Lighting Can Make or Break Your Pet Photography
We’ve all seen ill effects of photographing pets in improper lighting. Red eye gives Fido that evil or possessed look. A loss of definition may cause your finely groomed Kitty to look like a washed out ball of fur.

To prevent lighting from ruining your pet photography, follow these instructions:

• Avoid using your camera’s flash. If you must use a flash, get an off-camera flash so it doesn’t reflect directly from your pet’s eyes.
• Use natural, outside light if possible. However, avoid direct sunlight.
• If photographing your pets outside is not possible, place your pet near a window with the light coming from the side.
• Rent indoor lighting equipment for the day.
• Avoid fluorescent or tungsten light that can distort your pet’s natural colors.

Positioning for Perspective
While you’re probably taller than your pets, you don’t have to photograph them from your natural angle. Instead, take the picture from their level to get their perspective.

Here are more tips for positioning your pet for photography:

• Lie on the floor or put your pet on a higher surface to get a more original perspective.
• Use your camera’s zoom feature or a zoom lens to take close-up photos of your pet’s face.
• If your pet won’t sit still and you’ve given him ample time to calm down, have someone hold your pet in place. If you’re trying to snap a portrait, your can edit out the person’s arms and hands at a later time with computer software.

Capturing Your Pet’s Personality
The true test of good pet photography is whether you’ve captured your pet’s personality in the photograph, not necessarily whether you’ve centered your pet within the camera’s frame.

When photographing your pets, you have a better chance of capturing their personality with these methods:

• Capture your pet’s natural pose. If you can, call to your pet or use a treat to get your pet to flash its own version of a smile. If your cat loves to lie on your crossword puzzle, wait for the moment and capture it!
• Have patience. Getting angry and yelling at your pet will not produce a happy pet in your photograph.
• Keep your pet comfortable. If your pet squirms when you dress her in a little sweater or place sunglasses on her nose, all you’ll get is a miserable, preoccupied Fluffy.
• Use treats or a favorite toy to get your pet’s attention. Remember to reward your pet throughout the photography process.

Photographing Your Pet Fish, Bird or Snake
Reptiles, birds and fish are colorful and interesting subjects for photography. Each one poses a different challenge.

Photographing Your Pet Fish
Use the lights of the aquarium when photographing a fish. Turn off your flash and place your camera to the glass. Wait for the fish to swim by and snap the photograph. If you’re determined to use your flash, take the shot at a 60? angle to avoid a hot spot in the photograph.

Photographing Your Pet Bird
The best hope for photographing your bird is to train your bird to sit on your finger. This will create a natural pose. Since most birds are very colorful, the most important aspect of setting up this photo is the background. Avoid background colors and patterns that may clash with your bird’s plumage.

Photographing Your Pet Snake (or Other Reptile)
When photographing your pet snake, you may have difficulty finding someone to hold him in a pose. That’s okay. You can zoom in for a close-up of his face or even just his eyes or mouth. You can also place your reptile in different environments to vary the feel of the photograph. If your reptile spends all of his time in a tank, take him out and photograph him running through the plush carpeting or slithering across a tiled floor.

With careful planning, patience and persistence, you can create a wonderful collection of pet photographs. Take your pet’s needs into consideration and quit when it stops being fun for either of you.

Courtesy: Photography.com