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Best Friend Portraits
For amateur photographers wanting to earn a few dollars, or even break into the profession, pet photography is a good starting point. The love that people lavish on their pets readily translates into a desire to own a lasting memento, and many people find it quite hard to get a quality picture using their own resources. Developing skills working with animals is probably easier that with people; photographing animals doesn't involve the copyright problems inherent in other candid photography, and pets tend to be are a lot less camera shy. They are also unlikely to be critical of the results you achieve as you hone your skills. As your become more proficiency, you will be able to exploit several opportunities for your work which can pay quite well and help you establish yourself in the market. Two good sources of work you should explore are dog clubs and pet shows. Dog training clubs are usually quite happy to have photographers attend their regular sessions (usually held weekly). Offering a selection of your pictures to the club or school is good PR (don't ask for payment) and often leads to requests from members for prints when their dogs are featured. My first pet photo sales were from just this source, and they led to assignments to produce portfolios of the local and State Champion dogs. They also resulted in my becoming the semi-official training school photographer. Graduation Days and street parades in which the club participates is a good opportunity for free publicity with your pictures appearing in the press - just insist on your by-line. Local pet shows are much like training clubs. In fact, your relationship with the club is your entrée to get behind the ropes at these events. Larger shows are more difficult to get entry to, but a good portfolio developed through your local dog club and show activities is a very good starting point. Quality photos in the style you see in kennel club ads and magazines are important. Consider showing them to the organisers well in advance and applying for a press or photographers' pass. Cat shows and dog shows are often the most formal events with the most requirements to meet before you gain admission; shows featuring cattle, horses and other livestock are sometimes easier to break into, and larger animals are often easier to make portraits of. Pet shops are a useful related source of income. Think of catalogues (no pun intended) and window ads. The "how to" of making successful animal photographs come down to the same elements needed to capture people portraits: a natural pose, with simple backgrounds that don't distract from the subject. Getting down to the animal's eye level and making sure that their eyes are sharply focussed are basic. Try to think in terms of your subject's personality (take time to get to know the animal and for it to get used to you). The shutter sound might catch your subjects attention, but you are better off involving the owner standing near or behind you to grab and hold their attention. Crop closely for traditional portraits, zoom out for full body shots, and don't neglect your wide angle lens for unusual shots with great impact. Many pets look best on the move, and many owners want to show off their pet's gait or agility, so set your shutter speed to 1/500 or faster and consider using burst mode. A few "family photos" with the animal, its owners and "significant others" are always welcome, too. And every skill that you master with animals will add to your ability to photograph children and people in general. |
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This intel was contributed by David Rich
David Rich
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May, 2012
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