Research - Photography and Lighting

Photography and Lighting

     From what I found about pet photography, a lot of the work comes more into getting the right moment of pets rather than finding poses or getting a perfect angle. This contributes a lot to the comedic value of pet magazines photography, making a cuter, sillier picture rather than a perfectly framed, posed one. I saw this is done mainly using treats as a source of reward to the pets, offering a lot of the different poses you see pets in on magazines. 

    

    Camera work is very important for these shoots, having an arms-length distance from the pet being what seems to be necessary for the best chance of a good photo. Being able to be in front of the pet with the treat is what works for many photographers. But, since you need to be close, the camera lens needs to accommodate having a very close subject. From what I found, 35 mm to 50 mm is what is recommended for pet photoshoots.

    Lighting for pet photography has to be very mobile, since pets can move a lot during shoots. The most frequently used lighting I found was overhead movable lights. With this, keeping only 1-2 lights is optimal, keeping it simple to be able to change quickly with the pet. Camera flash is almost never used since pets' eyes often go red. Photos of pets are most often in dimmer rooms, and when not shallow focus is used often to keep focus on solely the pet. 

    In conclusion, this research definitely helped a lot on specifics about pet photography. I've tried pet photos before, but I could honestly never figure it out. With this info, I've become aware of the spaces I should try to take photos in, how simple lighting can be, and how to get a decent posed photo. I've also realized that pet photos don't need to be perfect.

Sources 

https://www.ppa.com/photovision/watch/expert-tips-on-posing-and-lighting-for-stunning-pet-photography