Like author John Grogan said: “A dog doesn't care if you are rich or poor, clever or dull, smart or dumb. Give him your heart and he'll give you his.” We love good sentiments, we really do. But when it comes to photography business, a good connection with your models - whether they happen to have 2 or 4 feet - is simply not enough.
As you already know if you practice this genre, pet photography is no monkey business. There are certain rules that you need to master, in order to get the most out of each shot. And, what may be more important: due to the proliferation of cute pictures of dogs, cats and other furry friends, you need original ideas. Take a look at how these Wix photographers managed to find new ways to depict pets. There’s a lot of inspiration to take away here for your own practice. We do warn you though, cuteness ahead:
Deep breath in, deep breath out. Mmmm… We think you’re ready to take this all in. Photographer Dan Borris was walking down the street one day with a friend when she suggested that he photographs her doing yoga while her dog ran around, making her crazy. Inspiration struck! Why not remove humans from the equation - and let the dogs do the yoga themselves? This is how the Yoga Dogs project was born. Not the easiest idea to repeat, but with some flexibility and good editing skills, you should get just as interesting results as well.
Photographing animals from underneath is quite literally the biggest project photographer Andrius Burba has ever taken on. Underlook gives viewers an alternative (and fluffy) perspective of cats, dogs, rabbits and majestic horses. This original collection shows that you shouldn’t be afraid of photographing pets in a whole new light - or angle. What’s most apparent in this series of photos is how the photographer managed to capture the high sense of curiosity most animals have.
Contrary to popular belief, cats don’t just sleep all day; they like to play peek-a-boo too, you know. Australian photographer Zoie captures the not so obvious side of our famously lazy friends. The classic black and white images give a sophisticated and clean look to these aristocats. You should probably be humming “Everybody wants to be a cat” by now.
Pet photographer and animal shelter volunteer, Casey Elise believes that photography is a huge part of the adoption process. She knows how to work a camera to catch all the ‘good angles’ of these precious little candidates to a new life and family. Look at how the fun colors and surprising poses naturally boost the lovability gauge - like that pug, just waiting for a big cuddle and a smooch!
Just like human beings, each animal has their own personality. Part of being a good pet photographer is to find that something unique about each animal. For example, look at the happy-go-lucky pooch frolicking on the beach compared to the sinister looking cat lurking between the long grass and flowers.
Like us, our pets want to remember all their fondest adventures to the forest or the beach with their partner(s) in crime. Brad Damms captures his two lovable collies in painting like settings. These two are beaming of happiness and make the cutest duo. Pay attention to the framing and the lightning. Being a landscape photographer, Brad smartly reused the techniques of this genre and reinvented them for a wild session of pet photography.
We had to do a double take on that cat (or baby cheetah?). Photographer Sam Auger Forbes understands the crucial role that pets play within families, which is why he photographs them in the same way you would immortalize a child in their various stages of life. His variation between striking black and white images to bright, almost portrait-like images, are great examples of how diverse pet photography really is.
Since our pets are such an integral part of our lives, it’s only natural to include them in family Christmas cards, right? Nicole from Classic Pictures will have you and your best friend looking ready for December. The matching color schemes and the holiday-inspired attire is sure to spark off some inspiration for the next time you’re shooting greetings cards or family portraits. And if it could get any better, it’s clear from Nicole’s site that the 50’s are very much in the air.
Javier himself says it best: “Just a man with a camera, looking at life and showing it through images.” Our hearts can barely survive looking at these two equally adorable photos. Both images show the constant intrigue that pets seem to always want to know what their owners are up to. We love the juxtaposition of the striking red lip and accented details on the sweater to the adorable little mouse just peeking out to say ‘hi’.
In a series aptly named “dogs in action”, Claudio magnificently captures that moment of victory (and sheer happiness) every dog experiences. These powerful, super high quality images leave you wondering what happened in the second just after the shot was taken. We love the dark, sinister looking forest as the backdrop of this squeaky clean, focused husky. The art of contrast, as its best.
