To find out more about taking photos of your catto that they wouldn’t like to untag, Bored Panda reached out to professional pet photographer Alessandra Sawick for advice. Alessandra, who offers pet photography services in New York City, told us that taking pictures of pets is trickier because the subjects do not understand the photographer's directions and instructions.
The bad news is that when it comes to our beloved felines, Alessandra warns that they are more difficult to photograph, for sure. “They have a mind of their own and it requires a lot of patience to try to capture their images.” On the contrary, “any dog can be photogenic” as long as you “make it fun, use many tricks, sounds, and snacks to get their attention.”
The photographer’s beloved breeds are German shepherds and some pit bulls, who are “more curious, more expressive, and more reactive to loud noises and sounds.” As a result, “they give the best head tilt ever.”
This doesn’t mean that it’s impossible to get a nice shot of your cat (if you’re not aiming for Twitter's Unflattering Cat Photo Challenge, of course.) But there are some things you should keep in mind. First: patience. Cats move around a lot, they are jumpy, and they're hard to predict; thus, you're gonna need to calm your nerves.
Alessandra also suggested getting at the pet’s eye level. “When photographing from our own point of view, the photography angle is not so interesting, but when the pet photographer lies down on the floor and tries to see the world through the eyes of their pet, this will create a more interesting perspective in the photo.”
The photographer also said that a common mistake people make when taking pics of their pets is the wrong light. “When photographing your pet, seek positioning him near a window or a glass door. If you have a window in the house that is not directly facing the sun with harsh lighting entering in, it will definitely work best.”
“Remember to direct the pet’s eyes towards the window to help enhance their brightness, thus generating a perfect 'catchlight' in the eyes.” She also said that no props or special setups will do magic if you don’t focus on your pet.
At the end of the day, all the improv snaps of our four-legged friends that we don’t put much effort into won’t be super flattering. And that’s okay as long as they don’t know it, or they are competing in the most unflattering feline photo challenge.
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