Pet Photography

Photographing pets is such a challenge most of the time.  Some times, a handful of treats will do the trick.  Other times, a unique noise will catch their attention.  Every now and again, holding their favorite toy will get them to behave.  There is no fool-proof method for getting pets to do whatever it is that you want them to do.

 (Here, she posed for a treat)

The best advice that I can give is:

Be patient and persistent.
Take time to figure out what works best with your pet- for the moment.
Just because a treat held above the camera works now, doesn't guarantee that it will work later.

 (Here, she posed because I was clicking my tongue)

You don't have to know what picture you are looking for, you just have to try a few different things.  Try different treats; try holding the treats in different ways; try holding their favorite toy and making them wait for it; try making your camera seem like the coolest thing in the world so that they will sit and stare at it.

Also, try different locations.  My puppy tends to focus best outside, and with minimal other distractions.

(Here, she posed because I was calling her name)

Along with that, try to find backgrounds that look good with your pet.  The leaves and grass here really helped the white on her body to stand out, while the black and brown on her face disappear a little bit.

Once you have your shots, feel free to edit them.  I used good ol' Photoshop to give these pictures a warm, Autumn feel.

So, have fun, and remember to keep trying.  To get these three pictures, I spent about half an hour or so with her, and probably took about fifty shots. Pet photography isn't always easy, but if you invest the time and effort, you can get some really awesome results. c:

To see more information on editing your pictures, check out my post: Using Photoshop Wisely.