Digital technology has come on in leaps and bound over the last few years and there are many cameras available at reasonable prices for the amateur photographer. Even so, if you want to take professional looking photos of your pet dog or cat, which camera should you choose?
To begin with, you shouldn’t be too concerned about the number of pixels, unless you want to print your photos out as posters. They won’t improve your photos, but will allow you to output larger prints. The component of a camera that makes the difference is the lens, influencing the quality of a photo more than anything else. The other bits? They’re there to make life easier. At the time of writing (June ‘10) and if you have around £ 700 to spend, you can’t go far wrong with the Nikon D90. It offers 12 megapixels and an ISO range of 100 – 3200, which means you can take shots in quite low light without a flash or the image going grainy. For the photographer keen on pets or animals, it’s ability to take 4.5 frames a second is ideal for capturing fleeting moments.
Even so, there are some useful tips you should know to get the best pet portraits
Be patient. If there is a place were your pet particularly likes to play, leave the camera in the vicinity, it can then be easily found when the moment arises. Plus, make sure you have enough film or memory left in the camera and that the batteries aren’t likely to die as soon as you point the camera!
Composition. If your pet is black, avoid dark backgrounds, and similarly lighter coloured pets don’t show up well against light backgrounds and avoid messy or complicated backgrounds
Lighting. If you take the picture in the house, try to choose a room with bright natural light. Try to choose a time of day when the sun is low in the sky, morning or evening is preferable, also overcast days offer a soft complimentary light for your portrait.
Interesting angles. Take your pictures at the same level as your pet or from a different angle. A toy can be easily employed as a distraction, if they’re looking in the wrong direction.