Top 5 Tips for Photographing Shelter Pets

This post will share my top 5 tips for photographing shelter pets in consecutive order. If you aren’t already photographing there, reach out to your local shelter and get started.

MEET THE PET, SET THE SCENE AND DECLUTTER

First and foremost, meet the pet. Please spend time with them to get to know them and build rapport.

Try to find a space in the shelter conducive to getting a good photo of the shelter pet, or arrange their own space if you don’t have that option. Look around for great backdrops. There may be a coloured wall or an interesting scene where you can place the pet. Of course, the location depends on whether they are a dog, a cat or a pocket pet. When inducted, you will be guided by the shelter staff on where you can take the animals for their photos, and whether there are other volunteers there who can help you. You also want to ensure there are minimal distractions.

When you’ve found the right space, ensure it is clean and uncluttered. You want the pet to be the photos’ star, which means not having any distracting elements in the background. This includes moving unwanted objects from the scene, such as kitty litter trays, food bowls, and any other item that will detract from the subject. You want to show the world this pet at its best.

If you have the option of indoors, find an area close to a window where lovely filtered light streams through, not harsh sunlight. When using a speedlight, which I do inside the cattery, ensure you bounce it off a reflective surface and not directly at the pet. Outdoors is ideal if you can find some open shade to position the pet.

When photographing the pet on a lounge or chair, check that accessories such as cushions, rugs, etc., complement the scene and won’t draw attention away from or clash with the pet.

GET YOUR EQUIPMENT READY

Ensure your camera is ready to go. If it’s a phone camera, check that the battery is charged and the lens is clean. If it’s a digital camera, make sure the card has space, the batteries are charged, and the lens is clean. You don’t want to get the pet in the perfect pose only to find your equipment isn’t ready. Get your settings right for the scene and lighting conditions.

I generally use my 35mm 1.4 lens on my full-frame camera at the animal shelter, as I like to take environmental portraits that include some of the background and surrounding elements. Occasionally, I’ll use a 50mm lens, and if I’m outdoors and I have a volunteer to handle the dog, I’ll use my 70-200mm 2.8 lens.

When photographing shelter pets, your equipment may include toys, noisemakers, treats and accessories. I carry a little box of tricks whenever I go to the shelter, containing all these goodies and more. A wand is convenient for cats and kittens to get them excited and enthusiastic in their photos. Bringing out their personality is key to getting a great portrait; it creates more interesting images and variety for a rescue profile. For dogs and puppies, I generally use a toy with a squeaker, and of course, healthy treats are all in my waist pouch, so they are easy to grab. Often, my voice gets the perfect head tilt happening, so work on your funny noises… yes, it can be embarrassing, but you’re there to impress the pet, and not worry about the passers-by.

POSING THE PET

Now that you are ready to start photographing, place the pet in the area you want to photograph. If they aren’t too sure about what’s going on, you could try tempting them in with their favourite treats or toy. Check that they are clean and that they don’t have any food on their faces or sleep around their eyes. It’s much easier to clean these now rather than spend time editing them out in Photoshop. I carry wipes for this purpose.

As mentioned earlier, I like to spend time playing with the pet before I start photographing them. It builds rapport and gets them used to you; you are no threat to them. It’s great for the photographer as they generally get lots of love back, and it is so satisfying to start with a timid animal and see them begin to relax and build confidence just through taking the time with them. Depending on the pet, this can sometimes take much longer than expected, so be prepared to be patient, but the rewards are so worth it when you see that sparkle in their eyes.

PLAY

Frame the pet, set your focal point on the eye closest to you, take a test shot and check you are happy with your settings, and if all is good, start shooting. I shoot with back-button focus using one set focus point in AI Servo mode on my Canon. To help my wrist, I use a wrist strap, and my other hand is either waving a cat wand around, holding a squeaker or a treat, or waving at the same time. It’s hilarious to watch—it truly is!

You will likely get slobber on your lens, especially if photographing a bouncy young dog, so have a lens cloth handy. The hardest part is always leaving them behind to photograph the next pet. I like to think I’ve brought a little more joy to their day by interacting and photographing them. They certainly always bring happiness to mine.

05. POST-PROCESSING

The finishing touch to a compelling pound portrait is in the editing. Even if you use your smartphone to take the photos, it makes a difference when you put some love into the editing.

Firstly, correct the exposure if necessary and the white balance where required and do a basic edit on your image. Remove any spots such as stray hairs, eye sleep, or dust that take attention away from the pet. Don’t remove any marks that are attached to the pet, for example, a scar. You want the pet to look like it does in the flesh. The purpose of an adoption portrait is to bring out the best in the pet, not to change the way they look.

Add your watermark and perhaps an overlay that may enhance the charm of the pet featured in your portrait. The overlay in the image below is included in the free resources from HeARTsSpeak.

I edit my images in Lightroom and then transfer them to Photoshop to tidy up. If you use a smartphone, there are several apps you can use to edit your images, such as Snapseed, Adobe Photoshop Lightroom, Afterlight, VSCO, Bonfire Photo Editor Pro, and PhotoDirector.

I hope you found these tips helpful. If you want to learn more about shelter photography, I highly recommend checking out HeARTsSpeak, where you’ll find some great free resources. I’ve been a proud member of HeARTsSpeak since 2012.

I’ve been helping shelter pets find their forever homes since 2011, and I’m proud to be the official awards photographer for the inaugural 2018 Companion Animal Rescue Awards.

Did you know that I can also photograph your pet? If you’d like to find out more about booking a pet shoot with me, please get in touch with me.