This document provides tips and techniques for taking better pet photographs. It discusses important photography concepts like lighting, composition, depth of field, and posing pets. It emphasizes the importance of natural light and provides locations without special equipment that work well for pet photography, such as near a window or under a tree. The document also offers advice for capturing different types of subjects, including cats, black dogs, puppies, shy pets, and multiple pets. The overall goal is to help photographers create better pictures that will help shelter and rescue pets find permanent homes.

1. Sit, Stay & Smile for Better Pet Pics
By:

2. LET’S GET THIS PARTY STARTED – PART I
Disclaimer What are you doing here?
 Who am I?  Introduce yourself
 My work  Cameras (whatchya
 Slide Show got)
 Skill levels
 Goals

3. SOME OF THOSE CRAZY CAMERA TERMS
 Feel
free to interrupt  Depth of Field – how
me with questions! much is in focus
 Composition –
(It will be sooooo placement or
entertaining to watch arrangement of items
me try to remember (the stuff in your shot)
my place in the  Types of cameras
presentation. )  Point & Shoot
 SLR/DSLR – single lens
reflex (can you take off
the lens)
 Phone(s)
 Hipstamatic
 Best Camera

4. THE GOOD STUFF – PART II
LIGHT – IT’S ALL ABOUT LIGHT
 Light 2 kinds:
Artificial or Natural –
each has its place
 Artificial Light – any light
that isn’t sunlight. It can
be amazing!! – in a pro
studio or in your home.
 I do some studio & some
natural.
 You can make your own
little studio at home. Use a
lamp or get a video light.

5. THE GOOD STUFF – PART II
DEMON EYE
 On Camera Flash – use
with extreme caution!!
 Almost every camera
comes with a flash that
ironically will ruin many of
your images.
 Direct, harsh overpowering
light.
 Demon eyes on pets – it’s
an eyeball thing.
 Hard to avoid, shoot at an
angle but best solution is
turn off your flash.
 (I did not take this photo)

6. THE GOOD STUFF – PART II
NATURAL LIGHT - OUTSIDE
 Natural light is
sunlight.
 Best sunlight ever
you can get is
filtered somehow
like on a cloudy day.
 Bright sunny light is
not as good.
 Think about leashes
and safety if outside.

7. NATURAL LIGHT – INDOORS

8. NATURAL LIGHT – INDOORS
Catch Lights –
the eyes have it!
Look for the
light in the
subjects eyes.
Always makes
your photos
better.

9. THE GOOD STUFF – PART II
COMPOSITION & DEPTH OF FIELD
 What’s in your frame.
 Cut the clutter.
 The Rule of Thirds.
 (again, I did not take this
photo)

10. THE GOOD STUFF – PART II
COMPOSITION & DEPTH OF FIELD

11. THE GOOD STUFF – PART II
PET POSING (HA, HA, HA!)
 Catch Them in Action
 You move to vary the camera angle
 Get down to their level
 Act like an idiot and/or call of the wild

17. THE GOOD STUFF – PART II
HOW TO’S FOR THE TOUGHEST SUBJECTS
 Cats

19. THE GOOD STUFF – PART II
HOW TO’S FOR THE TOUGHEST SUBJECTS
 Black dogs with a smooth coat

20. THE GOOD STUFF – PART II
HOW TO’S FOR THE TOUGHEST SUBJECTS
 Crazy puppies that won’t sit still for a second!

21. THE GOOD STUFF – PART II
HOW TO’S FOR THE TOUGHEST SUBJECTS
 The frightened or shy pet.

22. THE GOOD STUFF – PART II
HOW TO’S FOR THE TOUGHEST SUBJECTS
 The frightened or shy pet.

23. THE GOOD STUFF – PART II
HOW TO’S FOR THE TOUGHEST SUBJECTS
 The Ultimate Challenge! Multiples!

24. THE GOOD STUFF – PART II
HOW TO’S FOR THE TOUGHEST SUBJECTS
 Parentsof Human Childen
(but that is another workshop)

25. THE GOOD STUFF – PART II
WHERE TO SHOOT – YOUR BEST BETS
 Try your garage.
 An window with soft
light streaming in.
 An open door.
 Under a tree with
some shade.
 On concrete or
anywhere where
you’ll get good
reflected light.

26. THE GOOD STUFF – PART II
WHERE TO SHOOT – YOUR BEST BETS
(without buying a bunch of equipment)
 The beach at about
an hour before
sunset.

27. THE GOOD STUFF – PART II
WHERE TO SHOOT – YOUR BEST BETS
(without buying a bunch of equipment)
On concrete
or
anywhere
where
you’ll get
good
reflected
light.

28. THE WRAP UP– PART III
PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER
 Have a shooting
plan.
 Have someone
help you. A good
pet wrangler is
worth their
weight in gold!

29. THE WRAP UP– PART III
PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER
 Find good light.
 Consider your
composition.
Think about the
arrangement of
items in your
frame.
 Capture
emotion.
 Pose your pet
(ha, ha, ha)
Practice
changing your
angle.

30. THE WRAP UP– PART III
PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER
 Keep a
scrapbook of
shots you like.
It’s fun and sort
of like recycling

 Shoot a lot . . .
Digital makes it
easy to do this.

31. Questions?
By:

39. Thank you for supporting rescue!!
This presentation was created to train volunteers who
generously donate their time to help photograph pets in
foster care or in shelters. Contact Lisa with any questions
Or if you need additional assistance.
Lisa has a studio in Yorba Linda, CA and regularly photographs
rescue pets pro bono. She also does private sessions for clients,
businesses, and editorial.
www.lisascarsi .com (714) 255-1382
info@lisascarsi.com
All images and text copyright 2011 Lisa Scarsi
Photography
(except that one image with the demon eye)
Permission is granted to use this presentation to train
people who photograph rescue pets in an effort to
help more shelter/rescue pets find forever homes.