If you're like most households in the United States, your home may have a pet. While forcing youngsters to sit still long enough to get a good photograph can be problematic, getting a good photograph of your dog can be a complete nightmare. Creepy red-eye, fuzziness, and unpleasant expressions are all too prevalent in home pet photography, and will spoil any picture. With a little bit of practice and the following simple tips you will get significantly nicer results fast.

When you are trying to take a group picture together with your furry companion, ask somebody comfortable with the pet to hold it. Hoping your pet will sit still for sufficient time to compose a great photo is an exercise in futility. Make certain that your animal is content by permitting it to play with a toy or munch on a treat; no one expects Spot to look at the camera in the first place. When you've got an active pet you do risk of distracting everybody in the room with its presence, nevertheless this can lead to a fun picture that better captures the character of your household.

Lighting is important in any photograph, but animal eyes are particularly susceptible to weird reflections and red eye. Steer clear of using flash if at all possible. Outdoor photography is the best option, but you can also make use of big windows in addition to indoor lighting for a comparable effect. Reflecting light off a surface like a wall or umbrella is a traditional lighting procedure for portraits, but it requires a somewhat stationary animal to work.

Perspective can also be a vital factor to consider when getting a photo of your dog or cat. Though you're probably used to looking down on your cat, a more interesting perspective could be looking up at a cat sitting on a desk, or at eye level on a table or sofa. Whatever angle you ultimately choose to take your shot from, it's important to get closer to your furry companion than you probably would for a person. Your dog or cat is much smaller than a person is, so to get the proper level of detail you should be even closer. For bigger dogs this isn't as pronounced, but smaller dogs, cats, and uncommon pets like lizards need a little more zoom.

Above all, the best strategy to take a great photo of any pet is to take the pressure off. Don't dress up a pet that hates outfits, don't carry an animal that despises being off the ground, and don't allow yourself to get so tied up in capturing the perfect shot that you end up screaming and angry. The best photographs of your animal will undoubtebly end up being those that happen naturally, when they're being themselves. Catching spontaneous photographs might be tough, however there are some basic things you can do to prepare. Keep your digital camera nearby at times when you're out with your pet and want to take a picture. Take several photos and don't worry about the ones that come out terrible.

Although most of these recommendations are mainly focused on cats and dogs, they'll help even with more uncommon pets. If you have a fish, flash will probably be your worst enemy. Hold the camera right against the aquarium and use the tank lighting. Whatever your animal, be sure to have fun and be relaxed, if you keep on getting pictures and sticking to this advice, you will ultimately end up getting a photograph you will cherish for a long time.