Taking better photos of animals involves understanding some basics about photography. These include using the right equipment, understanding lighting, and being able to catch the attention of the subject.
Use the Right Equipment
For good photography, even digital, a photographer should be working with a 35mm single lens reflex camera. The capabilities, even in automatic mode, allow far better control of factors such as timing, exposure, lighting type, and framing. Basic automatic cameras simply take a shot with a standard 22mm lens approach and automatically fire off a flash when inside. Both produce poor photos of any subject.
Make Lighting Work for You
Second, natural lighting in the morning and early evening is the best because it brings out the most color in a subject shot. Good subject photos of an animal will be fairly up close, and animals tend to behave a bit better in a natural environment than inside a kennel or artificial room. Red-eye in shots are common when a photograph is taken indoors and the flash is used. It also produces a bleached out photograph, providing a poor quality image of the animal.
Reduce Distractions
Third, the animal should be fed prior to the shot to ensure he or she is not distracted looking for food every other second. Use of a toy or calm voice commands can relax an animal enough to take a good photograph and capture the best side of the dog or cat.
With a bit of practice some amazing shots of animal shelter animals can be taken, potentially increasing the movement of animals into loving homes at a faster pace.
