All photographers struggle with lighting. Pet photography possesses unique lighting challenges, however, it does not have to be a daunting experience to capture one's beloved pet on film.
Ambient lighting is always a good idea for a pet photography shoot. Ambient lighting is the utilization of natural light, this is an especially good technique if one desires to capture one's pet outside in the beauty of nature; the hours directly after sunrise, and the hours directly before sunset, are known as the "magic hours," because the soft diffused light from the sun does not cast a shadow. For best results, on a pet photography shoot, set the aperture on your camera between f/2.8 and f/5, with an ISO of 100 - 125. The benefit of utilizing a low f-stop, on a pet photography shoot, is that a 1/160th of a second shutter speed may be utilized: quick shutter speeds allows one to capture high energy pets with great clarity, well reducing graininess. however, if you are not comfortable with f-stops and shutter speeds, check the camera's instruction manual for information on aperture priority settings, if your camera possesses this function, this is your best bet. Now, wait for your pet to strike a pose - and shoot!
Another simple technique in pet photography is called backlighting. Backlighting is where on places the flash is behind the subject, the effect is a beautiful silhouette; your beloved pet appears to be a dark figure against a colorful backdrop. The same f-stop and shutter speed settings as previously mentioned are also appropriate for this dramatic effect. It may be slightly challenging to obtain the desired effect, but it is well worth the effort.
For those who want to venture into the realm of synthetic lighting, there are a few simple techniques. The best technique is to set your master flash, and the slave flash, if you are utilizing a multi-flash system, focused on a central point, and than simply wait for your pet to wonder in to the vortex of lights. This works great on uncooperative pets; however, if you do not want to wait, you can lure your pet onto the set with treats. In this scenario, it is essential that you are quick on the trigger, unless you are photographing Weimaranars in suits.
For this type of pet photography shoot there are two main goals: lighting the subject, and reducing the amount of shadow on the subject. Placement of your master and slave flash fulfill the first goal, the second is fulfilled with a little patience - simply wait until your beloved pet is in the correct position - and shoot! This may take several attempts, but with digital cameras, this is not a great inconvenience.
Be creative and experiment.
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