[ASheffield]

To start, I like to photograph my pets around the house so I can show off my adorable animals to friends. I never have any issues with the camera, it's the pets. If anyone is a pet photographer, I would appreciate the help. I am photographing my cats and dog.

Here are my questions:
How do I keep them still?
How do I get them to look at the camera?
Since I photograph them on my own, I have to be up close to keep them from walking away. How do I keep them from touching the lens with their wet noses?
How do I keep them from turning their heads while I snap the photo?

Additional Details:
I can't use treats, the cats are on a diet and the dog has allergies.
Toys would excite the dog too much
I can't have someone pick them up and hold them for the photo because, well they're cats and the dog is a 70lb. American pit bull terrier.
I need both hands to operate the camera.

[atupdate]

Here are my questions:
How do I keep them still? Prozak
How do I get them to look at the camera? Hang a pork chop (dog) or dead bird (cat) from the camera's tripod screw mount
Since I photograph them on my own, I have to be up close to keep them from walking away. How do I keep them from touching the lens with their wet noses? Cattle-prod
How do I keep them from turning their heads while I snap the photo? Neck brace

Additional Details:
I can't use treats, the cats are on a diet and the dog has allergies.
Toys would excite the dog too much
I can't have someone pick them up and hold them for the photo because, well they're cats and the dog is a 70lb. American pit bull terrier.
I need both hands to operate the camera.
I only have the on board flash
I don't have a tripod

Sorry to say but it looks kind of bleak. The only real suggestion is to play with them prior to the picture session to wear them out. A tired pet is more likely to sit still. Sorry I couldn't be more help but my dog is very mellow and I can use treats and it was almost impossible to get his picture without him tipping his head and dropping the glasses.



Tim

[enoeske]

When I do it, i have an assistant that wrangles the pets. I can concentrate on snapping the photos at the perfect times. Weird noises often make them look at you, so if you are behind the camera, they will be looking into the lens. Maybe pre-compose and pre-focus and use a wireless remote to take the photos if both your hands are working on getting the pet to stay there.

[VisualDarkness]

I guess training and know your own pets are the only real solution. The dog should be able to sit still at least, it's just training. One thing I've learned with our cockatiels is to use the use of sudden events and surprise. Get the animals interested in something other than you and get their attention just before you take the photo. It should also give the animals an expression in the shots but you have to be quick and redo a lot of times.

[icywindow]

In no particular order:
- Lighting - use consistent lighting, the flash from flashguns can bother animals. If you're planning studioesque lighting, a couple of softboxes loaded up with fluorescents work pretty well, otherwise, open all the blinds/shades on the windows.
- Put a UV filter on the lens (so you don't have to worry about cleaning the lens itself afterwards)
- Use faster and longer lenses and be a sniper (catch them in their element).
- Get a friend to come over and play with them (especially one that they are familiar with).
- Be patient. Be quick with the shutter. Be patient.
- Photograph them often, daily or every other day. Exposure and consistency will make them less excited by the camera.

Hope that helps.

[enoeske]

In no particular order:
- Lighting - use consistent lighting, the flash from flashguns can bother animals. If you're planning studioesque lighting, a couple of softboxes loaded up with fluorescents work pretty well, otherwise, open all the blinds/shades on the windows.
- Put a UV filter on the lens (so you don't have to worry about cleaning the lens itself afterwards)
- Use faster and longer lenses and be a sniper (catch them in their element).
- Get a friend to come over and play with them (especially one that they are familiar with).
- Be patient. Be quick with the shutter. Be patient.
- Photograph them often, daily or every other day. Exposure and consistency will make them less excited by the camera.

Hope that helps.

I disagree with a few of your notes here:

1. constant lighting is not bright enough to use a fast shutter (often necessary to freeze their movement). Flash doesn't seem to bother them since its so fast.
2. UV filter won't do anything but degrade your image quality, especially since your next post says to use a longer lens and get farther away. How is your lens going to get dirty?

[ASheffield]

I don't have a tripod

I have one, I just can't rotate around the pet.

