Common mistakes people make when photographing their pets (and how to avoid them)

If you’re anything like me, your phone is full of snapshots of your pets. As a professional pet and family photographer, sometimes I have to remind myself to not worry so much about composing a great shot and to just get the dang shot! That cuteness isn’t going to stay in that purrfect position for much longer. Sometimes 1.3 seconds is all we have!

You want that photo to look good, even if it’s only going to live on your phone. But how can you avoid blurry shots of your loving fuzzball flying halfway out of the image?

As a professional pet photographer, I have some tips to help you get better shots of your pets using your phone’s camera so you can “heart” more and delete fewer.

1. Capture personality instead of forcing poses

The Mistake: Trying to get your pet to pose like a human—sit still, look at the camera, maybe wear a costume they hate.

The Fix: Let your pet be your pet. The magic of pet photography is in capturing them as they are. That goofy head tilt, the way their ears perk up when they hear your voice, or how they sprawl belly-up on the couch—those are the golden moments. Keep your camera ready, and let their personality lead.

2. Put your flash on pause

The Mistake: Relying on flash indoors or in low light, which often results in red-eye, startled expressions, and a very unhappy animal.

The Fix: Use natural light whenever possible. Big windows are great for this. Figure out ahead of time where the flash setting is on your phone, and set that to “off” so it won’t flash unexpectedly the next time you grab your phone for a spontaneous photo.

3. Keep your distance, then move in slowly

The Mistake: Shoving a phone/camera in your pet’s face as soon as you pick it up.

 The Fix: Give your pet space, and if you still can’t get the shot, try your camera’s zoom feature. If you’re still too far away, slowly move in. Speak calmly, and don’t rush it.

4. Keep your background in check

The Mistake: Snapping a photo with dirty laundry, clutter, or distracting elements behind your pet.

The Fix: Keep your background simple and clean. Think about how the setting adds (or detracts) from the mood you’re trying to capture. You can also now change the f-stop/aperture in your photo in your editing settings. A smaller f-stop will blur the background more, helping make it less distracting.

5. Get on your pet’s level

The Mistake: Taking all your photos from standing height, looking down on your pet.

The Fix: Get waaaayyy down! Literally. Kneel, crouch, or even lie on the ground to see the world from their point of view. This brings an intimacy and connection to the photo that feels authentic and respectful of your pet’s experience.

6. Keep their focus

The Mistake: Having several people at once trying to get your pet’s attention.

The Fix: Have one person only get their attention and try to hold it. It never helps to have several people yelling a dog’s name, then wondering why they started doing zoomies instead of sitting for a photo. Pets can easily get overly excited, so keep it calm and cool.

In the end, the best photos are the ones that make you smile. If you have a library of images you love to browse through and get excited to share your pet’s photos with other pet lovers, then you’re on the right track. Keep these guidelines in mind, and before you know it, you’ll have to get more storage for all the photos your heart makes you keep.

Tags: #PetPhotographyTips #ChicagoPetPhotographer #ChicagoFamilyPhotographer #SavannahPetPhotographer #SavannahPets #PhotographyStyle