They do not exist pets ugly: dogs, cats, parakeets… they are all gorgeous and photogenic, right? have you tried to portray ever to your favorite furry (scaled or feathered) and you have not obtained great results? Don’t worry, it’s not that your pet is ugly, far from it, it’s that you still don’t know how to get its good side out. Nothing happens, that’s why we’re here, to learn together. For this reason, today I have proposed to collect all the information related to the pet photography.
The goal is to provide you with everything (ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING) you need to know to take impressive photos of your pet either at home with your camera, even with your mobile phone and with few means; or to do a professional photo session, if you are thinking of opening a new business directory.
Pay attention, that all this is what we are going to see.
INSIDE THIS ARTICLE… 📖
As you can see, it is a very complete pet photography reference guide so if this is your topic, please do not lose sight of it. Surely you will want to return to it from time to time to refresh some point. For now settle in, I already have my coffee ready, and you? Great. Let’s go to the mess!
What is pet photography?
photograph pets It has become a fun and profitable business, as there are many families who want to immortalize their pet to have an indelible memory. For families, the animal becomes one more member, so, in addition to photographing them regularly at home, they often resort to a professional photo session, which can be in the studio or outdoors. This is pet photography. Are you interested? Keep reading 😉
Photography of pets in studio, an increasingly demanded field
Pet photography equipment
Obviously, photographing your pet at home for pure pleasure is not the same as dedicating yourself to it professionally. So let’s see what you need depending on the photographer you are.
Yes photography does not interest you beyond taking cool photos of your pet, don’t get complicated, the camera you have will help you, even if it’s the one on your mobile, and a few tips to get the most out of its potential. Later I will reveal the tips and tricks you need.
You are fond of photography beyond pet photography or you want to dedicate yourself professionally to it. This is the equipment I recommend for photographing pets:
- Camera with Manual Mode.
- Appropriate objective (below, I dedicate a section to this topic because it is the most important).
- Filter to protect the lens from various licks and other possible dog accidents and the like.
- Sunshade, also to protect the objective.
- Lighting kit if you intend to set up a studio. I would recommend a light window and a reflector. external flash? Never-ever-ever-with-pets. That you have no choice? Well, make sure it’s not a skittish pet, that you put it on the lowest possible power and that you bounce it so as not to hit it directly. Before you should have shot to the other side and give him a treat at the same time so that he associates it with a positive stimulus. Come on, you have to work hard and still most likely bother her.
- If you are going to dedicate yourself professionally, below I will reveal what else you cannot miss in your backpack.
Your best equipment is your gaze, your photographer’s glasses
Recommended lenses for photographing pets
As I have told you before, the lens is more important than the camera because, once you have a camera with manual settings, it is what will give you more creative options.
When it comes to animals, the most common ones are my favourite, the (wonderful) 50mm, 85mm and 70-200mm (or similar). The first two, which are fixed, will give you more quality and are ideal for close-up portraits. The 70-200mm will give you more versatility and options for shooting from a distance and in action.
To photograph within a context or a landscape, for example, use a wide angle. On the other hand, if you are looking for creative and fun photos, a fisheye will come to mind.
If you have a macro, you can use it to magnify details, such as a snout, a leg, a super characteristic spot, a shell, chameleon skin, etc. It is also ideal if the pet is an insect, which… hey, there are those who try to tame spiders and other bugs, right? It will have to be taken into account.
It is important that you choose the lens based on the type of pet and the type of photo you want to take. In this article we tell you in depth what are the best lenses to photograph animals.
Pet Photography Settings
Although situations can vary greatly, I leave you with some basic adjustments when photographing pets:
- Aperture Priority mode with wide aperture (small f/number) to blur the background.
- Speed ​​Priority mode with fast speeds if the pet is moving. Starting at 1/250s or faster depending on how fast you move and the focal length you use, if it’s a tele, better 1/500s or more.
- Low ISO values ​​as much as possible, but if it is a special moment and in low light, it is better to have noise and have the photo than to have nothing.
- Continuous focus (Al Servo/AF-C), unless the pet is asleep.
- Burst mode (with the same exception as above 😉 ).
- Silent mode, if your camera has this possibility.
- Shoot in RAW format if you plan to edit the photos, otherwise better in JPG.
