After the family’s children, polls show that photographers repeatedly shoot their pets (dog, cat, bird, gold fish, etc.) more than any other subject. And this is quite normal since they are a subject quite easily accessible but also quite emotionnally charged.
So, this month’s Y-tips are all about trying to help us shift to high gear to make our photos as nice as the pets we love.
- Choose the best time: Take advantage from the proximity with your model to choose the time when it is most available, most cooperative.
- Climb down to your subject level: As for many other models, an animal is best shot from eye level (its eye!), even if it means crawling on the floor or shooting a pet when it is set on furniture.
- Watch the background: Inside or outside, the picture background can be quite distracting. Choose an adequate background or use a wide aperture to make it fuzzy.
- Include its environmental: Choose a beautiful location that goes well with the pet and do not frame too tightly around (include the field, the beach, for example).
- Close the frame: On the exact opposite, you can go very near a cooperating animal. Why not try to shoot a detail (an eye, an hear, a tail tip)?
- Compose a scene Once again, since your pet is much more cooperative than the neighbor’s cat, you can try to create a scene. But be sure to prepare everything before you bring the animal in; Pets are less patient than most human pro models.