Animal and Pet Photographing

8/12/2019 Animal and Pet Photographing

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Photographing AnimalsWildilife & Your Pets

Copyright 2009-2013 - Remember Forever PhotographyCopyright applies to all information and images

All rights reserved.

Photography Workshops and Courses

Phone: (646) 736-3231 (National)Email: [email protected]: www.rememberforever.co


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a. M Mode on Your Camerab. ISO set to 400 (800 in lower light)

c. Aperture set to F5.6 at most (shallower is better)d. Shutter Speed becomes your variable 1/750 at a minimum.

It is important with animal photography that we both work and shoot quickly. Workingwith a faster shutter speed allows you to avoid the blur of an animals small movements

Animals tend to move rapidly and without warning so a photograph that you have takentime to prepare can be lost in alot less than a heartbeat.

1. Settings for Success

ISOChanging the ISO is a very simple task - however can be different camera to camera. Your cameramay have an ISO button on the top or back display of your camera. It might be accessed throughyour cameras menu system. If you need help locating your ISO button, please ask your workshopinstructor.

When you have located the ISO button we can then change the ISO for your camera.

As a rule with animal photography we want to set our ISO to 400 which will give us a high qualityimage but and also be sensitive enough to light for a slightly faster shutter speed.

Your focal point is the most important thing in the photograph. Most cameras default to multiple focalpoints - or the camera deciding what is important. Now your instructor will show you how to set a singlefocal point - so we can tell the camera what is important!

2. Focal Points - Where are you aiming?

By selecting the centre focal point as our single point of focus on ourcamera, you will always know where to aim the camera at whenstarting your photograph. You can then reframe your photo at will!

When photographing people, we want to focus on the eye closestto the camera. We half-press our shutter while aiming at the eye

The basic principle behind the rule of thirds is to imagine breaking an image down into thirds (bothhorizontally and vertically) so that you have 9 parts.

As youre taking an image you would have done this in your mind through your viewnder or in theLCD display that you use to frame your shot.

With this grid in mind the rule of thirds now identies four important parts of the image that you shouldconsider placing points of interest in as you frame your image. Not only this but it also gives you fourlines that are also useful positions for elements in your photo.

TRY AND HAVE EVERY ELEMENT OF YOUR PHOTOGRAPH ALONGONE OF THE LINES (OR THIRDS).

FRAME YOUR IMAGE SO THAT YOUR FOCAL POINT - THE MOSTIMPORTANT ELEMENT/S OF YOUR PHOTOGRAPH ARE PLACED ON

ONE OF THE INTERSECTING POINTS

REMEMBER THE RULE OF THIRDS IS NOT A SUICIDE PACT

and without letting go of the button, reframe to ll the image how we want the end result to look. Ifyou have a group of people, pick the most important person in the photo: the bride, the birthday boy- or if you have more than one child - pick your favourite. Just kidding. You can also pick the centreperson in the group - or the person closest to the camera.

3. Rule of Thirds


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While a good yawn (see the photos above) sleeping animals look like dead animals andthese rarely make a good photograph!

If youre in the wild, animals will be most active at sunrise/sunset when it is cooler. Hang outnear the watering holes and try to get them doing what they do. (Lions sleep for most of the

day so the above shots were kind of normal - and the hunting/killing photos were a little toographic for this workbook.)

Domestic animals will respond to humans PLAY. Get them revved up and watch the photoopportunities ow abundently.

4. Capture the Action = Capture the Personality

IMPORTANT NOTES ABOUT FOCAL POINTS &THE RULE OF THIRDS FOR PHOTOGRAPHING ANIMALS!

(4. Its all About the Animal)AS A RULE EYES ARE STILL MOST IMPORTANT ASPECT OF YOUR PHOTOGRAPH.

There is an expression in photography: Miss the eyes and youve missed the shotAnimal photography however, especially in the wild offers a multitude of opportunity to take amazingphotos and completely ignore that rule/expression.

What is the animal famous for? eg. Tigers have stripes, elephants have tusks, cats and dogs havewhiskers, soulful eyes and noses. These can create amazing photographs.

