Photography tips: 5 ways to photograph animals

Photographing animals takes a great deal of patience: whether they're pets or wild animals, they're unpredictable creatures that couldn't care less about 'ruining' your shots. And you certainly can't limit yourself to photographing them only when they're asleep. There's no technical method for persuading a dog, let alone a cat, to strike a pose and 'smile' for the camera, but with this Pixtury guide you can learn a few tricks to improve your snaps, taking inspiration from the images we'll show you below, which you can turn into fantastic modern wall art for your home. If you're proud of your work, sign up now and join our community, where you can sell photos, paintings and digital art online.

How to photograph portraits and details

Portraits are without doubt the hardest shots to take: if it's your own pet, all you need to do is try to catch its attention with a toy or some food. Dogs are much easier to photograph this way, given their obedience and devotion to you. As for cats, as everyone knows, they only give you their attention when they feel like it, so you'll need something that can really catch their eye: if your pet completely ignores you, you can still get splendid portraits by capturing its gaze while it watches something else.

With wild animals, trying to attract their attention might scare them off or, in the case of an African big cat, could prove fatal: so we recommend shooting in burst mode, giving you a much better chance of capturing their gaze.

Detail shots, on the other hand, need more care: this approach is especially recommended for insects. First of all because they rarely flee or take fright (except perhaps butterflies), but above all because you can take some really interesting photographs: let the colours and details of their bodies inspire you to experiment with light and shadow or unusual perspectives. You'll find some examples in our gallery of animal prints.

Photographing animals in motion

Next up is the most dynamic kind of shot: the watchword is to seize the moment! By choosing the right camera settings you can create poetic images, but you'll need to make sure you're in the right place at the right time. These photographers have created wonderful images by capturing birds in flight – the subjects best suited to this kind of shot.

The same rules apply to details too, but you'll need to be far more precise!

How to photograph landscapes with animals

If patience and precision aren't your strongest points, we suggest placing animals within a wider frame: the landscape will make for a far more compelling picture. Take your time to create deep, distinctive images like the photograph below.

If you enjoyed this article and you're already out in the garden chasing your cat with your camera, share the article and follow us on our social media pages! And remember that you can find all the images we've shown you in this article in our gallery, and turn them into unforgettable modern wall art.