Tips for photographing your pets this holiday season!

Does Bowser look dashing in his reindeer antlers? Is Felix fixated on the Christmas tree? Then chances are you'd love to capture some photographs of your pets this holiday season! Here are a few tips from David for success:

Set the scene.
Find a place with a clean background to take the photos. Before you trip the shutter, scan the corners of the frame - don't just look into Fifi's beautiful eyes. Whatever is in the background will be in your picture and could draw attention away from the subject. Don't be afraid to move things, or your pet (or yourself!) to create a clean look.

Find your light.
Avoid using your on-camera flash, if you can. Your pet's eyes will reflect the light and come out looking like big green saucers. Avail yourself of natural light, near a window or outside. You'll find the best outdoor lighting early in the day or in late afternoon. Indoors, use a high ISO film or digital camera setting. If you have to use your flash, shoot from one side of your pet, so he's not looking directly at you, and you can avoid the retinal reflection.

Get down!
Get down on the floor and inhabit your pet's world. Or, raise your pet to your level on a stool or table. For more compelling photos, you'll want the camera eye-to-eye with your subject.

Be fascinating.
Capture your pet's attention with unexpected noises, toys, familiar phrases ("Do you want to go..."), or treats to get her to look at the camera. Be sure you have your shot framed and your camera focused, then grab her attention. You can often use the same trick 3 or 4 times before it stops working. Take a break after 15 minutes or so, to let everyone run around and restore their attention spans, then you can try again.

Take a lot of pictures!
Don't expect perfect results after just one try. Take dozens of photos, then EDIT! If you're using a digital camera, extra frames won't cost anything but your time. Then don't be afraid to hit DELETE and keep only the strongest images. You can pick the best of the lot to enlarge.

Happy Holidays from all of us at Sutton Studios!