How to Photograph Playing Animals

Photography is a skill that is learned as much through experience as through instruction. With this being said, there are some basic simple rules one can follow to get the best start towards taking excellent photographs of any subject. One subject that attracts a great deal of interest is playing animals. This can also be one of the most difficult subjects to photograph effectively. This article will teach you some of the basic steps you can take to make your animal pictures come out great.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Good camera
• Pets or playful animals
• A list of good locations
• Friends or willing participants
• Pet toys (optional)

1. Capture The Essence of the AnimalsWhen photographing any subject, think for a moment before you begin. Ask yourself what the subject means to you and what you find to be its most attractive and outstanding qualities. This goes double for photographing playing animals, especially if they are your pets. You know your pets better than anyone, and only you will be able to determine the qualities you want to capture on film. How can you utilize a square frame of film to encapsulate the personality of your pets or animals? Take a moment to think about this beforehand and it will give you a good start on how to photograph them as they are at play.

2. Choose a Great LocationChoosing a great location doesn't mean you have to photograph your animals on top of the Golden Gate Bridge or in the shadows of the Egyptian pyramids. In fact, the opposite is often true. You don't want your background to dominate the pictures. You want your animals to be the focus of the photography. Choose locations that are well lit but not distracting. Go back to Step 1 and choose a location that means something to you and your pets. Alternatively, it might be fun to photograph them in a setting that takes them out of their element. Play around with your ideas, and pick three or four locations to set up a photo shoot.

3. Use Close-UpsThis is one of the most important aspects of photographing animals, and it is also one of the most overlooked. The amateur photographer has a tendency to film their animals from the typically human perspective. This is not only boring, but it doesn't allow the animal to become the star of the frame. Get down on the animals' level and shoot from their perspective. Enter their world and allow them to become the stars of their show. You'll be amazed at what a huge difference this makes on the end product.

4. Allow For Human InteractionGet one or two of your friends and let them get into the action. Nothing brings out the playfulness in pets like the presence of a human play partner. Keep in mind, however, that the focus of your photo session is to remain the animals, and not the people. There is room for both, but if one must dominate, make sure its the animals and not the humans. There can be other times for photographing your friends.

5. Choose a Fast Shutter SpeedFor animals playing, especially those that have a tendency to move around quickly, you'll want to have a fast shutter speed. This will help you to avoid the dreaded blurry picture that can result from slow shutter speeds and fast movement. One or two of these types of photos might be nice to simulate the act of quick motion, but mostly you'll want to stick with the quick shutter speeds and wide open apertures to catch your subjects in all of their in focus glory.

Tips & Warnings

• A Good Digital Camera Is a Must!
• Lighting Is Everything!