Pet Photography
Hello everyone,
Today, I want to share some tips on animal photography. It can be difficult to capture your pets, but I hope you'll be inspired after reading this post!
I own three lovely cats and they will be the subject of most of my pictures in this post, but most methods work for dogs and other animals as wel. To try and not make this a cat post, I'll start with a bird.
Sometimes you're bless with a furry or feathery supermodel like this bird I met in the zoo. He came closer, sat at the perfect spot, turned his head and started posing. I am greatful for his vanity!
(Nikon D300; ISO 560; f/3.5; 1/30 sec.)
This photo was difficult to make because of the fence that was in the way. The holes were just not big enough for my lens. I pressed my camera on the fence so you can barely see it.
One of my cats, Silver, isn't camera shy either. He loves the attention and sits still for the picture. His beautiful blue eyes are also very interesting. I didn't edit the colour in this image, they are really that blue!
(Nikon D300; ISO 280; f/3.3; 1/90 sec.)
When you're capturing your pets, you're actually making portraits. The same 'rules' apply:
- Focus on their eyes
- Use a lower f value so the background is blurry
These are more guidelines than rules of course. Maybe you noticed I focussed on Silver's nose. Maybe I'd be happier if the eyes were in focus, but his nose is cute too. I'll call it a creative artistic choice.
The difference with human models is that you can't give your pets instructions. If the pet is not blessed with modelling skills and I want it to look at the camera, I use either food, toys or sounds to guide their attention towards me. It is possible to do this on your own, but with some help, you'll have two hands to hold your camera (or phone), which is more convenient.
(Nikon D300; ISO 560; f/4.5; 1/2000 sec.)
This is Stippel and she loved the biscuit I was holding. For these kind of pictures, you want to set a fast shutter speed and take many pictures. You'd rather want to delete some failed shots than miss a great moment. You also need a lot of patience, because your pet maybe doesn't feel like being in the right place at the right time, so it might take a while before you make a good picture.
Food can also be used to put your pet on the spot you want them when you want to use a studio. For my cats, I also used a box. This trick always works. I am lucky my cats didn't mind the flash, because these pictures woudn't be if the light scared them off.
(Nikon D300; ISO 200; f/4.8; 1/180 sec.)
(Nikon D300; ISO 200; f/4.8; 1/180 sec.)
Cleo, the cat in the first picture, needed some encouragement. She was curious and wondered around my studio I put up in the living room, but food and the box helped me to get her in front of the camera. Silver wasn't difficult at all: the paper roll on the floor was interesting so he just sat there for a while, looking around.
Another way to capture your pets without the troubles of getting their attention is to not want their attention. When your pet is sleeping, you can take all the time to look for a right angle, choose the settings and take pictures, because your pet isn't moving for at least a while. Make sure you use a lens with a zoom, so you don't have to be too close to your pet and risk waking it. If you don't have the material and you have to get close, be quick and quiet.
(Nikon D300; ISO 200; f/2.8; 1/1000 sec.)
Or you could use moments when your pet is focussed on something else, like eating food or looking outside. Make sure you don't scare your pet when it's eating or drinking, it is important the animal can feel safe in these moments.
(Nikon D300; ISO 560; f/4.2; 1/45 sec.)
(Nikon D300; ISO 200; f/3.8; 1/30 sec.)
The last picture tells a lot about Minouche's character. She's outside most of the time and if not, she's sleeping or looking through the window. You can guess the reason for her being inside when this picture was taken.
To capture your pet's character, don't be afraid to be creative. Don't delete that one picture because it's blurry! Look at it first, maybe it tells exactly who the model is! Let animals put their noses in your lens, it shows their curiousity!
(Nikon D300; ISO 200; f/4.5; 1/45 sec.)
(Nikon D300; ISO 560; f/4; 1/60 sec.)
Thank you for reading this post, I hope you learned something or found inspiration. Please post your favourite animal photo in the comments, or tell me what you think of mine!
xxx Lieke
Find more work on my Instagram and Facebook page and give me a follow!
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LiekeRoodbolPhotography/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/liekeroodbolphotography/