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Photographing pets (2)
Watch those body parts
Whether photographing birds or bunnies, it's almost always best to lock focus on the eyes. That's where people look first. For peppy looking photos, take shots when your pets ears are up and it's nose is moist.
Stay at eye level
Avoid taking photos from above the pet. For more interesting looking pictures, shoot from eye-level even if it means getting down on the floor.
Watch the background
If your pet is dark colored, choose an area to shoot that has a light colored background. For light colored pets, choose a dark background. Also avoid cluttered, busy looking backgrounds so the eye is not distracted from the pet when looking at the photo.
Kept the composition tight
While full and mid-length shots are fine, filling the frame with your pet can result in some stunning photos. You don't have to photograph the entire body to get a great shot.
Zoom in
You can capture wonderful candid shots if your pet is unaware that it is being photographed. Stand back and zoom in. Another benefit of zooming in is that depth-of-field will be reduced so the pet will be in sharp focus and the background blurred.
For action shots, use burst mode
Unless your pet is sleeping, it will most likely be moving. Use continuous mode if it is engaged in an activity such as running or playing. You can then select the best photos of the series.
Take plenty of shots
If you have room on your memory card, make sure to take lots of photos. You increase the odds of having several pictures that are "keepers."
Cat photo: "Sasha" by Darlene Goff Copyright 2005 Used with permission
