13 pet photography tips

1. Be patient!

It’s no good assuming you'll get a perfect photo first time, you have to be patient with animals... No matter how obedient they are, animals by their nature are curious and unpredictable. Give yourself time to capture a variety of different poses and for them to get used to the camera.

2. Observe

This is particularly important if you’re photographing someone else’s pet. Watch the animal to see how it behaves so you can capture something that sums up their personality, or see if they do something unusual that is worth a shot.

3. Fill the frame

The most gorgeous pet portraits are all about the subject. Fill the frame with your pet’s head to really capture expressions and fine details such as fur. Try to avoid distracting backgrounds that will take the focus away from your pet too.

4. Composition

Be careful when composing your shot not to clip off bits of the pet – this can take what would be a fantastic portrait to merely an OK one. In the shot above for example, the eyes and ears are great, but avoiding that clipping of the ear would have made it all the better.

5. Use natural light

You’ll get the best results if you use natural light, as harsh shadows and unnatural casts won’t be thrown over your pet. Take your photos in a room with big windows and lots of natural light if you can’t take them outdoors.

6. Get down to their level

Shooting your pet from above will rarely capture them at their best angle. Much like you need to with children, get down to their level (or bring them up to yours if you can!) for greater eye contact, more natural expressions and to avoid the bird’s eye view which will overwhelm smaller animals.

7. Let them play

Animals are naturally inquisitive creatures and will probably wonder what you are doing with your camera. Let them investigate the camera (within reason, obviously) so they will get used to it and behave naturally.

8. Avoid camera flash

Where possible, stay away from camera flash. This will not only cast unnatural shadows onto your pet, it could also scare them. If you’re shooting in a darkened area, bounce an off-camera flash off the ceiling or wall for a softer and less intrusive source of light.

9. Pet photography camera settings

A fast shutter speed will ensure that you’re able to capture your pet’s fast movements, don’t be afraid to crank up the ISO if lighting is a problem to make sure you keep that fast speed. Using a wide aperture will throw the background out of focus, and keep your attention solely on the animal.

10. Pet photography lens choice 

Using a fast fixed length lens, such as 50mm prime (I used the Canon 50mm f/1.4 USM for these pictures), will allow you to get a beautifully shallow depth of field and shoot at low ISOs even in poor light. You might also want to consider a 100mm fixed length macro which will allow you to fill the frame without getting close enough to your pet to distract them.

11. Catch their attention

Get together a bag of tricks to catch your pet’s attention or get them to behave in a certain way. A dog whistle, some treats or a toy can all work wonders, and will be especially effective if you can get another person to use them while you concentrate on taking the photos.

12. Keep the eyes sharp

A key rule in portrait photography, keeping the eyes sharp is something that applies to pet photography too. Keep them pin sharp by adjusting your autofocus to lock onto the eyes.

13. It’s all in the detail

Don’t ignore the smaller details, such as your pet’s paws, their ears or even their favourite toy. You can use these close ups as part of a photographic montage, or in a photo album to add character.

All images: © Amy Davies