8 Easy Tips for Taking Better Photos of Your Dog or Cat With Your Phone
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Use these tips to improve your pet photography skills in no time.
Have you ever tried to take a great photo of your pet, but are disappointed with how it turned out? The lighting is too dark or the flash is harsh, they blinked or aren’t looking at the camera, or they just won’t stay still? This used to happen to me all the time, until I figured out how to take amazing pet photos.
It may seem nearly impossible to take a good photo of your pet, but with these few simple tips, anyone can improve their pet photography skills, even if the only camera you have is the one on your iPhone or Android phone.
After all, it’s so important to preserve memories with your dog or cat (or other pet!). Our pets are a part of our family, and capturing everyday moments helps us to be able to hold on to these memories for years to come. It’s also enjoyable to be able to look back on your pet photos during their different life stages, like looking back on puppy photos now that your dog is an adult.
Another reason for wanting to take great cat and dog photos is for sharing them with family and friends. You can share your photos through text messages, or post them on social media with a funny or cute caption.
Follow these easy tips to improve your pet photography skills.
How to Take Better Photos of Your Dog or Cat on Your Phone
Whether you have an iPhone or an Android phone, these tips will help you to take better photos of your pets!
1. Use natural lighting
As advanced as phone cameras have become, they’re still not great with dim lighting or indoor lights. Whenever possible, use bright natural light, which you can get during the day near a window or by going outdoors. Make sure your pet is facing the source of the light, not creating a shadow on their face. Try to avoid using a flash unless absolutely necessary in the dark, as it can create harsh shadows, glowing eyes, or even scare your pet.
2. Keep the background simple
When taking a pet portrait, multi-colored or cluttered backgrounds can be distracting and take away the focus from your pet. If possible, try for solid backgrounds like a wall or couch cushion, or backgrounds that have all similar colors, like grass and trees.
Of course, if it’s a special moment, snap away, because you don’t want to be so concerned with finding the perfect background that you miss the entire photo opportunity.
3. Tap to focus
The phone camera uses auto focus, and it doesn’t always get it quite right. But you can direct the focus by tapping on the screen in the place you want the camera to focus, which is usually on your pet’s eyes.
You can also try experimenting with your phone camera’s portrait mode. If you can get your pet to stay still long enough, portrait mode can take beautiful photos of your dog, cat, or other pet. It will focus on where you tap, and soften or blur the rest.
4. Get down on their level
You can really capture your pet when you get down at their level, rather than taking every photo from above. You can also experiment with different angles for variety.
Related: The Best Dog Quotes About the Love We Share With Our Pets
5. Grab their attention by holding a toy or a treat
A trick to getting your pet to look at the camera is to hold a favorite toy or treat near the camera. It will help to hold their attention long enough to snap your photo. Don’t forget to reward them afterwards for their attention!
6. Take numerous photos rapidly
I always think I captured a great photo, only to see that my dog blinked or momentarily looked away when I took it! By hitting the shutter button numerous times, you’ll increase your chances of catching a winner, and you can delete the extras that you don’t need.
7. Capture your pet’s personality
In addition to having nice sitting portraits of your dog or cat, you should try to photograph them in a way that captures their personality. What unique traits or quirks do they have? What’s their favorite activity, favorite toy, or favorite sleeping position? Does your dog love grabbing a toy and doing a play bow, or does your cat love rolling on the floor? Let their natural behaviors shine through in your photographs.
8. Be patient
Sometimes it takes time to get your pet to cooperate. If they aren’t in the right mood, try again later. If your pup is too full of energy to stay still long enough for a nice photo, switch to taking a video. Then when you play it back, you can pause it and take a screenshot picture. You might even end up with a hilarious action shot! This isn’t always perfect, as sometimes it’s difficult to pause the video in a way that looks fully in focus, but it’s a good backup plan and it’s nice to have the videos to look back on.
By keeping these few tips in mind, you’ll be taking cute dog photos and funny cat photos in no time! Keep practicing and experimenting, and before you know it, these phone photography tips will come naturally to you and you won’t have to even think about it.
Once you’ve taken some great pet photos, don’t forget to print and frame some of them! Photos aren’t meant to be lost on our camera rolls, they should be displayed in our homes so they can bring us joy whenever we see them. For some great beach-inspired picture frame ideas, check out this post.
Save These Tips for Taking Better Photos of Your Dog or Cat With Your Phone
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8 Easy Tips for Taking Better Photos of Your Dog or Cat Using Your iPhone or Android Phone
Do you take a lot of photos of your dog, cat, or other pet that you’d like to improve on? Did you find these pet photography tips helpful? Share your thoughts in the comments.
