This story was originally titled "5 Tips for Taking Candid Photos of Your Pet" in the March 2009 issue. Subscribe to Canadian Living today and never miss an issue!

Capturing the essence of your pet’s personality can deliver lasting memories. Following a few steps can produce true-to-life pet portraits.

• Before photographing dogs, play with them first to relax them, but photograph cats just as they are waking up and are less energetic.

• Get down to your pet’s level to get the best shot. Make sure her entire face or body is in the frame. “Cat portrait photography is all about their eyes: deep and mysterious,” says Piotr Organa (https://www.torontopetphotography.com) , a pet photographer from Toronto. “It may be difficult to get a close-up, so a long lens is useful.”

• Use a favourite toy to get his attention. Have a friend hold up the toy just out of camera range to capture his attention.

• The outdoors provide the best natural light for pet photography, especially during the first hour of light, in late-afternoon or at sunset. When indoors, use natural light from windows and turn the camera flash off, or bounce the flash off the ceiling to avoid the flash hitting your pet’s retina, which causes red eye.

• Create a backdrop for formal indoor shots by draping a white sheet over the couch or chair that your pet will sit on. When outdoors, be mindful of what’s behind your pet – look for colourful leaves in autumn or snow on a tree in winter.

• Take lots of photos. With a digital camera you can always delete the bad ones, and you don’t have to pay for film.


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