If you have actually tried to take a photograph of your pet you will have discovered that it isn’t as simple as you may have thought at first.

Taking photographs of them while they are sleeping isn’t truly a issue, but as soon as they wake up and are running close to causing havoc you will need lightening fast reactions in order to get a decent image shot.

There is a phrase often quoted, especially on television about ‘never working with kids or animals’. Even if your pet is becoming a bit mischievous or is full of energy, you’ll want to take great photographs of them and if you’ve lots of patience you will be rewarded having a spectacular portrait which you will want to cherish forever.

There are a lot of exotic pets out there such as snakes, bearded dragons and chinchillas, but for most of us, generally have a cat or a dog.

It’s so rewarding to capture the personality of your pet inside a portrait. This can easily be achieved because they know you really well, are comfy with you and are least most likely to be anxious, especially if they have a camera whirring and clicking in their faces.

For the best images you ought to roughly follow the exact same fundamental principles as you would when taking portraits of individuals:

- Make certain you shoot at the animals level (in other words, not directly from above).

- Focus on the eyes

- Fill the frame

- Use a somewhat longer lens and avoid getting distracted or busy background or direct flash.

You want your dog to become as organic as feasible within the portrait, so take the picture a little further away and shoot utilizing a telephoto lens. The animal well be less anxious and the result is going to be a far much more organic picture.

Lighting

Organic daylight is usually your optimum choice and resulting in a much much better image.

If, for example, you want to pick up the texture of your pets fur, you will need to use pretty directional light coming from one side. As with humans, the best pet portraits are frequently taken with the topic sitting next to or near a window.

Tip: If your pet has dark fur, you will have to be careful as it might fool your camera’s metering system so you might need to alter the AE-C setting to lighten it somewhat, utilizing the ‘ ’ setting.

Just as you would with individuals, when getting pictures of your pet it is essential to attempt to capture the character of your dog within the picture. I’ve seen some pictures where somebody’s adorable cat looks positively demonic on the photograph or their lively, cute dog appears either rabid or completely docile.

If you’ve ever taken a photograph of a baby you can use comparable tactics for your dog: use a favorite toy to attract their attention, or make funny noises or gestures to get a reaction.

As mentioned earlier in most cases photographing your pet not only requires patience but you’ll need lightening fast reactions so that you can be prepared to shoot at any moment.

This applies even more in the case of little pets such as hamsters or rodents. To make things simpler, it may be much better to have somebody hold the animal whilst you take the picture. With careful cropping using a program like Photoshop you should be able to erase the image of the individual holding the animal from the frame.

Just as you would with any type of photography where the subject is moving and you have to snap the image quickly, you need to combat potential problems for example focus or camera shake by using a quick shutter speed and getting plenty of shots.

In case you stick to these ideas you will manage to shoot a stunning portrait which will capture the characteristics of your dog, and something which you will treasure forever.

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Even the most experienced photographers can find taking shots of wildlife a challenge. To get the best pictures, tricks of the trade need to be learned and practiced before venturing out into the field. Setting up your equipment and framing your shots has to be done quickly. One way in which to practice set-up and framing can be done by taking pictures in your own yard and/or local parks of your own animals (if you have them). With your own animals you have the opportunity to study their behavior up close and personal so you can then anticipate what will happen next. Ultimately, the more knowledge you have about your subject, particularly in the case of animals, the better pictures you will get. Here are some tips on how to get the best shots of animals [and birds] in the wild:

Before setting out, practice taking shots of moving targets. By learning how to pan the camera to capture a moving target, it will allow you to get the best possible shots.

Always keep your camera at the ready – unexpected things can happen when out in the wild. If using a digital camera, make sure it has enough memory and is fully charged. Ensuring you have batteries on hand is also a must.

Before arriving at your intended destination, become familiar with what kinds of animals and/or birds you can expect to find there. By doing this, you can then take the time prior to going there to learn all you can about that particular wildlife. Having this knowledge will help you in anticipating both where to look for your intended targets as well as what type of behavior you can expect from them.

Once you have reached your destination, make sure to walk and move quietly as you search for animals and birds to photograph. By learning to be immobile, you will ensure that your presence doesn’t startle or threaten the wildlife around you.

Use all your senses and be as observant as possible to everything happening around you. Through ongoing practice, you can learn to detect movement, unusual colors and sounds and even certain smells that can help you detect an animal or bird that has carefully camouflaged itself. Without these skills, you may find yourself walking right by the wildlife you intend to photograph without even noticing it was there. Having a heightened awareness of your surroundings when hiking to photograph wildlife, can go a long way to enhancing your experience.

The use of telephoto lenses is a must when shooting wildlife. A telephoto lens is the best thing to have to bring you in as close as possible to the intended target without scaring it away. By the same token, a tripod is not always a necessity. If you’re lucky enough to have an abundance of light and have practiced enough in advance, you will be able to take pictures at a fast shutter speed thereby eliminating shaking of the camera. You can also invest in a camera equipped with a telephoto lens that has vibration reduced technology, but keep in mind these are considerably more expensive to buy.

Make sure when photographing animals and/or birds, you place the sharpest focus on their eyes.

Make a habit of photographing small animals from a lower angle.