- If you photograph in JPG, keep an eye on the white balance.
- When there are several animals, put them in the same plane so that they are all in focus or use medium apertures (f/8).
- Dodge one or two stops for very dark colored pets.
- Burn one or two stops for very light colored pets. What are you more lost than the rice boat and you don’t know what I’m talking about with underexposing, overexposing, etc.? Solve your doubts about light and exposure here.
And if your landing in photography is so recent that you don’t know what I mean when I talk about aperture, speed, ISO, etc., you’re going to have to learn some basic concepts of photography first. The good news is that I have prepared this guide to make it very easy for you.
After this brief paragraph, let’s continue with our pet photography 😉
Composition in pet photography
The way you place the elements within the frame is really important. In fact, a good composition can save some shortcomings technical, so pay attention:
- Keep in mind the law of the look leaving space in the direction in which the pet looks, or goes.
- Use negative space to give it prominence.
- The center of interest will be, except in exceptional cases, the eyes, make sure that they are in one of the points of interest of the rule of thirds and that they are well focused.
- Fill the frame for more impressive portraits.
- Include context when you want to tell a story.
- Tongue sticking out doesn’t always look good, especially if it’s that of an exhausted dog, and many families don’t like to see pictures of their dog with his tongue sticking out from sheer exhaustion.
- Raised ears in dogs and cats look better because the animal is alert and happy. Except when they are long and hanging ears, of course.
- Capture the details, the texture of their fur or shell, their hooves, etc.
- Be careful with the backgrounds, it is important that they do not distract, if there are many distracting elements and it is not possible to move the pet, it is better to change the perspective or blur as much as possible.
- Use perspective to arouse emotions or change the animal’s perception. The ideal is at eye level, but if you photograph from above, you will highlight their vulnerability and may seem more fragile, arousing tenderness. From below you will give him more power and he will seem more fierce.
- Never cut through joints, ears or tail.
- Look for creative photos, below I will leave you some more specific ideas to awaken your creativity.
Take care of the composition and you will have a lot of cattle
Lighting in pet photography
The ideal when it comes to lighting a pet is to use natural light, especially since it is what they will feel most comfortable with. So open curtains and bring your pet closer to the light. Now, if it is in a studio where you do not have enough natural light, you will have to get a continuous light. The flash thing, as I was saying before, we leave it for other occasions. Flashes scare pets and you can kill the session, better use, in the absence of a real window, a continuous light window (or two).
With lighting, beyond exposing correctly, you can arouse sensations. With a soft light you will have more portraits sweet and that inspire tenderness and tranquility, while allowing details to be seen better. Hard light is more dramatic and aggressive and brings out textures. It is important that you choose one or the other depending on what you want to convey, the personality of the pet, the moment, etc.
You can also use high key and low key to thrill your pet photos.
Pet photographed in low key
Some tricks related to lighting that you are interested in knowing:
- Look for places with a lot of light, near a window, a door, or even a lamp if it is night.
- With front lighting, take special care of the background.
- If you want a dramatic or sinister portrait, light your pet from below.
- Use the schemes and tricks of lighting portraits of people, they will also serve as a guide to portray pets.
- Use natural reflectors to fill in shadows or gain light: a white wall, a curtain, etc.
Tips and tricks for photographing pets
Now that we have already talked about these important aspects such as light or composition, we are going to see some General tips for photographing pets:
- Connect with the pet. If it is not your pet, before starting, spend some time getting to know you and building trust.
- Eyes always focused. Unless you’re looking for an extreme close-up of the hooves or the snout, of course. Creativity has no limits. But let it not be careless.
- Photograph them at their level, even if you have to drop to the ground. Shoot at eye level for maximum impact, unless you want to make use of the sensations of perspective I told you about earlier.
- Focus on his character and his personality. No one knows your pet and her habits better than you. The photo will be much more graceful and spark if it represents a typical situation of your pet: for example, if it is a normally lazy cat, photograph it being lazy. If, on the other hand, it is a dog that does not stop running around, take a picture of it in action. If it’s not your pet, ask the owners and do some research to portray their personality.
- I insist on the background, it is an important part of the photo. A good background will elevate your pet, an inappropriate one will ruin the photo.
The importance of the background
- And if what you want is impress an animal…