Getting Your Dog or Cat Ready For Their Portrait

Getting Your Dog or Cat Ready For Their Portrait: Preparing your dog or cat for the portrait.

Train Your Pet

If you're going to have your dog or cat professionally photographed, it's important that they feel comfortable and happy in front of the camera. The two most important things to do are:

• Train Your Pet

• Ask a Professional Pet Trainer for Advice

Tip 1: Get your pet active

To get your pet ready for their portrait, you should get them active. Exercise will help them be more relaxed and comfortable when being photographed.

Dogs: Dogs can be walked, played with in the backyard or taken to a dog park. Cats: Cats can be played with using toys such as feather wands or laser pointers.

Tip 2: Speak with a professional trainer

You may find that a professional trainer is the best place to start. Many dog and cat trainers also specialize in helping animals overcome their fear of the camera, so they are familiar with what it takes to get your pet comfortable enough with the process. You should ask them if they have experience working with dogs and cats specifically, as well as any breed-specific issues you should be aware of (for example, many dogs with short snouts are not comfortable wearing head halters). Additionally, these professionals will be able to provide advice on how best to prepare your pet for their portrait session. Be sure to also ask for references from satisfied customers!

Tip 3: Get comfortable with the camera

It’s important for your pet to be comfortable around the camera before the portrait session. It's a lot easier for them to get used to it if they're familiar with the camera before you bring it out on your photo shoot day.

A good way to get your pet used to the camera is by having them sit in front of it and look at it while you take some photos, then reward them afterward with a treat or something else they like. This will help train them not only that sitting still is fun, but also that looking at the camera won't hurt their eyes!

Cuteness Overload Tips

• Cuteness overload is a real thing and can be detrimental to your pet's health, so make sure you're prepared for the moment by keeping treats close by.

• Have fun with posing your pet in cute positions. You could ask them to look into the camera, but I prefer letting them express their personality in whatever way they choose.

• If you're taking a photo of more than one dog or cat, make sure each animal is getting equal time in front of the camera!

Practice Makes Perfect!

Practice makes perfect! It's a cliché, but it's true. If you want your pet to look at home in front of the camera, you'll need to practice with them before the shoot. Practice is especially important if your pet has never been in front of a camera before.

Here are some tips for getting your dog or cat ready for their portrait:

• Practice With Your Pet Before The Photo Shoot

Practice taking photos of your pets when they're relaxed and comfortable around you. Familiarize yourself with how well they hold a pose so that when it comes time for their portrait shoot, they'll be more likely to hold still throughout the session instead of being distracted by something outside or behind the camera lens.

• Practice With A Friend Or Family Member

Next time someone visits who has an animal (or even better—a new baby), ask them if they'd mind posing with their pet while you snap away! This gives you lots of opportunities to work on various scenarios—from outdoorsy shots with grass and trees as backdrops, to more intimate portraits featuring only one subject peeking out from behind another person's shoulder as he looks off into space dreamily...you get the picture.* * * * *

Stay calm, train your pet and practice to get the best portrait.

Practice with a camera around your pet

The first step to getting the best portrait of your dog or cat is to get them comfortable with being in front of the camera. The more relaxed your pet, the better the shot will turn out! This can be done by using practice techniques that you can use at home. When taking photos of your pets, you should take many pictures so that you have some great ones to choose from when making a final selection. It’s important to find something special about each image and remember that all dogs are different, so there isn’t one ‘right way’ to photograph every dog out there!