Great Pet Photos with Smartphone Cameras
Danielle Cookish, Dakin’s Digital Marketing Coordinator, takes lots of photos and videos of animals and people to help promote adoption, our many programs and services, and much more. Here she offers some tips for taking great photos of your pets using your Smartphone camera.
Is natural light the best light to shoot in?
Yes! Natural light is always the best option when possible. If you can't be outside, allowing natural light through a window is a great option. Using a flash that's facing forward (like on a camera phone) can create some harsh shadows.
What is an ideal background?
For pet portraits, choose a background that isn't cluttered or "busy". For example, a photo of a cat standing in front of a bunch of items on a table is distracting and can cause your subject to get lost in the image. At the same time, you don't want a strictly plain background, like a white wall. The distance between your camera, your subject, and the background is called depth of field, and you can use that to make your subject pop.
If you're taking a photo of your dog or cat in front of a Christmas tree, bring them closer to your camera and further away from the tree. This will get your dog in full focus, while the tree in the background is visible, but will have a soft blur to it. This happens automatically in most Smartphone cameras, but you can intensify the effect with your phone camera's "portrait mode".
What angles do you think work best when shooting a cat versus a dog? Does that depend on whether they’re resting (being still) or in motion?
It's always best to photograph your pets at their level. Pointing your camera down at your pets from a standing position can make them look smaller than they are, cause shadows, and it's harder for them to make eye contact with you. In addition to taking a photo down at their height, try turning your phone camera upside-down, so the camera lens is even closer to the floor.
If you are photographing a pet (whether you know them or not), what types of toys or items to catch their attention would you tend to use?
Every animal is different and some may be more shy than others when being photographed. If an animal is shy or nervous, try taking a few moments to sit with them without taking any photos. Sometimes, I sit and show nervous animals my camera and let them investigate it to help them get more comfortable with an object they may not recognize. Having treats and a toy that makes squeaks or crinkle sounds handy is recommended!
What are the advantages of using the “portrait” setting that focuses on the subject and blurs the background?
Portrait settings create a deeper depth-of-field effect, which means your subject will be in full focus and the background will be smooth and blurry. Entry-level and professional cameras achieve this effect very well, but keep in mind that smartphones are using technology to simulate that effect, so you may notice some inconsistencies around small objects and edges in your photo. (For example, portrait mode on smartphones can struggle to figure out a cat's thin whiskers and judge if it should be in focus or background.)
Would you recommend that someone use the burst mode on their camera phone when shooting a pet in motion (especially a fast-moving dog)?
Yes! Burst mode (also called continuous shooting or sports mode) is great for dogs, birds, and any other animal that moves quickly. When you click the shutter, the camera will automatically take a series of images very quickly, and then allow you to select the best ones. To make the best of the burst setting, try to keep your phone camera as still as possible. Your subject may be moving quickly, but the more still the camera is, the higher the chance of capturing a sharp image.
Do you have any particular favorite adjustments/filters you like to use? Feelings about warm versus cool tones, or using b/w instead of color?
While there are best practices for editing photos, it comes down to personal preference and what look you're trying to achieve. Some people may prefer warm, high-contrast images while others may enjoy cool, low-contrast images or black and white.
Do you think pets in unfamiliar settings might be harder to photograph, as they might be preoccupied with scoping out the environment instead of just being themselves and being more relaxed?
Some animals are quicker to adjust to new settings than others, so it depends on the individual animal when it comes to their level of comfort and distraction. If animals are nervous or very distracted, try shifting gears and photographing them candidly while they do things that they enjoy as opposed to trying to get them to sit still for a more posed portrait.
Talk about the “golden hour,” when the sun is low on the horizon, for outdoor shooting. Does it give those nice golden tones in outdoor photos?
"Golden hour" is the hour after sunrise and the hour before sunset on clear days. These times of day offer some beautiful soft sunlight that doesn't create harsh shadows and can really illuminate your subject for a perfectly exposed image. Photos taken during this time are likely to be warmer and softer, but you can increase that effect if you choose to edit your photos by increasing color saturation, vibrance, and temperature.
BONUS TIP: Your smartphone does a great job of finding the subject of your photo, but lock in that focus by tapping the subject on the screen right before taking the photo. Tapping the screen allows the camera to make automatic adjustments based on the scene, and lock that focus on your subject.