Why Photographing An Animal Will Make You a Star

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Animals are the most genuine models a photographer could ever dream of. You know when you have problems relaxing and someone just comes out of the blue whispering: Just be. Nothing more. It’s that easy. Well it seems that animals are the absolute masters of presence or gurus of our perceived present. They can always do that, no matter the circumstances. However, trust me on this one: if you get to be in control of photographing an animal, you’ll become a true star! You’ll become widely appreciated, just like you’ve always dreamed of. No one will ever doubt your talents again. Because this is no piece of cake.

Let’s walk through the reasons why this is a praiseworthy deed. First of all, despite this obvious communication barrier, animals are better than humans. Why is that?

1.     Animals Are No Hypocrites

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They are always themselves. Despite the fact that this actually means that they are never in the mood for photos, once you get the chance to immortalize something, it cannot be anything but genuine. Animals express their feelings and their moods without restraints. They don’t strive to be cute, they just are. They don’t strive to be fearful, they just are. What you see is what you get – no games played, no half measures, no fake smiles.

2.     Animals Don’t Care About Appearance

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Not caring about how you look today means no useless obstacles, no secondary thoughts, no brakes, just sheer freedom and excitement. So go for it! Immortalize the instant, cease the moment and send emails to employers afterwards. That’s why everybody is so impressed by cute photos with furry creatures. They are authentic!

3.     Animals Don’t Care About What Others Think

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Caring about exterior opinions usually refers to humans, not their animal friends. Parasite thoughts kill both freedom and creativity. And non-human models seem to have guessed that somehow, because no second thoughts interfere once they decide to start posing like there’s no tomorrow. They are relaxed, they are focused on what matters when magic happens – their own state of consciousness, and they simply mind their own business after all. And how fascinating that is!

4.     Animals Are Giving And Sincere

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It goes without saying that there’s a special connection between humans and their animal models. Well at least with some of them. When it comes to the less friendly species, one should just hide in the bushes and hunt the moment. That’s the only way. Therefore I’d strongly advise you to start by immortalizing the species that live among humans, just to get used to the vibe. What I’m trying to convince you of is the fact that you should start your training in this way.

Unfortunately people are wearing masks all the time. In other words, whenever you photograph them they are likely to be wearing at least three. If you want to get an honest vibe, start with your pet. For instance, let’s take a photograph showing a man and a dog. The dog in the first place, and not the man, would always draw one’s attention. It’s a simple fact of life. Animals can just exist, can just relax, and can just enjoy a moment, a meal or a sip of water without any further complications. For us humans things are always so abstract, so multi-layered, so blurry, so bring, so old, so confusing. That’s why photos of the animal kingdom are so successful; because they are authentic, and powerful, and they can say so many things using a totally different language than ours. So take your camera, make a simple plan or just start chasing your dog. Photographing an animal will make you a star! Just get off the right foot and trust me on this one, will you?

Family Photo Shoot Time: How to Photograph Kids and Pets

A recent post here at Virtual Photography Studio covered the often delicate issue of organizing and setting a price for photo shoots that involve newborn babies. And since we were on the topic of family photos, we’ve decided to tackle another related subject today: how to photograph kids and pets together. Two of the most difficult to approach subjects in family and wedding photography also often make for some of the most engaging photos in the field. They are also often to be found at weddings and family celebrations since, let’s face it, they’re often the stars of the affair. Now, you may already know how to take endearing pictures of the family pooch, or how to bring out the best in little Timmy’s personality in front of the camera. But what happens when you need to work with both of them at the same time? Here are some of the basic tips you can readily apply in such scenarios, to come up with lovely pictures of the whole family!How to Photograph Kids and Pets

Capture them on the go

What can be more genuine and lovely than a picture of a child frolicking with the family dog, on the freshly mowed lawn? Not many things, if you ask us, which is why it’s always a good idea to capture these subjects as they move about. Avoid asking kids to pose, if you can – you run the risk of coming up with a photo that looks contrived. Instead, follow them at play and capture spontaneous moments. The technique of action shots does require a good dose of practice, but it’s well worth it, after all is said and done.

How to photograph kids and pets? At their level!

The most engaging portraits, irrespective of the species you’re shooting, are taken at eye level. This, of course, means that when you’re photographing kids and pets together, you’ll be spending most of your time on your knees. However, a well-framed shot of a kid holding a kitten, eyes looking directly into the camera, can melt even the iciest of hearts. Of course, don’t take this to mean that you need to make your ‘models’ look into the lens – in fact, you should probably avoid this altogether. Instead, for great effects, try to shoot from the perspective of the animals and kiddos you’re photographing. This will make your work seem natural and candid, it will help you achieve even lighting, and will probably greatly improve the quality of the background, too.

Up, close, and personal

Another rule of thumb on how to photograph kids and pets is to use your viewfinder and/or camera LCD to fill up as much space as you can with your subject. The closer you get, the more personal the shot will look, in the end. Don’t shy away from using the camera’s zoom, either. Remember that your aim is to capture those moments that count and they usually happen when a close bond is formed. They’re not the kind of moments you can notice from a distance, you know? Remember to check out the closest zooming distance whenever you go in for the zoom, then fire away.

Focus!

One of the biggest challenges that even professional photographers are faced with, when photographing more than a single subject, is that of blurry, out-of-focus pictures. It most often happens when you’re using the auto-focus function of the camera (which you never should do, anyway, as a professional photographer). Make sure to lock the focus on your subject, then fire away. With a bit of luck (and a lot of practice) you’ll get clear, focused shots of precisely what you had been aiming for: love.

Make Pet Personalities Steal The Show

If you have a pet, you know they have more personality then some humans. Take away their favorite toy and they pout. Or if you leave without them, they may ignore you for a while upon your return.

If you have a photograph of your pet on your desk, wall or iPhone, why do you like that image? Chances are it shows their personality. They are doing what they love, and look that much cuter doing it.

One of my favorite photographs of my first dog was of him sitting in a pile of socks. He would steal socks every chance he got, and run all over the house, hoping you would chase him. You couldn’t leave socks out anywhere without him grabbing a pair. So when he found a pile of socks fresh from the laundry, he sat in the middle looking like he was in heaven. I couldn’t resist the shot – and its still one of my favorites of him to this day.

That’s the beauty of an amazing portrait. It not only captures your pet, it captures the essence of him as well.

Instead of having your clients bring in their pets, and photographing them on your standard backgrounds, why not learn more about your clients in the process? [Read more…]

7 Ways To Market A Pet Photography Business

Over 60 percent of all households own some type of pet. And in many cases a family pet is exactly that – a part of the family. So with billions of dollars being spent on pets every year, why not take your own piece of the pie?

If you are thinking of opening up a pet photography business, or already have one in place, you are doing it out of love for animals. You have just as much fun working with them as you do their human counterparts. But how do you market to people for this type of business? Take a look at these seven ideas to get your business going in the right direction.

1. Start with a mailer in your local area. Any mailing list company should be able to get you a list of pet owners within your local area, or by zip code surrounding your studio. Mailings are still very effective, and because costs are up and the economy is down, we’re actually receiving less mail than ever. Which means your postcards will stand out more than ever. Start up a mailing list and keep it up.

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2. Look for specialty shops. In my local area, we have a gourmet dog food shop, a shop catering to “pampered pups”, a store offering custom ceramic bowls and storage containers for pet food, and many day care facilities specifically for dogs and cats. Talk with the shop owners about doing a special promotion together.
[Read more…]