Photo How To

Whether you own a dog, cat, bird, or some other animal, we bet you shoot a lot of photos of your beloved pet. It’s rather odd that many pet photos taken by good photographers look more like snapshots than the real thing, and we’re going to put an end to that today.

Given how much everyone dotes over their pets, it’s surprising that photographers aren’t more thoughtful about capturing photographs that look more like animal portraits than quick-and-easy grab shots. Our pets deserve it, right?

Fortunately today is “Tutorial Tuesday” on the Park Cameras YouTube channel. As a leading photo retailer in the UK, they take all photography seriously—even when it comes to pets. So listen up: Watch the episode below, and shoot some real photos that will make you and your pets proud.

Exuberant instructor Gareth Evans explains how it’s done, and his tips are straightforward and will deliver great results. In fact, you may already be using some of the techniques that Evans describes when shooting other forms of “people” pictures, so think about that while watching this lesson. After all, pets are people too—right?

Evans offers a wide range of tips, from lighting to composition. And as a dog owner himself, he knows how to make pets happy and comfortable during a shoot. So listen up, take this task seriously, and start shooting awesome pet portraits, (either formal or casual) today.

Evans begins with tips on using natural light to illuminate your subject, whether shooting indoors or out. As he says, using flash can really put animals on edge. His candid pet portraits taken with window light, for example, are dramatic and really special. In other words, happy and relaxed pets in a familiar environment (like with human subjects) make for much better photographs.

The goal with all the techniques you’ll learn is to capture the personality of your pet. And you’ll be able to achieve that by following Evans’ simple advice—whether you’re shooting action shots on the beach or photos of your cat sleeping on the couch.

There’s much more to see on the Park Cameras YouTube channel, especially on Taco  . . . I mean Tutorial Tuesday, so be sure to visit often.

And check the earlier video we shared from Evans, explaining why affordable f/4 lenses are a great choice as compared to faster (and more costly) options.