Cats and Dogs are smart - really smart!

Your cat or dog will happily pose for photos when its tiny - because everything is a game then.The best time to photograph a new puppy or kitten is when you first introduce them to your garden or home - that way EVERYTHING is exciting and new and its a voyage of exploration for them.

So for the best photos of your pet start early - and ALWAYS have your camera to hand for the best photos.

Make sure you have a spare memory card too - you will take LOTS of photos!

When kittens and puppies are really tiny, its fun to take pictures as they explore the world about them - and they are still small enough to get inside wellingtons and big shoes . I do not quite suggest dressing your pet up (that is a bit 1950s) but dogs particularly like a red bandana round their collar. Play with your puppy/kitten - use balls of wool on a string, fluffy toys,or just a plain old red ball (but not a tennis ball - they can quickly tear those apart and choke on them ) Its a lot easier if there are two of you - one to hold things out of reach and to feed tit-bits while the other one photographs the pets. Some of the best pictures are to be had when the baby animal is still with its mother and siblings. Get yourself a training clicker from the pet shop and this will quickly grab their attention.Have a supply of small treats (NOT chocolate -its bad for animals) to keep them interested.

Play with the pet till it is really tired and a bit dopey and that is the moment to get the cutest shots of all.

If you can get three or four puppies/kittens together then with a little patience and a lot of following around, you can get some great shots. If you want to fill the frame with the pets head then use a close-up lens and you will get sharp pictures much closer.

Lighting is simple - a main light to the right of the photographer with a reflector to the left. and if you have another light you could use that for rim lighting from slightly above and behind.If using Flash try to bounce the flash and avoid red-eye this will also soften the lighting.Outdoors,use flash to fill in shadows but stop down to - half a stop if you can to retain shadow detail.

Technically you need to switch OFF auto focus if you can as you will certainly miss some of the best shots while your camera hunts for a sharp zone. Use ISO 200 and the fastest practicable shutter speed to catch the action.

Patience really is the name of the game - and a cute and interested pet.Try introducing animals together - puppies and kittens have interesting interactions. Study old postcards for ideas on setting up fun pictures to sell - humour always sells.

If you are photographing Hamsters or Pet Rats then buy a small pack of ready made custard - rodents will do ANYTHING for custard ! They can learn tricks too.
Be careful about putting young animals on a table-top - they are not as resilient as they appear to be.And they fall off remarkably easily. If you have kittens to photograph then take my tip and seal off your chimney with card and duct tape - I forgot and it took three hours to get the little blighters down.Their mother tried to go after them too !

If you are photographing a valuable dog please make sure they stay with you all the time. The dog gets worried in a new place without its owner - as I found out with a large dog that backed me into a corner of my studio for an hour till its owner returned…’ I don’t understand - he’s never done that before’ said the owner. Hmm

Always take full face and profile shots of your dogs - it’s a good record of their growth apart from having good shots of them.

Some of the best pictures I have taken were when we visited the breeder to choose our puppies - with the breeders permission I took lots of shots and puppies at 4 weeks old are really cute .

If you are photographing someone else’s dog or cat make sure your insurance policy covers you against claims for damage - it’s always wise to protect yourself.

Keith Jones is a Professional Stock Photographer in Western Ireland.

He’s illustrated several books on Cats,Dogs and Horses and has a Stock Photo Library.

To learn more about stock and Microstock Photography Please Visit: http://www.squidoo.com/microstockinfo/

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Keith_Jones http://EzineArticles.com/?Photograph-Your-Pet&id=22144

This entry was posted on Tuesday, October 30th, 2007 at 7:55 pm and is filed under Cats, Dogs, General. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.