Cultivate Good Photography Habits to Capture the Funny Moments!
To All Pet Lovers: A Photography Lesson from Pet Photographer Cass
- The Difference in Vision
- Good Habit #1: Keep Your Pets in a Good Mood so They Smile Happily
- Good Habit #2: Make Good Use of the Props Around You
- Good Habit #3: Increase the Controllable Elements
- Good Habit #4: Try Different Ways to Get Their Attention
- Good Habit #5: Plan Ahead and Be Skillful to Get a Good Shot in One Go
- Good Habit #6: Predict What Your Dog Will Do Next
- Good Habit #7: Be Agile and Complete the Impossible Mission
The Difference in Vision Between Human and Dogs
Books become some camping toys in the eyes of the puppy!
Good Habit #1: Keep Your Pets in a Good Mood so They Smile Happily
A crazily happy dog
Good Habit #2: Make Good Use of the Props Around You
Pay more attention and you can capture the adorable moments from everyday life
Good Habit #3: Increase the Controllable Elements
See how happy Chalky is when he is in the bath. By turning the basin carefully, you can adjust to the best angle
Good Habit #4: Try Different Ways to Get Their Attention
If you use snack all the time to get your pets photographed, you will only get one expression – gluttonous. Explore what strange sound you can make with your mouth and is not heard before, as this will make them look at you curiously. Animal sounds, ultra-high pitch sounds and blowing sounds can be very effective in getting their attention. Another way is to move an object swiftly around the camera lens, as dogs and cats are innate hunters and will not miss out on unknown moving objects. These several seconds of attention you get can greatly increase your chance of getting a good shot!
When dogs lay down to rest, a gentle sound or swift motion can help you take photos of them looking curiously
Good Habit #5: Plan Ahead and Be Skillful to Get a Good Shot in One Go
To capture a good motion, you need to plan ahead well. Otherwise there is no guarantee for a good shot even if you press the shutter for a thousand times. The biggest challenges here are focusing and getting the face to look at the right direction. To be successful, you need to have the composition and route of movement in mind, and ask your family to help out on rehearsal and guiding. For example, by moving a toy from left to right and stop at an optimal preset location, you can be more certain about the focusing point and timing.
Plan the route of movement, the throwing direction and estimate the landing spot
Good Habit #6: Predict What Your Dog Will Do Next
Dogs move fast, and they change their mind even quicker. The moment you see your dog stretching and take out the camera, he is already by the window enjoying the streetscape. And when you chase after him to the window, he is no longer there but somewhere else. Our equipment takes time to response, so are we. If you think your photo is always “a second late” that you are missing out on the best timing, you can try pressing the shutter “half second earlier”.
I can anticipate the dog to lay down and tear the toy up when he finds out the toy. This allows me to plan ahead on the framing
Good Habit #7: Be Agile and Complete the Impossible Mission
It takes effort to take a good shot. No matter how messy the scene is, how frustrated you feel, you have to keep your patience and continue to observe. Be agile, be wily and act fast.
The owner wants to take photo of two round faces staying close to each other. But the two don’t like it. So I ask the owner to hold them and lean forward. The result is this adorable photo with two noses and four staring eyes
Taking photos of your pets every day is a lovely journey. We as human can learn from them how to enjoy life to its fullest!
With experience and sensitivity, she captures the valuable moments in each family. TV and Magazine interview her about the unique photography approach and the touching stories behind the scenes. Cass is now living in Poland building her own Casmati Village for city people to reconnect to nature and inner wisdom. Every year she make pet photography trips to HK and she loves to engage in private photo class at pet owner’s home。
