We all love our pets, and in some cases we even prefer their company to some members of our family. And we also like to capture the essence of our pet in the snaps we take. Whether it be a cat, dog, guinea pig, rabbit or snake – we want endearing, and enduring, mementos of them. Each pet has their own distinct personality and characteristics, and we like to capture these idiosyncrasies when taking shots. We also know that, like young children, pets sometimes have minds of their own. We thought we’d put together a little guide that will hopefully make the task a little bit easier.
Make Time
Be prepared to spend a little time when setting up your shots. If you’re in a hurry, and want it done and dusted in 30 minutes, it won’t happen. Some pets (such as dogs and some cats) can be cajoled. Others are not as agreeable, so it’s best to set a reasonable amount of time to get the job done.
Take The Snaps During The Day
Take your picture during daylight hours – preferably when there is plenty of light around. You may think this is weird thing to say, but it’s common sense when you think about it. Taking a shot at night will more often than not involve having to use a flash – something that is not pet-friendly in any way, shape or form.
Go The Easy Route
Most portraits are usually of a cat sleeping, or a dog sitting at alert, or other such standard shots. Maybe your shot could be a bit more creative and have your pet running around, playing dead, or doing something interesting. Not your traditional portrait, but it could save a lot of time as you won’t have to wait for them to stay still.
Go Down To Their Level
It may sound like a strange thing to do, but you might have to go down to their level. This is not only a practical solution – that is, most pets are a lot shorter than us so it is better to get down to their level to make them comfortable – but also it gives you an insight into how the world looks from their point of view. This in turn, makes for more interesting pictures.
Taking snaps of your family pet can be a chore, but planning before you start will not only make life easier, it will mean a better end result, too.