[calculator01]

The trick is to try, try, try. My grey Maine Coon is superbly photogenic, no issues here. My tortie Maine Coon X, well, she has the tortie attitude and it is impossible to get stunning photos; she sees a camera and goes into play mode. Plus, she is black, therefore slow shutter speeds and inaccurate AF is a given.

Other than my experience, I have heard all about using distractions such as treats and toys. But these really work best on trained pets. Overall, I think you must be willing to work with them, get down low, lay on the ground, shoot when they want to be shot, etc. Always have a camera on you helps too

[ASheffield]

I'm not having trouble with the photo, just the pets, mainly the cats.

[icywindow]

I disagree with a few of your notes here:

1. constant lighting is not bright enough to use a fast shutter (often necessary to freeze their movement). Flash doesn't seem to bother them since its so fast.
2. UV filter won't do anything but degrade your image quality, especially since your next post says to use a longer lens and get farther away. How is your lens going to get dirty?

On number two, I was trying to answer the question of the dog rubbing wet nose into the lens when getting close to the camera, so I suppose I should have put an -or- between those two. And on one, that's just what I've found personally. But thank you for your perspective on this.

[wildman]

Speaking only for myself and the gear I have...

... I would just snap on the 70-300mm, get out of the way, let then calm down, and fire away.

Having said that, compared to your pets, mine would seem to be pretty laid back and probably older.

[magkelly]

Your best bet with pets if you don't want to use treats is to give them toys to distract them and to be patient. There is no making a pet be still. It's like photographing a baby. You work around them. They're going to move, a lot. I usually try dangling toys above them, using my hand to make noise above them like snapping my fingers. I put toys at their feet and let them go at it. Sooner or later they're bound to look up and give me the kind of thing I like. I also tend to follow them around in the studio. I don't try to put them in front of a backdrop and make them be still. It rarely works. Dogs are usually more cooperative than cats actually but really some kind of treat can make a huge difference. Not all cat and dog treats are high in fat and bad for them and they do have ones now that are made for dogs with allergies. Check at your local pet store. Oh, and catnip, good thing for getting cats to pose. I usually try to get my cat tanked on nip when I want her to pose for me. She goes all crazy but then she calms down and doesn't run around as much. Another good time to try it is when you've been petting them and they're calm from that. Or after they just wake up. If they're awake and ready to go it's a lot less likely that you'll get the shots you want.

[SashasMom]

Well, I think I am qualified to answer these questions. I am a Pet Photographer (mainly for fun, but get paying gigs too), I am also a Vet Technician at a Dermatology clinic.
First, sounds like your dog needs some basic training, like sit and stay. This will take some time, but once that is solid then snapping some photos will be a breeze. You can use treats, just not what your dog is allergic to. Do you know what that is i.e. chicken, pork, beef. You can use apples, carrots, bananas, peanut butter, etc. These things dogs are not allergic to.
To get your dog to look at you, you can use squeaky toys, or say a key word or phrase like squirrel, car, do you want to, etc. What ever gets its attention, but dont use its name.
Cats are more challenging, I just photograph my cat when she is roaming around the house or laying down asleep. She does know sit, but not stay yet.
I always use treats to train my pets, with your cat just feed him less kibble when training with treats.

Good luck,
Debbie

[loco]

I never use flash with my cats any more. Just a well lit room and let the ISO do whatever it wants. Flash is just too much for me to deal with when animals are moving all around.

I just sit down with them and let them get comfortable with the situation. Patience is the key. Don't do this when you are in a hurry. I spend a lot of time on the floor (down at their level is best) and this gets them all excited and I just have to wait them out. Some cats will run towards the camera (or you) when you first start, so you have to play with them a bit and let them get used to the situation. Eventually, my cats will settle down and begin to ignore the camera. That's when the fun begins!

I have 13 cats and all are different personalities. Eventually, you get to know who likes the camera, who is photogenic, who is "impossible" to photograph, etc. It can be very frustrating, but also so rewarding when you finally get that shot you've been waiting for!

If you are interested, here's my Cats set on Flickr:
Cats - a set on Flickr

[Kerrowdown]

It's also quite amazing just how long some dogs faces actually are, when your trying to get both nose tip and eyes in focus.

Can be even worse for horses.

None of the long face jokes or puns, please.