The best times of the day for both viewing and photographing wildlife are early mornings or just before dark; it is at this time where the light is the most dramatic and animals are most active.

Do your best to keep the sun at your back so as to ensure the light will fall directly on the subject.

All of the above tips will go a long way to improving your photography of nature. The key to it all is practice, practice and more practice. And, beyond anything else, enjoy yourself!

Take a look at this Digital Photography Basics Report that Reveals Insider Professional Tips And Tricks For Taking Awesome Photos With a Digital Camera, or Just Visit www.LearnDigitalPhotographyNow.com

If you like photographing children, it can be both rewarding and profitable. Taking pictures of children is no easy task and if it’s something you don’t love doing, the child (or children) you are photographing will know, making it that much more difficult to get the shot you want.

Some of the most common techniques used in basic digital photography will not necessarily work when taking pictures of children. Telling a child to “freeze” or “hold it” will not make much sense to them. Children will often do as they please so it is the job of the photographer to anticipate what a child is about to do and be ready to capture it.

Photographing children takes a special skill, as most children (depending on age) will not always do what you ask of them. As a photographer, you need to know and understand that children will not always be cooperative just because they are going to have their picture taken. Photographing children may require a great deal of imagination on your part to get them to do what you need in order to capture a great picture. Sometimes, you may have to trick them into doing what you want them to do. Use whatever means necessary to get the shots you need.

Before booking basic digital photography sessions with children, you need to know both your camera equipment inside and out and what your own capabilities are in being able to get the best possible pictures. When photographing children, 100% of your focus is needed; there is no time to figure out the best lighting or what your camera can and can’t do. Children’s level of focus in a basic digital photography session can be limited at best thus you need to take complete advantage of the time you have to get their undivided attention to get the pictures you need. Rushing a child into what you want is also not the best approach. Getting their cooperation is key and that is best achieved when all attention is directed towards them.

When photographing children, expect anything and everything to happen. If you have a better understanding of the various behaviors of children at certain ages, it will go a long way to being able to capture the images you want thus increasing your financial gain. In addition, knowing what you can expect from a child at age two versus one at age five, will help in keeping your clients satisfied.

Unlike most other fields in basic digital photography, when taking pictures of children, you can expect to obtain a wide variety of poses, expressions, and behavior during the session. Be aware of different age groups: a 4-month-old baby will act differently that a 14-month-old one will. Learn how children of different ages respond. The more equipped you are to handle children of varying ages, the better pictures you will get.

Keep in mind that parents can play a key role when photographing children. They will be able to tell you certain things about their child that can go a long way to helping you through the picture session ultimately ensuring you obtain the best possible shots. Given most children have difficulty sitting through a basic digital photography session, you will not have time to win them over; knowing their likes and dislikes, their fears, their favorite things, to name a few, can be extremely helpful.

Make sure your camera is at the ready at all times- with children, you likely won’t get a second chance to capture something they did unexpectedly.

While tripods are very effective in getting sharp shots, you may not have the luxury of using one when photographing children. Given children have difficulty sitting still, a tripod will only impede your ability to capture all that’s going on at the same time. Your camera needs to be on a fast shutter speed (to prevent blurring) and ready to go at the blink of an eye.

There is no limit to what you can capture in a shot when photographing children; it can be anything from climbing on or out of something, to taking their shoes and socks off. The more experience you gain photographing children, the more you will know what works for different age groups.

There is no question that photographing children is a challenge. And just when you might start to feel comfortable doing it, along comes a new challenge – multiple subjects. Dealing with twins, triplets, etc. will really test your skills as child photographer! But don’t worry, this is part of the job and over time you will learn tricks to keeping all your subjects engaged.

When capturing a child or children on film, get creative when trying to get their attention; use different techniques and use them quickly as you won’t have the time to try again. Using a digital camera can help in this regard as there are no limits to the amount of exposures you can take and luckily, you can look at the pictures very quickly as you go.

Parents and older brothers and sisters can be of great assistance in a photo session with children. Children more often than not feel more comfortable when a parent and/or sibling is nearby. Siblings can often entice a child to laugh or make a face, enabling you to capture a better picture. In addition, parents may decide they want to include the sibling (or siblings) in the pictures ultimately allowing you to increase the photo package for the client. Tips for capturing children on film:

The more advanced you become as a child photographer, you will need to include both a lighting set-up and backdrop in the pictures. Typically, a three-light set-up (consisting of a main light and back light) are the best way to go. If you are still a novice photographer, you can still take quality photos with less. You can experiment as you go, trying out what works best to eliminate certain things such as shadows [if using a backdrop].

Be creative when photographing children: go to the beach, the park, or the backyard. There is no rule that says you are required to stay in the studio. Taking photographs outside eliminates the need for lighting; as long as you choose open shade, nature will do the work for you. Finally, keep a variety of items on hand to further capture the interest of the child or children you are photographing. Depending on the age of the child, toys, stuffed animals, snacks, hats, mirrors and dolls are just a few of the items that can a go a very long way in keeping the child’s interest. Use your imagination, the possibilities are endless.

Take a look at this Free Basic Digital Photography Report that Reveals Insider Professional Tips And Tricks For Taking Awesome Photos With a Digital Camera. Just Visit www.LearnDigitalPhotographyNow.com