Taking Pictures Of Your Pets

We’ve talked a little in previous posts about capturing your pets on camera for cute canvas prints, and since then, we’ve heard lots of other ideas for keeping them entertained while you snap away. 

The saying goes ‘Never work with animals or children’ and amateur photographers may be wary of both, but especially the former – while a well trained dog may ‘sit’ and ‘stay’ on command, getting most creatures to sit still or look adorable for the camera is no easy task. However, with a bit of patience, willpower and a pet photography ‘toolkit’, it may not be quite as hard as you think.

Dangly toys – Perfect for cats and kittens and even canine companions, toys suspended from string or elastic attached to a pole will help you to get their attention and gaze skywards for a thoughtful photo. You can move the toy around to get their heads in the right position too, helping you to frame the perfect shot.

Bubbles – You know those little plastic tubs of bubbles you can buy? They cost pennies, so they’re a worthwhile investment. The beauty of bubbles is that as well as mesmerising your furry friends, they also look great if they’re caught in the shot, so you don’t need to worry about keeping them out of the frame. Cats go crazy for them, so you may even get some photos of them on their hind legs, padding away at the airborne magic!

Food glorious food – Treats can act as a great incentive and also a good prop. A biscuit on your dog’s nose and taking an action shot as he tries to flip and catch it can work, or a treat held high for cat or canine to reach for can also make a great shot. Or for smaller animals like hamsters and gerbils, their cute chubby cheeks munching away on a treat held in their front paws can make a super-cute image for your canvas print. Treats also work well for a photo of a pet bird – let them sit on someone’s hand while you snap away.

Grass – get out in the garden and you’ll have a lovely backdrop for your pet. You may need to construct a makeshift pen for smaller animals, but getting down on ground level and shooting them with grass, daisies, flowers or a blue sky in the shot makes for a really natural image that will look lovely on your wall.

Logs and driftwood – another great, natural setting for animal photography; place your small animal, snake or reptilian friend on an interesting piece of wood and snap away – until they get bored and leave for pastures new!