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April 22, 2020
Pets are the other loves of our lives. Furry, friendly, and endlessly photogenic — and they rarely complain about long photo shoots. But how do you use your photography skills to truly bring out the best in them? Here are our top 5 tips for mastering pet photography.
Pets wear their emotions on their faces. If you want to capture genuine, joyful moments, schedule your shoot around their favourite activity — a game of fetch, a walk on the beach, or simply playtime in the backyard.
Engage with them as you normally would. Pause for pats, throw the stick they've dropped at your feet. The shoot should feel like any other moment you share together. You'll get your shot and keep your bond intact at the same time.
Pets are always on the move. A fast shutter speed is the key to freezing them in action. An understanding of the exposure triangle will help you balance shutter speed with aperture and ISO, but if you're not there yet, simply switch your camera to shutter priority mode and experiment from there.
A good starting point is 1/125s or faster — go quicker for more energetic subjects. For a deeper dive into choosing the right speed for your situation, see our beginner's guide to shutter speed.
They don't call them puppy dog eyes for nothing. Like a great portrait, a great pet photo almost always has the eyes as the focal point. If your pet's eyes aren't sharp and clear, the emotional impact of the image is diminished.
This is harder to achieve during action shots, so keep it in mind during quieter moments. If you're shooting during playtime, aim for an instant where they glance up at the camera — even briefly.
Shooting from your full height can emphasise your pet's smaller stature, but you've probably taken those shots many times before. Try crouching down to meet them face-on instead.
This change in perspective places you in their world, encourages them to engage more naturally with the camera, and produces images that feel more intimate and compelling. It's one of the simplest composition changes you can make for an immediate improvement in your pet photos.
It sounds obvious, but many photographers still struggle with dark, grainy pet photos. The solution is more light — and the sun is the best light source available. A trip into the backyard can dramatically improve the overall quality of your shots.
More light also lets you use faster shutter speeds (see tip 2), and your four-legged friend will almost certainly prefer being outside anyway.
If you have a pet at home just waiting to be photographed, Novatech Direct has the gear you need — from mirrorless cameras to fast prime lenses perfect for capturing animals in motion. Visit a Novatech Direct store for personalised advice, or keep browsing the Novatech Direct photography blog for more tips and inspiration.
Shutter priority mode (Tv or S on your camera dial) is the easiest starting point for pet photography. Set your shutter speed to at least 1/125s to freeze movement, and let the camera handle aperture and ISO automatically. As you get more comfortable, switch to full manual mode for greater creative control.
A fast prime lens — such as a 50mm f/1.8 or 85mm f/1.8 — is ideal for pet portraits. Not sure which prime lens suits you best? Our guide to choosing a prime lens breaks down the options. The wide aperture lets in plenty of light and creates a pleasing background blur that makes your subject stand out. For action shots or pets that won't stay still, a zoom lens like a 70–200mm f/2.8 gives you the flexibility to shoot from a comfortable distance.
Squeaky toys, treats, and unusual sounds are your best tools. Have a helper hold a treat just above the lens, or make a noise that gets your pet's attention at the right moment. Timing is everything — be ready to shoot the instant they look up. Patience and a burst shooting mode will significantly improve your hit rate. If you enjoy photographing animals in the wild, our tips for bird photography cover many of the same fast-moving subject challenges.
The main culprit is a shutter speed that's too slow. Start at 1/125s and increase from there for faster-moving subjects. Good lighting also helps — more light means you can use faster shutter speeds without raising ISO too high. Shooting outdoors in natural light is the simplest way to improve sharpness across the board.
Autofocus is almost always the better choice for pet photography, particularly continuous autofocus (AF-C), which tracks moving subjects in real time. Many modern cameras also offer subject or animal detection AF, which automatically locks onto your pet's eyes — a game-changer for getting sharp, expressive shots with minimal effort.
Getting your camera settings right is the difference between a sharp, frame-worthy shot and a blurry miss. For most pet photography situations, start here: shutter speed of at least 1/250s to freeze movement, aperture between f/2.8–f/5.6 to separate your pet from the background, and Auto ISO to let the camera compensate for changing light. Shooting in Continuous AF (AI Servo on Canon, AF-C on Nikon and Sony) will keep a moving subject in focus as you track them. Burst mode is your best friend — fire off a sequence and choose the sharpest frame later. Shoot in RAW for maximum flexibility in post-processing.
Your choice of lens has a huge impact on the look and feel of your pet photos. A fast prime lens — such as a 50mm f/1.8 or 85mm f/1.8 — produces beautiful background blur (bokeh) that makes your pet pop. For active dogs photographed at a distance, a 70–200mm f/2.8 telephoto zoom gives you reach without crowding your subject. If you prefer environmental shots that show your pet in context, a 35mm f/1.8 works well indoors and in the backyard. Whatever lens you choose, prioritise fast autofocus performance — this matters far more for pets than it does for still-life or landscape photography.
Cats operate on their own schedule — and your shoot should too. Unlike dogs, cats rarely respond to commands, so patience is your most important tool. Photograph cats during their active windows, typically dawn and dusk, when they're naturally alert and playful. Use a feather wand or laser pointer just off-camera to direct their gaze. Get down to their eye level for intimate, engaging portraits. Because cats move unpredictably and in bursts, keep your shutter speed above 1/500s and use continuous autofocus. Natural window light produces beautifully soft results — position your cat near a north-facing window and avoid flash, which startles most cats and creates harsh, unnatural images.
Our complete guide to the exposure triangle walks you through how each element works together.
