It’s not always easy to get the best photo of your pet. But it doesn’t have to be that way. The key is to focus on the details: knowing how best to capture their character, body position, and expression. Here are some tips that will help you take better pictures of your favorite critter—both indoors and outdoors—without breaking the bank or requiring fancy equipment!
Don’t forget your rule of thirds.
One of the most important rules of photography is to keep your subject in the middle, or off-center. This is called the “rule of thirds.” It’s easy to understand: if you divide up any photo into three sections, then place your subject in one of those sections, it will look more balanced than if you place them smack dab in the middle. One way to use this rule is by imagining a grid dividing your viewfinder into nine equal parts — four lines and four spaces. Wherever a line crosses a space (like at 9 o’clock), that’s where you want to put something interesting—your subject or whatever else you want people seeing when they look at your image first. When following the rule of thirds, your choice of camera for photography can make a significant difference in achieving the desired composition.
Get familiar with your subject.
Before you can take photos of an animal, you need to get to know them a little bit. This means doing things like reading up on the species and their habits, observing them in the wild or at a zoo (preferably both), and talking with other photographers who have worked with your subject before. You might even consider taking classes dedicated specifically to animal photography if there are any available near where you live.
Take several shots.
Take several shots of the same subject from different angles, distances, lighting conditions (overcast day vs direct sunlight).
Factor in the background.
When it comes to taking photos of animals, there are a few things you can do to make sure that the background doesn’t distract from the subject. The first thing is to make sure that you have a background that isn’t too busy or distracting. For example, if your dog is laying down on a white couch and you take a photo of it with windows behind him/her, then it’s going to look like the window is their body instead. You want people looking at your animal, not at whatever else might be in the background! The second thing is not having too dark or too light of an image. While I’m sure you’ve heard of overexposure and underexposure before (or maybe even seen them), here’s what they mean: Overexposure means that there isn’t enough light being let onto film or sensor; underexposure means there is too much light being let onto film or sensor which creates dull colors and poor contrast between objects in frame versus background.
Learn patience.
It’s important to be patient when taking photos of animals. The best moments can pass by in a flash, so you need to wait for the right moment. Your subject could be getting ready for their next photograph, or they might not be in the mood to grant your request at that particular moment. You need to wait for them to look in just the right direction and get into just the right position before you capture their image.
Plan for your character’s body position and expression.
For proper animal photography, it’s important to plan for your character’s body position and expression. The eyes are the center of attention in most photos, so focus on that area first. Get as close as you can without making the animal uncomfortable or nervous; this may mean using a zoom lens rather than wider angle one, which gives less depth of field (the range of sharpness). Use a tripod if possible—it will help keep everything cleanly in focus and ensure that there aren’t any unwanted camera movements during capture. If you don’t have one handy (or don’t want to lug it around), try using your hands as a substitute! Consider remote shutter triggers if available: these allow you to safely remove yourself from harm’s way when taking pictures of fast-moving animals like dogs running through the park or lions leaping great distances after their prey. This tip is especially useful if said animals have sharp teeth and tend not appreciate being photographed!
Try black-and-white photography.
Black and white photography is a great way to make an animal photo stand out. While color photos can be beautiful, they’re not as dramatic or artistic. Black and white photography has a timeless quality that makes it more artistic than color, while being more dramatic than full-color photos.
Use backlighting photography technique.
To do this, you’ll need to use a flash or flashlight of some kind. This can be a simple household light bulb but it’s best if it’s actually made for photography. The reason why is because they are more powerful than regular bulbs and give off more light, which will help illuminate the photo better than if you were using an ordinary bulb. You can also use natural sunlight as long as there’s no direct glare coming from any sources like windows or lamps in your house/apartment/condo/etc., but otherwise using artificial lighting is recommended over using natural sunlight alone due to how much easier it is to control the quality of light coming from artificial sources compared to natural ones (though both are still viable options).
Use a fast shutter speed.
A fast shutter speed is important to freeze action, avoid camera shake, avoid blur and prevent motion blur. This can be achieved with the aid of a tripod or by holding your camera very still when taking the picture. You should also avoid blurring caused by motion blur in your pictures so it’s best to use a small aperture setting if possible. You’ll need to experiment with this yourself and find out what works best at different distances from your subject (and whether anything needs cropping).
Tell a compelling story with humans, too.
One of the most powerful things you can do in an animal photo is to use a human element. Sometimes it’s just a person in the background watching your subject, but other times it’s actually the main focus of your image. If you have an animal who loves people, then this will be easy for you to do. If not, it might take some time and patience before you are able to get them comfortable enough for their best pictures with humans.
We hope these tips will help you to start taking your own animal photos. Remember, it’s all about patience and getting to know your subject. If you have any further questions or suggestions on how we can improve our pictures, please let us know!
