1155820895.jpg)
As the leaves change around us, our team at Animal Clinic of Woodruff can’t help but want to capture photos of ALL of our pets against nature’s colorful backdrop! To help you do the same, we’re sharing a few tips for taking beautiful photos of your furry pal, and some of the ideas may surprise you! Plus, we’ll toss in a few tips for grabbing the ultimate Halloween costume photo-ops!
Fall Photo Tip #1: Lighting is Everything
It may seem counter-productive, but too much light can actually hinder your photos. Aiming for a photo shoot around lunchtime will provide too much light, and likely wash out your subject. Since you want to let your pet’s coat really shine, try taking photos in the early morning, or later in the afternoon as the sun is lower in the sky. Colors can shine a bit brighter in this light, and your pet will too!
Additionally, taking photos on an overcast day will create an even light. This will allow little details to pop, like your dog’s eyes, your cat's beautiful coat, or those beautifully colored leaves on the ground.
Speaking of a little shine, make sure the light source (likely the sun) is coming from an angle over your shoulder and shining on your pet. This will show off that lovely brushing job that you worked so hard on pre-photo shoot!
Fall Photo Tip #2: Angles can Make all the Difference
Let’s say there is a wide expanse of trees behind your dog and you don’t want a lot of negative space behind him…try taking your photo from lower down, and looking up slightly to him. This creates a more dynamic look to the shot, and eliminates the “blah-ness” of tree trunks.
Alternatively, you can elevate your pet pal onto a wooden platform, or rustic chair outside. These props will not only look natural in an outdoor setting, they will put them in the same color-space as the leaves behind them to create a more colorful background.
Fall Photo Tip #3: Adding People to your Pet Photo? Wear Complimentary Colors!
Let’s say your children want to hop in the photo with their best pet pal. Go for it! Just be sure to have the other members of your photo shoot wear complimentary colors to your pet pal's coat, as well as the fall foliage behind them. This will ensure a cohesive look to the overall image.
Fall Photo Tip #4: Tricks and Treats for the Win!
Your pet may shy away from photo lenses (they may think it looks like a giant eye staring at them.) So, bring a few toys and treats to your photo setting. Hold the toy where you want your pet to look, (just above the camera lens is perfect), and boom! Your pet is likely to stop in his tracks and stare at you!
Halloween Bonus Tip!
It wouldn’t be Halloween without a few dressed-up pets! However, we know how hard it can be to get your dog “all dolled up” for the holidays. Unless you’ve been dressing up your cat since she was a kitten...she may be resistant to getting completely outfitted in a ballerina costume from head to tail.
Our suggestion is to start small. Something simple like a homemade collar can instantly change his look!
If you’re going a bit more elaborate, perhaps let her get used to the costume a few hours before, don’t force anything or your photo session may be doomed.
Just keep him calm, and make it fun!
We’d love to see the photos that you take this season of your pet! Find us on Facebook or Instagram, and share them with us! In the meantime, our team at Animal Clinic of Woodruff hopes that you have a ball this fall capturing sweet memories with your precious pets!
