Pet Portraits Are Great Camera Mastery Training!
If you want to quickly master your camera, the easiest way is to do a bunch of pet portraits. It's fun and you will learn more than you could ever believe!
Today I'm going to dive into some pet portrait tips. Pet photos are some of the most rewarding portraits you can do - and they're fun! Pet owners are some of the best people you will ever meet and if you want to truly master your camera,
learning to do good pet portraits is the best training you will ever get!
Our first pet photo tip is - shoot at eye level.
For some reason we photographers tend to shoot 99% of our photos from a standing position, with the camera up to our eye. Don't believe me? For the next month, every time you see anyone taking a picture, notice their stance. It will almost always be standing up straight.
This is rarely the ultimate shooting position for capturing the scene - and with pets I would say it is NEVER the best!
When I say to shoot at eye level, I mean at the pets' eye level - not yours.
With animals it usually means sitting, kneeling or even lying on your belly, on the ground. With larger ones, you may be able to just bend your knees a bit.
BTW - If you are afraid to get your clothes dirty... or more likely if you are afraid to look foolish by interacting with your subject, get over it.
I can't tell you how many pet photos I see where the animal is just a tiny blob way down in the corner of the shot. It's a shame. Get down on the ground shoot at the pets' eye level and fill the frame.
That tip all by itself will catapult you over the other photographers in your area.
The second tip for today is… Focus on the eyes!
I'm frequently asked where the photographer should focus and the answer is to ALWAYS focus on the eyes. It doesn't matter what you are shooting a corporate president or a mouse. Focus on the eyes.
If the eyes are even a little out of focus, your viewers won't like the image. If the eyes are crisp and in focus, you'd be amazed at what you can get away with in the rest of the photo and still have it be liked.
Grab your camera and get out there! Stop procrastinating; you KNOW you want to do it! Do some pet portraits! Try doing some showing the playful nature of the animal; try some that are more formal. Try adding the owner! This will teach you camera mastery faster than any other kind of shooting I know! For more information, check out the resources box!
