Take your animal photography to the next level and learn how take the best photographs of your pets with our pet photography guide.
Let your pet's personality shine
Whether your dog is a diva or your goat is a grump, let their personality shine through by snapping them in their natural environment, surrounded by their creature comforts. If this means they’re snooping around your flowerbeds or snuggled in a fresh basket of washing, follow them there!
Get down to eye level
Crouch down or join them on all fours to find a logical and close-up pet perspective. For static shots, use a longer lens and as wide an aperture as possible, such as f/5.6 or ideally lower. This gives greater magnification to the subject and blurs the background, isolating your pet’s depth of field and making your picture look pro. Depth of field relates to how much of the picture is in sharp focus, from background to foreground.
Easy on the eyes
For portrait shots, make sure the camera has your pet's eyes in focus, or all the power of their heart-melting gaze will be lost. A perspective at or below eye-level gives the picture a nice intimacy. Use the magic rule of thirds by envisaging an even 3x3 grid in your photo or lens, then positioning points of focus or interest (your pet’s eyes) along the gridlines.
Make the most of natural light
The easiest way to make your pet look stunning is by making the most of natural light - venture outside or find a nice big window. If you are indoors and have a flash, point it upwards for a more natural effect. Pointing the flash directly at animals might scare them and also result in red eyes in the photo.
Lights, camera, action! Take action shots
Taking action shots is a superb way to capture your pet’s personality. Follow them round surreptitiously for candid snaps or use toys and treats to make their eyes light up. There are apps to get your pet’s attention – for example, Human-to-Cat Translator and Dog Squeaky Toy, which are both free to download.
You’ll need a fast shutter speed (try 1/250sec or above) and the correct aperture if your pet is moving quickly. Using your digital camera in shutter priority mode will allow you to set the shutter speed whilst the camera automatically selects an appropriate aperture. You can either wait patiently and attentively for the perfect moment, or use continuous (burst) mode which gives you a sequence of shots to choose from. Phone cameras are usually equipped with continuous mode too.
Jump into the frame
Don't be shy, get involved! Pet photography is all about having fun and letting your pet’s unique character traits shine through. Get the family involved by playing around or capturing the charm of a quiet cuddly moment.
Make sure you protect against any unforeseen accidents with our best pet insurance.
Photo of the Day
Become part of BBC Countryfile Magazine's nature and outdoor photography community by sharing your best images to feature as our 'Photo of the Day'.
Find out how to send in your images, useful tips and our guidelines in our photography guide
Get ready to enter BBC Countryfile Calendar competition
Start improving your photography skills ahead of this year's BBC Countryfile calendar competition for 2021.
Find out more about the photo competition – we will be updating this page as soon as we know more.
