If you’re a proud pet owner let’s forget about your photographic specialty for the next 10 minutes, because we all love capturing memorable images of our furry friends. Today’s tutorial from the B&H Photo Video YouTube channel demonstrates five must-know tips for getting the job done to perfection
In honor of National Adopt a Shelter Pet Day instructor Gabriel Richards took his crew to a new state-of-the-art animal care facility in New York to take portraits of some of their senior and long-term residents to help them get adopted. He demonstrates a variety of helpful methods for getting a pet’s attention, finding flattering poses, what kind of lighting to use, and more.
Richards reveals his foolproof techniques in the context of photographing dogs, but everything you’ll learn will work wonders for cat owners too. There are some special “accessories” you’ll want to have handy for tackling this assignment; namely, your pets favorite treats and a few toys.
Most pets are very motivated by food, and Richards explains why small meat-based treats are the best way to go for capturing a subject’s attention and sustaining their interest when facing the camera. And a cuddly toy will help keep a dog or cat comfortable and calm in this unfamiliar and potentially stressful situation.
An unobtrusive background is also essential whether you’re shooting outdoors or with a makeshift “studio” at home. In either case its “important to keep things simple because, after all, your pet is the star of the show.” Richards chose a simple bright-colored seamless backdrop for his on-location shoot.
You can take the same approach when shooting at home, but even a blank white wall will do just fine. Richards demonstrates how to things clean and simple when shooting outdoors, and one way to do that is by choosing a wide aperture to throw background clutter out of focus.
Richards moves on to several tips for encouraging your pet to strike variety of interesting poses. He provides flattering examples for candid shots, formal portraits with the subject gazing directly into the lens, and photos of action like your pet chasing a ball.
At this point you’re only halfway through the video and as the lesson proceeds you’ll discover valuable gear recommendations, tips for getting the light exactly right, and details on other key considerations. There are several links in the description beneath the video for watching more how-to videos on pet and dog photography.
There’s much more to learn on a wide variety of photo skills on the B&H Photo Video YouTube channel.
And speaking of animal photography techniques, be sure to check out our recent tutorial from a British wildlife expert who demonstrates how to capture perfectly focused bird photos when tree branches obscure your subject.