It was a gorgeous summer day on the deck and I was spending some time with my favourite guy and my other best friend — our Siberian husky mix, Ani. My lovely girl, who had devoted herself to me almost from day one, had, at that time, been a member of the family for almost a decade.
As the camera is never too far from me, I decided to take some pictures. It dawned on me that I didn’t have a nice one of Ani with me, as I’m usually the one taking the pictures, so asked my husband to take one.
It was, of course, not nearly as simple as it sounded. Seeing me get down to her level my high-strung, eternal puppy was more set on playing than posing. I called, she came; I sat, she dashed. After 15 minutes of this we finally got her settled enough to grab a fairly decent picture, not wall-worthy, but good enough. And I’m so glad we did, as two years later, she was stricken with cancer and we had to say goodbye.
But I remembered during that playful afternoon, the comment attributed to W.C. Fields about never working with children or animals as you’re sure to be upstaged. We love our kids and pets, but let’s be honest, getting them to listen isn’t always simple. And with animals, there’s the added element that as smart as they might be, they probably don’t respond appropriately to every cue. Hearing their name is as likely to get them to come to you as it is to get them to face the camera.
That said our pets are a part of our hearts and our families. Yet, we have them for so short a time. So, finding some helpful tips on photographing them seemed a fairly useful endeavour. May these tips I found help you capture a wonderful memory of your best friend.
NY Institute of Photography Pet Photography 101
PictureCorrect Pet Photography Tips and Techniques
Exposure Guide Pet Photography Tips
PetsInPastel Oil Pet Photography Tips
