Pet Forum

Photographing Animals

By Marcy J. Levinson

Have you ever tried to coax a Jack Russell terrier into a serene photo shoot, or better yet, asked a grizzly bear to "hold that pose" or to "do something cute"? Well, wake up, photograher friends, this is a dream world you are dozing into with a world of pixels waiting to be used!

I want to give a few tips on photographing animals. Notice my photo essay is not only on domestic animals, but the beauty of capturing the essence of a creature in its seemingly natural environment — even if it is in captivity.

I captured the true essence of this massive North American grizzly bear near the summit of Grouse Mountain in Vancouver, British Columbia, with a zoom lens. I wasn't close to the seemingly laid-back bear in its seemingly natural habitat; I was at the edge of one of many wire fences separating tourists from the two bears at a wildlife preserve. Although I like people to think my daring outlook on photography had gotten me nose-to-nose with the bear, I must confess it was through a 300mm zoom lens on my Canon EOS 10D that I was able to get a great shot. Don't be afraid to move in close (but safely) for a shot, and use your mental eye to crop out things from the background — it will lend more credibility to the animal in its "natural" environment. This works great at zoos, wildlife preserves and petting farms. On to dogs, cats and other domestic fuzzies.

Never try to force any kind of animal into a pose of crossed paws or a sit/stay if it's not your pet — you run the risk of pulling back a bloody nub! If you have a well-trained dog or cat, you know your limitations, but domestic animals are photographed best in their own relaxing environments. Keep a camera on hand for those "Kodak moments," and capture the moment-in-the-making.

If you are an amateur photographer and want to set up a shoot, make sure you are relaxed — animals sense tension.

I find the best way to photograph pets is to become an unobtrusive onlooker and fade into the background.

Keep your wits about you while photographing wild animals. Keep a safe distance, and in case of a curious creature, it's nice to have a couple of sticks to hit together for noise deterrent.

Back to safety and dogs.

Never walk up to someone's dog in public and start taking pictures without checking the temperament not only of the dog, but of its owner as well. Not all dogs are photo-friendly.

If all is a go for photographing, say, a cute pit bull at a city park, then spend a few minutes letting the dog sniff out the camera. I find this helps dogs "make friends" with this weird object pointed toward them making strange, high-pitch noises. I've had English bulldogs, Chihuahuas and cocker spaniels lunge at me while getting photos just because they were interested in checking out the camera noises.

If you have a camera-silencing bag (often used by photographers who work in courtrooms) or simply a towel or shirt to muffle the sounds, this will work well. Once everyone is comfortable with the shoot, get to clicking. Stay relaxed and just follow the motions, movements and natural flow of the animal. Work with the animal in its environment; get on its level — safely. If it's not your dog, make sure it is on a leash tightly in the hand of the owner. Remember that most domestic animals have a short attention span for human nonsense, so if you think you are getting tired and stressed out with trying to get that perfect shot, imagine how Fido must feel. Give it a break and work on it later, or save the shoot for another day.

If you have photography questions, e-mail me at mlevinson@atljewishtimes.com.