Unfortunately, pets can be uncooperative and photographing that special moment can be lost. If you are thinking of taking photos of your pet, have your camera ready for action so that before a pose is gone, you are ready to snap it.
Too often we discover that the resulting photo shows our pet’s eyes as green or yellow or red. Cats and dogs and some other animals (no humans) have a reflective mirror-like layer behind the retina called the tapetum lucidum which reflects light giving the retina a second chance to register the light entering the eye and helps them have better night vision. Depending on the color of the reflective layer, the camera flash can make the eye appear green or yellow. Eyes appear red due to the blood vessels in back of the eyeball because the reflective layer has no pigment. You can avoid this by not pointing the camera directly at the eyes.
It’s best to photograph in natural or outdoor light. The flash can frighten the pet and distract him/her. The exception is a pet with dark fur as it will absorb light while the flash will give details.
When photographing your pet indoors, try to take the pictures near a window to get as much natural light as possible. If you do use the flash, don’t point it directly into your pet’s eyes as it can be harmful.
Think about the background in your photos. You may not want anything to distract from the star, but you do want it to enhance him/her.
The location of a planned photo should be comfortable for your pet. You may have a special place of shared memories with your pet that will bring you future viewing pleasure.
If you have any other ideas about photographing your pet, we would love to hear from you.
