Pet Parents have often expressed their frustration with their attempts to photograph their pets. They ask me, "How do you do it?" After much thought, I arrived at things i call my "7 P's." The "7 P's," the secrets of taking great pet photographs are Patience, Persistence, Personality, Plain, Perspective, Pop and Processing.

Dallas Pet Photographer

PATIENCE
Pets have minds of their own. Everyone knows that. You get your pet to sit perfectly, they see a bird, a butterfly, cat or another dog, and off they're going. Or your cat just doesn't want to come out from beneath your bed. So what is the next step? Well, if you would like the picture, waiting. The cat can come out eventually, and the dog will tire of chasing the kitty. Oh, a little, treat (bribery) never hurts.

PERSONALITY
Personality is what makes your pet unique. The key is to capture that uniqueness. Take a moment. Consider your pet. What's the very first thing you think of? For example, when I think about my cat Sham-Rock I believe "SPAZ." I am talking about he spends a lot of his time with his mouth hanging open attacking shadows and looking for geckos. So, this is the image I wish to capture... that look which curiosity. Maybe your pet goes bananas whenever you grab your vehicle keys because he knows he's taking a ride. So, you might want to capture that complete and total look of joy and excitement.

PERSISTENCE
Pricier to obtain a great set of shots the first time around. It may happen, but much more likely, you will take many, many shots to get that oen perfect look. Remember the old adage: "if in the beginning you do not succeed try, try again." That adage pertains to photographing pets. I take a minimum of 300 photos per session, and i am a professional.

PLAIN
What does that mean? Make it simple. I work to avoid cluttered backgrounds. The topic of the image is your pet, not the individual walking on the sidewalk behind them. A rake, a unravelled hose, a trach can are most likely stuff that you don't want without anyone's knowledge (or foreground) of the pet's photo. And, please, do not have a building or perhaps a tree coming out of your canine's head.

Dallas Pet Photographer

POINT OF VIEW
Lots of people (including professional photographers) say you need on the same level as the pet. I disagree. I believe you will get some great shots by shooting up at the cat or down at your dog. The key is to go into close.

POP
You would like the photograph to come out at you and whoever else is viewing it. That means, you want a response to the photograph, be it an "Ahhhhh!" or "Isn't that cute" or perhaps a chuckle or perhaps a tear. Those photos that evoke emotion are the photos that people remember most.

PROCESSING
Not all photo processing is identical. Let's imagine you receive an ideal shot, crop it simply how you want it and adjust the coloring for you liking. There's nothing more disappointing than sending it to a bulk processor where everything is set on auto pilot simply to have your photo return together with your dog's paw cut off or under vibrant colors. Suddenly, the great photo is disappointing. My advice: spend a little extra money and find a photo place that provides your photo the attention it deserves.