Know Thy Subject

Posted on 13. Feb, 2012 by Mark in Pet Photo Tips

Me and a client getting acquainted

This pet photography tip — one of my favorites — seemed really appropriate for Valentine’s Day. It doesn’t actually entail taking a picture but it’s one of the most important things you can do to get the best possible photographs of any pet you photograph — even your own. It’s really simple. Ready?

Spend time getting to know your subject before you shoot.

You know how much you hate it when you’re at a party and somebody  just pops a camera in your face and just starts taking pictures?  Imagine being a dog or cat, not even knowing what a camera is and having someone 10 times your size walk up, point one at your snout and begin snapping away. There’s no trust there and what you generally get–besides an upset subject–is unflattering pictures.

Equipment scented with treats and smelly things doesn't hurt

Before you even pick up the camera spend a little time hanging out getting comfortable with each other — even if it’s your own dog or cat. Let them sniff the camera. Heck, let them lick the lens — you can wipe it off. My camera and gear bag smell like a treat smorgasbord because my hands tend to get smeared with kibble, cheese and/or chicken during shoots and I totally use this to my advantage to help break the ice. It’s just like going on a date.

Building this kind of rapport is really critical. It relaxes everyone, gets you  happier subjects with better expressions and often allows you to get in closer than you would have otherwise.

I don’t have the lock on the best approach here by any means and if anyone else has any other tips on building rapport I’d love to hear them.

Or, if  you have other topics you’d like to see covered here please post below with your questions and suggestions.

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Tags: pet photography tips and tricks, San Francisco Pet Photography