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Including animals in family portraits

A large number of people in the world who love animals and many of these animal lovers have pets, some people love their pets so much they consider them to be part of the family. When taking family portraits it is not uncommon to have peoples pets included in the photograph. It may take a little extra effort on the photographers part in order to get a composition that everyone is happy with, here are some tip when adding animals to a family portrait.

Tire them out. When taking photos of animals the easiest way to get them to cooperate is to have them tuckered out. Have a family member take the dog of a long run an hour or so before the shoot, or if it is a cat, have a toy that they like available to cocas them into position when it is time to press the shutter. Some animals like lizards, reptiles and rodents are a bit easier to work with because the can be held and will be less likely to but up a stink!

Acclimatize the animal to the equipment. If you know that there is going to be animal involved in a family photo shoot be sure to spend a few minutes showing the animals the lights and sounds that they will see and hear during the photo shoot. Some animals will not really care that there is so much going on but other animals can be nervous and may react negativity when they hear a strange noise or see a bright flash. If possible try to use studio light instead of strobes this will cause the animal less stress.

Just like working with children try have activities for the animals to do or rewards for good behavior. Never get mad at the animal, they are very aware of human emotion and if you let your feelings get in the way of taking great photographs it is likely that the animal will sense this and become even less cooperative. Make sure that the animals favorite person is with them at all times in order to keep them calm and cooperative.

Animals can add a lot of personality and character to a family portrait. They can give the family a sense of time and a lot of memories every time they look at the photograph. It is important when including an animal in a family portrait to be patient, have fun, be creative and be willing to take chances.

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