Pet Portraits- Have A Perfect Shot

Most of us have pets in our home and we all know that they have a short life range compared to human.  It means that we could experience the death of our beloved pets at some stage. Because of that, pets could be the object of our photography for pet portraits. Pets are believed to be loyal to their masters and they are deserving to have their own pet portraits. Plus, pet portraits are also considered as one of our priceless treasures.

The following are tips on how to make those pet portraits more special.
1. SHOOT OFTEN
You have to familiarize your pets with the flash and the sound of the camera. In classical conditioning,  pets are performing common actions they used to act before with a given conditions. So, it is an advantage that  your pets are being trained to pose whenever there is a flash and sound of your digital camera. It is important for them not to be afraid or shy away. Their good shot will lead to good and beautiful pet portraits.

2. USE THE RIGHT LENS
It is great to shoot close-up using a normal focal length but your pet might not allow you to shoot them that close so it wouldn't be the right lens. You need to use one with a longer focal length in order for you to keep your distance.  As with humans, don't get too close to the animal's face as it distorts the image for your pet portraits.

3. ANGLES
Try to experiment with different viewpoints and angles. Get down lower and try to shoot at the animal's eye level for a more pleasant and sometimes dramatic view. Shoot from a high vantage point and get the pet to look up or get down below the pet and shoot up. The main key here is to get an angle that results a unique and pleasant image.

4. PROPS
There are two sides of the prop issue with pet portraits.  As with humans, they can help make a more interesting shot. It stimulates the animal and gets a reaction that often makes the photo. But, on the other hand, toys and props can get the animal to work up and over excited. Too much stimulation makes the animal's actions to be fast and they get too frisky.

5. PATIENCE
As with any type of photography for your pet portraits, patience is the virtue that you need most often. Waiting for that perfect expression or look can make stunning pet portraits. It will be the memory for later years.

6. COMPOSITION
Remember all the rules of composition such as the rule of thirds, getting in closer and excluding unnecessary clutter from the image. Don't forget that the eyes must be in perfect focus so you have to observe where your camera focuses. It may be necessary to turn off auto-focus and go manual.
Taking pet portraits will always be a challenge but on the other side the rewards are great. It takes time and effort and the opportunity can disappear in the blink of an eye. So, concentration is also a must.