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Taking Good Pet Photos


Good pictures make a huge difference in the responses you get to any adoption post. It’s not an easy task but totally worth the trouble, in my experience. The whites and the calicos will advertise themselves, but the greys and gingers need us to give them that extra oomph. This post is to help take good, clear pictures of fosters to help in adoption. Of course, it'll help take good pics of your pets too!

Here are some tips:

1. Take pics in natural light. Balcony (cat proofed), open a window, open the curtains.

2. Earlier in the morning and late afternoon are good times for outdoor shoots. avoid peak sunlight

3. Do not use flash.

4. Use a good camera.

5. Focus on the eyes. Eyes should be sharp and should look into the camera.

6. Have a toy to bring attention to the camera – AFTER you have composed the frame and set the focus. Just before clicking, make them look at you. Make a sound if that works. Having an extra person may help.

7. Get the camera down to the pet’s eye level.

8. Be calm. Don’t push the pet “pose”, that might scare them or confuse them. Let the pet be in a comfortable place and be relaxed, you go to them to take the pic.

9. Background is important. It should increase the focus on the pet, accentuate it. No cluttered background. No harsh colors. No colors blending into the pet’s color – grey cat on a grey background. Contrast background. Bright colors. Leave toys lying around to set the background.

10. Make sure you get the full cat in the frame, or the full face. For example, don’t cut off the ears.

11. Take a lot of pics. A majority of them will end up being blurred due to light or motion. Burst mode can help.

12. Just before and after naps are a good time to try to take pics as they are less energetic.

13. Basic post-processing can be done, especially with respect to exposure.


14. Props like toys and cat trees will help, as long as they blend in and don't take the focus away from the cat.

15. Assess which angle makes the pet look good. Some angles may make it loot fat or scrawny.

16. LOTS OF PATIENCE. Wait it out. Let them take the lead.

Here are some pictures taken before and after the above tips:

Kiki - Before

Flash, Blurry


Bad background

Kiki - After

Contrasting background, good light, clarity.
Focus at eye level would have made this perfect!

Piku, Tobu and Toto - Before

Not focused, cats looking elsewhere


Eyes closed


Blurry, shaken

Piku, Tobu and Toto - After



Cat looking at the camera, not blurry


Eye level, cat looking at the camera

Here are some more great pics!


Beetroot


Zorro


Darcy and Bingley


Darcy


Mili


Mishri


Thor

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