of attention to the light falling on your pet and not just the cute pose. If the light doesn't look right, here are some things you can do to change it.

Turn off your flash. Natural light is the way to go. At the studio we do use flash, big, fancy studio lights with umbrellas and softboxes. We still prefer natural light and use it any chance we have. The best light is defused sunlight, the kind you get from north facing windows, a slightly overcast day, or a shady area at a sunny park.

Use a reflector [a piece of white poster board or a white pop up car shade work great] to reflect light back to your subject. This will help put a spark in the eyes and fill in shadows.

A tripod will keep your camera steady for longer exposures in lower light situations and works great for cats and sleeping dogs.

Turn on your flash [I know I just said turn it off, here's the exception] Play with your flash outside. Sometimes using your flash in a sunny situation can give you those great popping colors and bright eyes you see in professional portraits. This technique takes some patience and experimentation but the results are well worth it.


10. Wonderful and Unexpected
Now that you are prepared, know your camera, have the time and the patience, it's time to have some fun. Don't get to hung up on a certain poses or tricks. Some of my favorite shots come when a cat yawns or cleans it's face, when dogs hear a car horn and gives me a perfect profile shot as they look for the sound, or when a puppy lays down out of complete boredom with the shoot. By giving your pet a little wiggle room you will get wonderful portraits showing off all of your pets character.

I hope this has given you some tools to improve your portraits and a good excuse to get on the floor and play with your pet. Please feel free to send me specific questions about pet photography and/or request our monthly newsletter to get more tips and techniques.

Happy Camping,
Tee Taylor
OH MY DOG! Photography

info@ohmydogphoto.com
760.479.0553