Photography
More and more often, people are choosing to include their pets in family sessions or choosing to have professional portraits made of the pet only. This means, if you want to keep up with the trends, then you need to prepare to delve into the world of pet photography. Of course, this comes along with special problems, considerations and situations that you need to be prepared to deal with. Before you add pet photography to your session list, here are some things that you need to consider.
Vicious Pets Should Never be Allowed
When you offer pet photography, it should be listed in your guidelines that you will not allow vicious pets and that any session will be canceled if the pet should show aggression. You cannot take the chance of anyone in your employ getting bitten, scratched or otherwise harmed.
Ask Customers to Bring Favorite Toys and Treats
It is hard to keep the attention of pets and you certainly cannot pose them like you would a person. You will need a helping hand in order to keep the pet occupied while posing for images. A favorite toy could keep the animal’s focus and treats will get the pet to look in the direction that you prefer.
Speaking of Helping Hands…
Trying to photograph pets all on your own is asking for disaster. You cannot expect the pet to sit still while you stand behind the camera. You need at least one person helping you. If you are photographing more than one pet at a time, then you need to call all hands on deck to keep the session from turning into chaos.
Keep it Simple
Pet photography does not require trendy poses or backgrounds. In fact, the more you try to do, the more chance of disaster you will have. In order to take a successful pet session, be sure to keep things basic with basic backgrounds and only minimal props.
An Insider’s Secret
Here is a tip that a few photographers know and it can come quite in handy. Pets are attracted to odd sounds. Take a look at the reflectors on the lights in the studio. Softly scratching your nails on the material will not damage the material, but it will certainly get the pet’s attention. Not only will you get the pet to focus but you will also be able to snap some adorable facial expressions.
If you decide to start offering pet photography, you will need to be prepared to be patient and you will need to follow the tips above if you want to be successful.
