5 Expert Tips for Picture-Perfect Pet Photos (VIDEO)

Everyone loves their pets and consider them part of the family, so it’s surprising that some photographer (who should know better) limit their images of these faithful friends to what could best be described as casual snapshots.

The quick video below with instructor Adam Goldberg explains how to do justice to pets by capturing pro-quality portraits with five shooting tips than anyone can master with ease. He began his love of pet photography while working at the Humane Society in Broward County, FL and quickly became an expert at putting animals at ease and capturing their lovable personalities in every shot.

In the next six minutes you’ll garner a handful of foolproof tips and techniques that Goldberg developed throughout his journey. He covers everything from camera settings and lighting to thoughtful composition and much more. And everything you’ll learn will work wonders when shooting in a makeshift “studio” at home.

All experienced portrait photographers understand the importance of “catchlights,” those tiny reflections in a subject’s eyes that bring people photos to life. These attention-grabbing elements are no less important when pet portraits are the name of the game, and Goldberg has several suggestions—including how to deal with bushy hair or eyebrows that often get in the way.

Next on the list are a few tips for encouraging your subjects to cooperate and keeping them engaged and one foolproof method is to have a few of the pets favorite toys on hand. As you’ll see, distracted pets often snap back to attention the instant a squeaky toy is squeezed.

Goldberg also reveals the camera settings he recommends, like employing  an aperture of f/8 or smaller for greater depth of field. He notes that this is particularly Important when photographing dogs with long snouts if you want their entire face to be in focus.

There are two more game-changing tips revealed as the lesson proceeds, and all five combine to create stunning pets portraits every time.

You can view more of Golberg’s impressive work by visiting his website.

And don’t miss the transformational tutorial we featured with an image-editing expert who demonstrates how to create photographs with a unique style of your own by experimenting with Lightroom’s color tools to enhance images with a signature look.