What is the animal doing? eg. Digging a hole, eating a bone, playing with a ball, grooming itself.Never before have action photographs become so accessible - and thanks to societys predelictionfor sharing cat photos on Facebook and sending it viral, your playful photograph of a kitten with yarncould be seen by millions overnight. :)

Wildlife shots are different to other photography in that you dont need to have a background orcontext to tell the story the animal itself will usually do that. Try lling the frame with just the face, justthe paws or just three quarters of the animal.

Some pretty cool photographs of animals where the eyes werent visible or the focal point of thephotograph.

The eyes are mostly not visible in these photos but they ARE still interesting.

Why? Because of point #4:


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This requires patience and patience is the most successful attribute of an animalphotographer. Some of the best animal photos capture an obscure look or a stare, yawn,growl, etc. .

Focus on the animal and then as soon as it opens its mouth to yawn or turns its head to

scratch, start shooting. By looking for unusual expressions you can capture a unique andpersonable animal photograph every time.

6. Animals are not concerned about embarrassment

We know that animals have very cute facesbut what about their paws, ears, fur, tails Some of the best wildlife shots are detailorientated rather than just a pretty face.

Some photos ignore rule of thirds and feel

free to crop parts of the animal to highlighta nose, tongue, growl, whisker ...

Get in close. make it the priority of the shot animals are generally smaller than humansso we dont need as much space between

7. What else does an animal have?

Every animal behaves differently. You cannot expect identical behaviors in any two ofthe same species just like humans. The key to getting a good picture is watching ananimal long enough to be able to predict what theyre about to do.

8. Stalk Your Prey!

9. Capture Unaware - the Element of SurpriseWhile your pet is playing quietly or focused on atoy, get into position take some photos and THENhave someone else whistle or call him/her. Thiswill surprise the pet and capture attention and

you will have a few seconds to capture him in anice and alert posture and pose.

Obviously this is for domestic animals, we dontadvise doing this in Africa on Safari. Though Lukewanted to. His wife and the trackers wouldnt let

him.

Again patience is a virtue watching an animalfor long enough will yield the results a lion maysmell game and react the same as a dog to a

familiar whistle.

In the photo on the right, you can even see thepoint where the dog became alert.

them as we do when shooting people. Except for lions. Keep space between yourselfand lions. Thats probably the most important tip we can give you in this workbook.

Remember Forever take no responsibility andaccept no liability if you are in the wild and

intentionally startle a predator in order to take agreat photograph. Animals can be predictableand their behaviour can usually be anticipated

in order to get a photograph, but often they actunpredictably and people can get hurt. Not just

with lions, even with domestic dogs.

SAFETY FIRST!


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Patience is the number one key to animal photography. The most successful wildlifephotographers are not professionals but gifted amateurs who have the opportunities rangers in game parks. They have the time to sit and wait for the shot to come to themand they invariably get it.

When planning to shoot animals whether domesticated or on safari, the main thing is toallow yourself time to do so. Unlike shooting people where you can allocate an hour andexpect to get a reasonable photograph allow yourself 3 hours each time you go out tostalk a single animal.

Practice laying down with your camera ready and limited movement for a couple ofhours like a military sniper. That is probably the key secret to great animal photography.

This is probably the hardest thing to learn today. As a habit we photograph through theviewnder with one eye open (looking through) and the other closed.

We dont like to look at the LCD screen as the focus is never as accurate as theviewnder and with one eye closed, we often miss action about to happen.

By trying to keep both eyes open when one is looking through the viewnder we are ableto anticipate and see action before it happens and ensure we capture it and not missthe photograph.

Set your cameras to continuous shoot each time you shoot an animal you should bephotographing bursts of 3-10 images. Not only are you less likely to miss that key moment,

animal photography often works better in a series of 3 photographs displayed togetherbut showing an event, action or lifestyle of an animal.

12. Keep both eyes open.

11. Take a lot of photos

10. Lets emphasise patience.

It also means that you might see adangerous situation in time to avoid itand that is paramount.

Safety rst.

You only need to look at the exampleof iconic Australian Steve Irwin to knowthat animals can be dangerous.

As a photographer, your job is tocapture the action not be a part of it.


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Important things you want to remember ...


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Copyright 2009-2013 - Remember Forever PhotographyCopyright applies to all information and images

All rights reserved.

Photography Workshops and CoursesPhone: (646) 736-3231 (National)

Email: [email protected]: www.rememberforever.co

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Animal and Pet Photographing