Pets are an extremely special part of every family; in fact, they pretty much are family, too! And we understand that families often want to include their fur babies in family portraits which can be a difficult task. However, there’s no need to fret since our guide has got you covered! We’ll help you in taking the perfect photos with your pets in any scenario you can imagine, and you can be extremely sure it’ll turn out great too! With that said, let’s get right into it with the first tip:
Prepare For the Shoot
Whenever we do family portraits, we often plan them out to some degree so we can have them taken exactly to our liking and ensure it is well enough to be framed and put on a wall. However, families may forget to factor in the anomaly that can be their pets, which may prove difficult to incorporate into family pictures properly. The preparation stage basically requires you to get the fundamentals planned out; the location and the timing, and the pet’s cleanliness.
Ideally, you would want to have the shoot occur outside or anywhere else where you know your pet feels comfortable. This might be the backyard for dogs, while for a cat, you may want to stay indoors if that’s more comfortable for them. Going outdoors does have the advantage of providing you with better lighting than indoors, though that’s debatable to a certain degree and is most definitely not a requirement. You can also consider doing a mock photo shoot with your pet to get them comfortable with the process and setting to prepare for the shoot.
Make Sure You Know Your Pet
This is especially important for new pets that may have just entered the family and are in the process of being familiarized with your family while you learn their habits and traits as well. In this case, you must know your pet well enough regarding their behavior around strangers (which could be the cameraman). If they are comfortable with you but not with the cameraman, you will have to take the time and effort to familiarize them with the stranger, or have a go at taking the picture yourself, which is perfectly doable too!
Get The Pet in a Good Mood
Animals are not so different from humans; a dog in a good mood is similarly more likely to cooperate as people are when they’re in good spirits. Most notably, if the pet is hungry, needs a walk, or is looking to go to the litterbox, it is unlikely for them to be cooperative or easy to work with for the photo session. Moreover, make sure they’ve had enough sleep as you definitely don’t want a case of the blinky-eyes (from your pet of all things) in the picture you take.
Make Use of Their Favorite Tricks, Treats or Toys
Can’t get the dog to listen or move or get your intended pose no matter what? A treat or their favorite chew tow is the way to go. By using these, you can gather their attention and retain it for a little bit which should be critical in helping you get them in the right place and position for the picture. An important thing to keep in mind is that you must not overuse either item, which may lead to losing the pet’s interest.
Especially for dogs, tricks and commands like asking them to stay or sit in place can be a Godsend in the photo session and will make your life that much easier. While cats are not that adept at learning tricks, teaching them how to stay and even sit is actually not that difficult of a task.
Remember to Have Patience, Lots of it
Animals often like to act on their own whim, and there is often little you can do to change that, especially in the case of cats. Even certain well-trained dogs can change their minds about listening to their common commands or being interested in their favorite treats. Therefore, you have to show patience for the opportunity to arise naturally. However, as soon as the chance does present itself, it will be crucial for you to be as quick as you can with the picture to avoid losing interest.
Avoid Long, Carefully Taken Pictures
The family will stay as still for as long as you can ask for, but the same is not true for pets who will most certainly have something to get their attention and try to move towards it. To avoid that, it is generally better in these cases to utilize fast shutter speeds or burst modes in cameras. These would allow you to take several pictures in a very short window of time and greatly increase the chance of at least one being a good one. In this scenario, adequate lighting is an absolute must-have; otherwise, your pictures may turn out dark or blurry, or both!
Natural Light is Your Best Friend
Artificial lights that are typically used in photography, such as lamps, can be dangerous when taking a picture with a pet as they may be agitated, and if they start panicking, they may knock it over and hurt themselves. Moreover, camera flashes are a no-go, too, since they could startle the pet and make them panicked or agitated as well. Try taking the picture near a window with lots of natural light, or consider picking an outdoor location to avoid all of this.
Show The Pet as a Genuine Part of The Family
The intimacy and bond between family members are often very visible in family portraits and are key parts of a good picture. When pets are included, it must be ensured that they are incorporated into the entire scene as naturally as any of the family members themselves are. To do this, consider acts such as hugging or kissing the pet in the pictures or playing with them if possible. The more connections you can highlight, the better your photos will look!