If you are an animal lover, then you must know that pets are like family members. At this time, having a pet is a common scenario, especially for western countries. So, pet photography is very common and demandable for you. Pet photoshoot is a special area to explore. Pets such as dogs, cats, birds, turtles, rabbits, etc each one is beautiful in their way. When it comes to pet portraits, it’s become challenging. Because pets don’t sit calmly for long. Keep on running and moving all the time. But with some basic knowledge about pet photoshoot, you can nail it. You must make your pet comfortable in front of the camera and quickly shoot postures and gestures. Pets do most of the things if you give them treats or train them. So, capturing a pet-loving moment can be for your pet photoshoot, or you can try this for a business.
What Exactly Does Pet Photography Mean?
It’s simple that pet photography means capturing some individual moments of your beloved pet. But surprising is that many of us don’t know the demand for pet photoshoot. Let’s see how much a pet owner is dedicated to their pet. According to American Pet Products Association (APPA), in 2019, $97.1 billion was spent on pets in just the U.S, And in 2020, $103.6 billion was spent. APPA assumes that in 2021 it will increase by about $109.6 billion. So, people willingly spend money on their beloved pets. Because they care about them. Pets become family members. So, people want to include pets in their family album or create albums for them to capture moments to remember forever and preserve a special relationship. If you search for an increasing genre of photography that makes handsome money, you may hit the right place. So, it’s pet photography that you should try.
Important Guidelines About Pet Photography:
When your model is someone special like a dog, cat, rabbit, bird, etc. You have to pay more attention than human or nature. Pet portraits look cute, adorable & seem easy. Hold on! It’s complex to shoot an unpredictable model. So, I’m gonna tell you some essential tips about pet photography.
1. Be Comfort With Your Subject:
If you ever notice a professional pet photographer in action, you will see they have a friendly bond with animals. So, first thing first, make them comfortable with you. Animals don’t like getting out of their comfort zone. They get anxious when they need to alter their habit and routine. Most animals know things with the smell. So, let them know you, introduce them to your shooting equipment. Most importantly, do a study about your subject’s behavior and how they react to new environments. Try to understand their motive to see movements.
2. Plan The Shoot:
Though candid could be amazing, you should plan properly for stunning pet photography. If you want to tell a story with images, then planning is a must. It can be a cat with his/ her human parents, or a dog playing with a ball or waiting for his loved one. This type of pet photoshoot content engages more people and touches them emotionally. You can add pet toys, food, different expressions, different places of house or outdoor. Just add variety to your photoshoot, it will be outstanding.
3. Beware About Light:
A dark place or inappropriate lighting can ruin your shoot. In pet photography, natural light is essential or if you shoot indoors, ensure enough light. Pet photography is not like a human portrait. When your subject is a human, you can do makeup, fix other things. But in pet photography, a perfect light is required. You can slightly edit your pet photo, but remember it’s not much easy.
4. Choose Clutter-Free Location:
Before taking a single shot, you have to take a look at your shooting location and remove clutter, distracting objects. If the background of an element doesn’t enhance your image, then either remove that or move your shooting to a different place. People get irritated to view pointless and trashy elements of your pet photos. So, it’s really important to make your shooting spot clear & noise-free. Too much noise distracts your pet, and you will not get a perfect shot.
5. Prepared For Candid:
The most basic purpose of pet photography is to capture the character and personality of your adorable pet. If you take them to a completely new place for a shoot, normally they get panicked. So, let your pet relax first. And always be ready for a candid image. That is comfortable for both photographer & pet.
6. Grab Their Attention:
In pet photography, getting attention from pets is most important for improving your photography skill. If you want to look them towards you, then try a simple trick. Take their favorite toy with you. When you want to shoot, just call them and hold the toy. They give attention to you and take the shot within a second. If you can maintain the time perfectly, then it will be an amazing shot. But be careful about your movement. Don’t make a sudden move. As a result, they can jump up and follow you. Avoid eye contact and give them their toy. If they start to move and play by themself, then that’s a perfect chance to take an action shot.
7. Careful About Distraction:
It’s a common talk that curiosity killed the cat. But not only the cat but also the maximum animals are too curious. So, if the shooting spot is noisy, that’s a problem. You have to be careful about distracting things like noise, light, elements, movements, etc. But you can positively use their curiosity if you imagine yourself a sports photographer. That means you need to keep in mind that the shot might come and go in an instant. So, always be ready for a perfect photo. You can capture a spontaneous and natural expression.
8. Focus On Expression & Eyes:
For capture, living subject eyes can be most precious to capture. When taking eye shots make sure that light doesn’t reflect the eye. Expression and personality in the eye engage more people.
9. Pay Your Model:
Never forget to give a present to your model. Animals need some sort of motivation to do things. If you also want to train them, then you should be tricky. Give them a command, then show them how to do it, and finally, give them a treat. So, for photography, take a shot and give them a treat or gift. They willingly do the same for you next time. For dogs it’s so simple, dogs love getting attention. So, give your puppy food, love & attention. For cats, it may be a catnip, feather toy, cat bed, etc.
Camera Equipment For Pet Photography:
This depends totally on you. There is no specification on choosing a camera or lenses. But we just can suggest and rest of all depend on your budget, objective and style. So, for pet photography, you can choose full frame vs cropped sensors, DSLR camera, mirrorless camera, etc. Picking up the right camera will make your shot easier. If you are a professional pet photographer then your picking will be different from an amateur.
Then comes the lens, based on your requirements you should select the lens. Instead of selecting a particular brand, should focus on your goal. So, you can choose between standard or normal lens, wide-angle lens, telephoto lens, and macro lens.
Finishing lines:
Pet photography is one of the fastest-growing business trends all over the world. As a pet lover or professional photographer, you will always cherish having perfect and clean photos. So, here comes post-production of photos. Whatever you are a pro photographer or hobbyist, you are always welcome to us(Clipping Amazon) for any kind of photo editing service. So, don’t think too much. Knock us, for further queries and take our free trial. To know about wild photography Click here!
