Getting that perfect picture of your cat is hard, since cats tend to be independent little creatures, that only cooperate when it suits them. Not that we don’t totally love them for it, but it sure is hard when you want that great photograph.
In Taking Better Photographs of Your Cat (1), I showed you one of my favorite photographs of my cat, Maple. However, as you could see from the picture, it really isn’t a great shot. Too bright of a background, even though it made her clearer in the photograph (dark subject on light background), and because of her movement, it is just a tad out of focus. It still remains one of my favorites because I captured her playful spirit.
If you are looking for ideas for just capturing new pictures of your cat, remember to take everyday photographs – sleeping, eating, cleaning themselves, playing, etc. However if you are looking for a more extreme example of how to really get much better photographs, the following tips will be extremely useful to you.
Avoid Using Flash
The flash almost always gives a cat pet eye. Removing pet eye is easier than ever with good photo editing software, but often the repair is obvious. So just avoid using the flash whenever possible.
Good Light
It is imperative with pet photography that you do not use low light. You need to use as much good light as you can, so as to illuminate your subject (the cat). You don’t want to use a flash, so this is your opportunity to capture a more natural look, using good lighting. If your home lighting isn’t doing what you want, you can obtain small photography lighting for a fairly inexpensive amount by checking out a camera store.
Eye Level
Getting on your cats eye level will allow you to see what they see, and get the best shots. Looking up or down at you, isn’t the best position for good photographs. If they are on the floor, get down on the floor. If they are on the back of the couch, kneel on the edge of the couch, or crouch down. These shots turn out much better than looking down at your pet.
See more awesome tips coming up in Taking Better Photographs of Your Cat (3) and Tips and Techniques for Photographing Your Cat.