I made a weird noise to bring out Gertie’s personality.
I teach an online class with the BPSOP, and I also conduct my “Stretching Your Frame of Mind” workshops around the planet. I’ve occasionally been asked how do I photograph pets, so since there’s a million links to this genre, I’ll put my two cents in and make it brief.
I’m not a pet photographer per se, I was an advertising and corporate photographer that periodically would get a project that included shooting animals; specifically dogs…why? I’m not a cat person, I’m a dog guy so I guess it was just one of those reasons that no one ever called me to shoot cats. So what I know about shooting pets is mostly about shooting dogs.
What advice I can offer is first and foremost, get it sharp! Make sure you’re shooting at a fast enough shutter speed to freeze any action, and above all make sure you have a comfortable F/stop to get the nose to the eyes in focus. This is not a rule because there’s always going to be times when having areas out of focus is more important; getting it sharp is just generally a good overall suggestion.
- Get on their level. To me it makes for a stronger connection, especially the implied line between their eyes and the lens.
- Always use natural light. The obvious reason is that the light will be softer, but another reason is that electronic flash could either distract or scare them…or both.
- Choose a background that’s familiar to your pet. A backyard (depending on the light) is desirable so he won’t be distracted by a new environment. If it’s a portrait I’m after, then I like to have the background out of focus. A medium telephoto shot at it’s widest aperture will usually make this happen. Just don’t put Fido in front of something or close to anything that will look like it’s growing out of his head.
- If you’re dog is dark put him in front of something light. Conversely, if you’re dog is light, put him in front of something dark.
- If you use a small zoom, you have the option in filling the frame with just their head to quickly pulling out to reveal some kind of out of focus environment.
- Remember that you’re dealing with an animal, so patience is going to be rewarded. If you need to take a Valium beforehand…then just do it!
- Feeding your pet ahead of time is always a good idea as it will keep them relaxed…especially if you didn’t take your Valium
- Having someone to help you can be a Godsend. If you have a large pet, getting someone to lay down and hold their feet in position has worked for me.
- If you’re after their personality and that can mean getting an inquisitive look, try making some type of weird sound. Be sure to have your finger pressed firmly on the shutter release because more than likely they won’t hold the pose for you.
- If you’re taking a portrait of a family member with their pet. Get the pose you want from them then tell them to keep looking into the lens and ignore any and all commands you give to the dog. This will help tremendously since you’ll only have to concentrate on one of them.
Well that’s about all I can think of right now. I can tell you that if you follow these guidelines you’ll have an excellent chance in walking away the winner of the joint meeting or friendly confrontation!!
Visit my website at: www.joebaraban.com, and check out my workshop schedule at the top of this blog. Come shoot with me sometime. On July 30th I begin my 29th year at the Maine Media Workshops. I’ve had the same week since the beginning. It’s the week of the Lobster Festival down the road in Rockland. It offers a completely different set of photo ops than one would expect when coming to photograph the coastline, lighthouses, and fishing villages of Maine. Come join me and spend a week completely immersed in your love for photography.
Send me a photo and question to: AskJoeB@gmail.com and I’ll create a video critique for you.
JoeB
