Many families now have lovely pets. These pets are good companion, they can relieve people's mental stress and bring people happiness. Looking at their cuteness, you must also want to take pictures for them. So, how to take adorable photos for pets?
Here are some tips for pet photography, teaching you to take good pet photos.
Get Ready Before Shooting
The preparation is mainly camera settings, shoot in aperture priority mode and use the widest aperture setting possible. It is best to reduce the aperture a little, if it is too close, the pet's nose will easily lose focus. Some pets may be timid. It is recommended to use a smaller camera, or use a smaller fixed focus head. In addition, when capturing motion, use a shallow depth of field (wider aperture) to isolate the subject from the background or expose ISO to a higher shutter speed, which helps to obtain more eye-catching action shots. Play with them for a while before shooting and let them get used to your presence.
Bright Shooting Environment
Shooting pets outdoors under natural light will produce the best images. Bright environments are more suitable for capturing pet actions and expressions. But most people may take indoor shots. The light at home is an indispensable condition for shooting pets. The flash is not required when natural light is sufficient. If the light source is not so ideal, you can increase the ISO sensitivity, or use a larger aperture and increase the shutter speed to shoot. When you have to use the flashlight, in any case, do not let the flashlight face your pet.
Shoot at Their Eye Level
For pet shooting, angle is very important. It’s not a good angle to photograph pets from top to bottom, since they will look very small. Try to lower the camera position, look at your pet, and shoot at their eye level to capture the pet's micro expressions. This is also conducive to close the relationship with pets and ease their anxiety. Bend over or lie on the ground and take pictures at their level.
Focus on the Eyes
Eyes are the windows of the soul. Portrait photography often focuses on the eyes. Pets photography is also the same. Pets are innocent, they have bright and cute eyes. Sometimes they are naughty and sometimes lazy. As long as you capture the pet’s wonderful eyes, you will create an excellent pet photography work. Therefore, put the focus on the pet's eyes, one is not to go out of focus, and the other is to use a shallow depth of field to simplify the background to highlight the eyes. It is even better if there is proper reflected light in the eyes.
Toys or Props
Taking photos of pets is not an easy task. They may not cooperate with you. At this time, toys and food can be used to guide them. Besides, you can give them rewards and encouragement to please them. If they are happy, the shooting will be much easier, and the pictures that can be captured are also colorful. When shooting indoors, you can use some photography backdrops to make the scene more interesting and diverse, thus the photos you take will not be so monotonous. Putting some toys on the backdrops can also attract pets' attention.
Be Patient and Interactive
Pets easily lose patience. When you want to take pictures of them moving, they may be motionless; when you want them to sit quietly, they may run non-stop. At this time you have to be patient, try to capture the picture quickly according to their actions. If you are stressed and anxious, they will feel it too, and become nervous and anxious. Remember to have fun with them, the shooting will go smoothly.
Every pet has its own characteristics. When taking photos of pets, adjust the strategy according to their current state. Pets are fun to work with, and each one is unique. Whether your subject has cute eyes, a wagging tail, fluffy fur, or a charming attitude, every creature has an individual character that is fun to capture.
