Furry Friend Photography

You have to admit, even if you aren't an animal lover, that all animals are adorable in their own ways. But photographing them, like my spastic dog, can be very challenging if you aren't sure what you're doing. Animals can be spooked by the flash of a camera or even the sound of the shutter makes them jump. I tried taking pictures of an adorable golden retriever but every time the camera clicked she would jump up and hide. So below I will show the best tricks I've found while photographing my dog Sophie.

1. Wait for the right moment: You don't want a crazy animal all over you when you're trying to make it stay, nor do you want an animal fast asleep. When Sophie has energy, you know it, she acts like she was charged into an electrical socket and she runs around with all her toys (keeping her still is nearly impossible). But when she's tired she will not move, it doesn't matter if she is inconveniencing you, nope- not moving. However, the perfect time is when she is relaxed and in the middle.

2. Rewards! For most of my pictures where it looks like Sophie is looking at the camera, she normally is looking at a treat sitting on top of the lens. This gives the affect that she is directly staring at something while her focus is actually on a toy or a treat. When you're pet likes something and is able to wait for it, place that item either on your camera or in another area. Once your pet is finished with the picture taking, make sure to play with them and give them plenty of treats because this will tell them that they have done something good.

3. Turn off flash. By using flash, your pet could turn out with devilish red eyes so turn that flash off! Also, Sophie hates flash because it is so bright and she gets up and leaves if I even accidentally turn it on. 

Here are my favorites:

Those eyes scream "treat??"

Mind you, Sophie NEVER allows you to put a hat on her, so when I got this picture I started laughing at the hilarity or it as well as being ecstatic that she sat still so I could put the hat on :)

These easy tips should help you when you're photographing your pet; it can be hard to communicate what you want your pet to do in a picture but with some treats and a little motivation you are able to get some adorable pictures of your furry friend.

Love,

Natalie