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Photography and Your Pets

© Pat Williams

Since the advent of digital cameras, photography has become easier and cheaper for everyone. From the cheapest to the high end digital camera, the quality of the typical snap shot is so good they now afford just about anyone the option of using film versus your home PC to print and save your memories.

[cat1] People often wonder why the pros get such great shots outside the studio while the rest of us are snapping pictures hoping they all come out. The answer is simple; they not only know how to set up their equipment for any given photo opportunity but they also take more than one shot. A photographer will snap off several shots in quick succession knowing that living subjects often blink or move on the first shot.

Using film made multiple shots expensive for the average person so we limited ourselves to one or two shots. Now, with the digital camera we can shoot to our hearts content, delete the unwanted pictures, save what we like on the computer, replace or clear the photo card and keep shooting. The cards can be used to store your shots or cleared and used over and over again. Pictures can be saved on computer, burned to CDs or printed at the store like film snap shots, but you can pick and choose the pictures you want instead of having the whole roll developed and waiting to see what came out. Talk about instant gratification...

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But, whether you are using a film camera or a digital, a good rule of thumb is to always take more than one shot of your subject. You will be surprised to see some of the pictures you get.

Shooting your pets is the same as shooting anything else except that you may find you need a helper if Fluffy decides not to cooperate. The most important rules are to know and understand how your camera works, place yourself/camera on a level with the subject, and move in or use your zoom to fill the frame with your subject.

Let's start with knowing your camera. As with anything technical, READ THE MANUAL. Learn how to set up your camera for the shots you want to take before you start shooting. If it is a digital, take some practice shots without your subject, you can delete them so there is no problem and you can see what the shot looks like and if you need to adjust. Try using a stuffed animal as your practice subject. That way you don't have to wake Fluffy from her nap. Even the simplest camera can do some amazing things if you take the time to learn how it works.

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