Tips for Better Pet Photos: On the Level

Angling for a Better Pet Photo

Posted on 24. Jan, 2012 by Mark in Pet Photo Tips

Getting down low on the job. Look closely, those jeans get pretty filthy

When people ask me if there’s just a single tip I can give them to improve their pet photos the one I generally pass on doesn’t requires any special equipment or training (except maybe some stretching and basic flexibility exercises). It’s even an approach that works with any camera. Ready? Try shooting at pet level.It’s simple and basic but I promise it really makes a huge difference and moves you away from typical, predictable pictures of your dog or cat looking up at the camera.

Here’s why.

First, since most pets are a lot lower to the ground than we are it really brings a lot of visual interest to the shot since it’s not a view of the world we see a lot of the time.

Second, your dog or cat is posed more naturally this way. They’re not craning their necks and staring up at you.

Third, when you’re at their level it’s a lot less threatening than if you’re towering over them leaning over and holding a camera above. This is especially handy when the pet you’re photographing is on the timid side.

In terms of getting to pet level there’s a number of ways to do it.

In my case, it generally means getting down on the ground — either sitting or lying prone – which for shooting outdoors means getting really dirty and going through lots of jeans and t-shirts over the course of the year. Welcome to my world. Obviously, doing this inside is a lot cleaner.

However, you can also bring the camera to them and lower it to dog or cat level. For DSLRs or cameras you need to look through to focus and compose this can be a little

Poodle mix photographed against yellow flowers

The resulting photo

tricky but for some DSL’s, most point and shoots and cell phone cameras where there’s a big LCD viewfinder it’s pretty easy. Sometimes, using this approach yields really dramatic results since you get slightly tilted, off-center shots

Conversely, you can also bring them to camera level. I do this a lot when I’m shooting in someone’s back yard and they have an elevated deck or porch. I’ll stand in the yard in a spot where my head is at deck height and have them let the dog out on that deck. You can accomplish the same thing with stairs – standing at the bottom and shooting when the dog or cat hits a stair level with the camera.

Of course, this doesn’t mean you should never shoot from any other angle. It’s fun to mix things up like catching subjects from directly below as well as from above from time to time. It just depends on the pet and the setting. And like anything else, variety helps

Got questions or comments? Leave them on this post or shoot me an email. I’d love your feedback.

Coming up next time: A Light Touch

Cast your vote! I’m nominated for Top SF Pet Photographer
on Bay Woof’s Beast of the Bay

If you enjoyed this post, please consider leaving a comment or subscribing to the RSS feed to have future articles delivered to your feed reader.

Comments

comments

Tags: Pet photography tips

7 Responses to “Angling for a Better Pet Photo”

Ivo

24. Jan, 2012

I love your dog photos
Betsy Dallas

24. Jan, 2012

Good tips and beautiful portrait. I am always apologizing for my appearance at photo shoots because I pretty much wear older stuff that can handle crawling on the ground and getting really dirty. I just washed a pair of jeans that was covered in muddy paw prints from a visit to the dog park! Love your work Mark!
Nancy

24. Jan, 2012

Mark
How do you get a great photo of a jet black dog (or cat). Mine don’t seem to show her face vey well.
Mark

24. Jan, 2012

Thanks, Betsy. My version of business casual is a bit more casual than most. I actually started buying most of my shoot clothes at JC Penny. The jeans are decent and I get about 10 at a time. Cheap sweatshirts and tshirts are also key. And then there’s the dog poop shoes. But that’s a post in itself…
Mark

24. Jan, 2012

Thanks, Ivo
Mark

24. Jan, 2012

Hi, Nancy. Black dogs and cats are in a class by themselves when it comes to photography (some of us joke that they suck light) . Pure white animals can be equally tough for the opposite reason. I’m envisioning quite a few posts covering this in the future because, frankly, there’s not really one simple solution for it. I can tell you this, though. If you’re shooting in natural light it’s best to avoid direct sunlight (on your cat or dog) unless it’s first thing in the morning or in the late afternoon or early evening. The light’s a lot more forgiving when the sun’s at a low angle. Good, indirect light generally gives the best results. For inside shots if you can get your dog or cat in a well lit room near a window that you can cover with a thin curtain (white or neutral) that works well, too.
Betsy Dallas

25. Jan, 2012

Funny Mark! Can’t wait for your post on ‘dog poop shoes’! I went to an indoor show about a year ago and there had been some ‘accidents’ on the show hall floor which I completely ignored and walked through….apparently. The fragrance during the 1-1/2 hour ride home was ridiculous! Those shoes went right into the utility sink with a STRONG detergent!