Although I love it, snapping pictures of animals can also be one of the hardest, most frustrating things to do as a photographer.
Whether you’re a seasoned professional or an occasional point-and-shooter, animal photography is never easy. If our fuzzy friends aren’t wanting to sniff, scratch and lick the camera, they’re wiggling out of the way.
I’ve found that the only way to get a great shot is patience, patience, patience. To get an animal’s attention, I sometimes hold the camera with one hand and snap my fingers with another hand. It takes a lot of blurry frames before you get it right, but when you do, it’s golden.
So if you’re trying to get that perfect shot of Fido or Fluffy for your Christmas cards, I’d suggest a steady hand, plenty of treats to reward good behavior, and a Santa’s Sleigh-load of patience.
Here’s a shot I managed to get of Digby, my 7-month-old Maine Coon, in front of my apartment’s tiny Christmas tree:
Also, check out the photo gallery from Adoption Day at the Unicoi County Animal Shelter on Dec. 13. Violet, the scrappy little kitten I photographed with the fisheye lens, was so cute! I hope she finds a good home.
