To produce the best possible portrait of your pet, sharp, close-up photos with good lighting, are required to work from. Send me your favourite pose and several other photos as a reference for colour and detail accuracy.

Great photos can be taken with any camera - film or digital. However if you can, use one with a zoom lens or a short telephoto lens. If you are using a digital, please check that your camera is set at the highest resolution possible, for a sharp image.

Ensure you have your pet well groomed before taking the photos. Decide if you want it to have its collar, halter or bridle on or off?

Photographing animals does require some patience. To capture the ideal shot it is best to shoot lots of pictures from different angles, It is also important that the animal remains comfortable and relaxed.

Light
Photos are always best taken in natural light outdoors. Early morning, late in the afternoon or mid winter provides the best lighting, when the sun is low in the sky. A bright cloudy day with diffused light any time of the day, will work well too.

Avoid taking pictures between 10am to 3pm on sunny days as the bright light results in altered colours, hard shadows, high contrast and squinting eyes.

Otherwise have your pet close to a window with plenty of natural light streaming through and coming from behind or to the side of your pet.

Turn your flash off as this can result in inaccurate colour, shading, red eye and will flatten the subject.

Camera Angle
Position yourself and your camera at the same height as your pet. You may need to sit, squat or lie down on your stomach.

Hold the camera at your pets’ eye level and fill the viewfinder with its head and shoulders. To avoid distortion, stand at least a metre from your pet. Some close-up shots of the head are also helpful.

When taking ‘full body’ shots, the camera should be positioned at shoulder height for laying, and chest area for sitting and standing, to avoid a distorted look.

Photographing Dogs

The photo session should always be fun for you and the dog! It will show in your dog’s expression. J

Positioning:
If possible have someone assist you with the positioning of your dog, especially if it does not “sit and stay”.

Head & Shoulders
Try photographing your dog in a sitting position at a 45degree angle and zoom in on the head.

Full Body:

Sitting
For a sitting position you want your dog to look relaxed and alert. Try positioning your pet at a 45 or 90-degree angle to the camera.

Standing
Try photographing the body on a slight angle to the lens with a three quarters view or the face.

Lying Down
A very relaxed position. Lower your camera so your lens is still level with the dog’s eyes. Try photographing straight on and at a 45 degree angle.

Attention Getters:
Only one person should be directing your pet’s attention.

Favourite canine attention getters: Where’s the ball? Show your pet it’s special ball or squeaky toy, or direct it’s eyes and nose with a food treat..

Photographing Horses

Time of year
Decide if you would like your horse photographed with it’s long winter coat or it’s shiny new one. Photos should be taken in natural light (outdoors).

Appearance
Before the photo session the horse should be well groomed. Coat-enhancing products may be applied, and if it is wearing a halter or bridle it should be clean and polished.

Positioning:
The owner or handler should be the one that leads and positions the horse.
A third person is always helpful to obtain the horses attention.

It is best to take several photographs of different profiles and camera angles, to capture the likeness and personality of your horse.

Head and Shoulders
Photograph your horse with both ears forward and visible, and follow the natural arch of the neck.

Position the camera between your horse’s eyes and chest, focus on the eyes and ‘fill the frame’ with its head and shoulders. To avoid distortion, stand at least a metre from the animal. Some close-up shots of the head are also helpful.

Full Body
Have you horse facing ahead with his ears forward and all four legs showing.
You may need to have your assistant help with the placement of the legs for full body shots. Your horse’s body should be squared, with the space between the front legs equal to the space between the hind legs.

Action shots
For action shots it is best that you have a zoom lens to fill the frame.
You will need a fast shutter speed of at least 1/400 or set the camera on the action shot setting.

Attention Getters:
For your horse to look alert there are a number of things you can try:

Visual
Have your assistant stand a few metres away from your horse and wave a towel or similar object. Introducing another horse is highly effective!

Noise
A good one is shaking the food bucket or you could try a whistle.

Food
Have your assistant hold a carrot or pick some grass and hold it up.

Photographing Cats

If you are a cat owner then you will understand that a cat is its own Master and is happy for us human admirers to worship it. Your cat is not going to respond as a dog would to “sit and stay”. If you try to get your cat to do something it does not want to, it may end up in a “catty mood”.

It is important that your cat is as comfortable as possible.
You want your cat to feel safe with the camera, so speak softly with gentle patting and offer a treat.

Attention Getters:
Cats are more likely to respond to visual stimuli. What things does your cat find most interesting? Yep, it is likely to resemble a small feathered or furry friend.

If you have an indoor-outdoor cat, try photographing it outside. You can capture it intently watching a bird (out of harms way), or regal and relaxed lying in the sun. Otherwise inside, try to photograph it near a sunny window. You may like to include your cat’s favourite chair, or blankie in the painting?

If relaxed, it may respond to play and your assistant can tease it with a toy mouse, feather or a piece of string attached to a long handle.

Positioning:
If your cat is relaxed you should be able to position it.

Full Body
Position your cat with its tail wrapped close to its body, either in a laying or sitting position.

Head & Shoulders:
You can take a head and shoulders shot with either position.

Photographing Birds

Provide the bird with a safe perch or human companion that it feels secure on. J

Head & Shoulders:
Try to photograph your bird with its naturally curved “C” shaped head. You can get the bird to curve its head by getting its attention with food.

Full Body:
It is often best if the position of the birds body is a side-on profile or
semi-profile, with the full tail visible. Otherwise, if facing directly at the lens the face looks very narrow.

Sending of Photographs
Digital photos ought to be taken at the highest resolution possible, and are ideally cropped before emailing.

Great care will be taken of any prints and disks, sent by post. These will be returned to you with the finished portrait.
When sending digital images by email, these are preferably of a high resolution of 300 dpi for best results.

If you require any further assistance, please email me and I will do my best to help.