Pet Photography

Left Picture: Minolta Maxxum 9000, 100mm f-2.8  macro lens, Kodachrome 64, flash with bounce reflector, one photo flood, Bogen tripod and pan/tilt head. Centerweighted metering, 1/250 sec at f-8 on aperture priority and manual focus.

Everybody loves pet photos. They make great subjects. The best way to photograph your pet is outdoors in their natural behavior. Take your pet to places that you know they like such as the beach or parks. Use a short to moderate telephoto lens and let your pet do what they would normally do when they are outdoors. This will let you create very natural photographs rather than setup shots. Pets have personalities like people. Look for expressions and be ready. You can also photograph your pet in the studio. You will need a back ground, a standard or a short telephoto lens. Do not use high powered lights or flash units as most animals are very sensitive to light. Direct flash can also bother the animal or even damage their eyes. Use a normal tungsten light with bounced flash or off camera flash. Do not run long sessions in the studio as this can tire your pet, and don't force them to do different tricks if they don't want to. Have a set up in mind and have all your equipment ready prior to shooting. Focus the lens on the eyes, and try to get your pet to look into the camera. It takes a lot of patience to make a good pet photo, and how cooperative your pet is going to be.



Canon EOS D30, Tamron 70-210mm f-2.8 lens, 1/180 sec at f-2.8. Handheld.

Pix, the guy in the above photograph was let go on his own into his own "territory" where he felt comfortable. With a telephoto lens, I was able to keep a distance from the dog and still get frame filling shots. This technique is by far the best approach in taking great pictures of your pet. 

Books on Pet Photography Photographing Animals & Pets A guide to photographing animals. Ingram For photographing the family pet in the backyard or snapping exotic wildlife at the zoo or safari park, this book discloses all the tricks and techniques employed by professional who specialize in animal photography. A gallery of the very best animal photography demonstrates how professionals capture wild animals on film in the most inaccessible and sometimes dangerous places in the world. 115 color and 90 b&w illustrations. Professional Techniques for Pet and Animal Photography How to Take Great Pet Pictures: Recipes for Outstanding Results With Any Camera