Quick Camera Tips for Better Pet Pictures

 

By: Christine Peppler

 

Pets, like any member of a family, have unique personalities, individual responses to situations, and ways of expressing themselves. From a dog that loves to play hide and seek, peering from around a corner, to a cat that triumphantly perches in its favorite spot after removing any who dares to trespass on its prized territory, these small events are among the memories of pet owning families. Capturing the nuance of these situations simply requires a camera and the use of a few techniques which make photographing a pet unique.

Choosing the Shot

There are a number of ways to shoot great pictures of a pet with a camera. Portraits can be challenging with a pet, but the end results can be worth the extra effort. Using food, toys, or another person to direct a pet to look in a particular direction or to elicit a certain expression may be necessary. To obtain a more natural scene incorporating interaction with other animals or family members can help to create an image that better captures the true personality of the animal and a more typical atmosphere as attention is drawn away from the camera.

Common settings for pet pictures are where ever the animal is comfortable, such as lying on a favorite chair or gazing out a window. Another ideal setting is where ever they can be engaged in a favorite or natural activity. This helps to reduce some of the difficulty in getting an acceptable pose in front of a camera and better reflects the behavior and personality of a pet.

Setting Up the Shot

As is true when photographing other types of subjects, assuring that the background is free of clutter or distracting objects can help to focus attention in the shot on the pet. A plain background often creates the best backdrop. Wiping the eyes of a pet prior to shooting can also help to eliminate any distracting residue that will take away from the focus on their eyes.

Just as with small children anyone hoping to capture the best images of their pet will need to approach the situation with patience. Waiting for the right shot to happen is often a prime ingredient. Once the right setting or situation is selected and any needed props or helpers are assembled then the task of getting the best photo will frequently require multiple shots with the camera.

Taking the Shot

Getting photos that show the detail of a pet's features requires getting the camera up close and on their level. The pet should fill the frame and the photographer's viewpoint should be near the eye level of the pet. When getting close with the camera isn't an option, zooming can help to achieve similar results and when all else fails cropping during the editing phase can also improve results. Although the eyes of the pet should be the focus of the shot in most instances, it is important to shoot with the camera at angle if flash is used to eliminate the eerie glow that can occur when flash bounces off of the eye.

Whenever possible it is best to avoid using the camera flash with a pet. The risk of getting the unwanted reflection in the eyes is significant and some pets will even learn to avoid the flash by closing their eyes at an inopportune moment. For this reason, shooting pets outdoors is often easier, particularly early or late in the day or in the shade when harsh sunlight doesn't take away from their features. When photographing indoors and available light is insufficient, better photographs are easier with a camera that allows the in-camera flash to be disabled or removed. The photographer can then bounce the light off of a wall or ceiling to avoid any harsh glare.

Selecting the appropriate setting on the camera can help to assure optimal focusing. Many consumer model cameras have settings such as portrait and action which function nicely. Using the burst mode or sequence-shot setting when trying to capture images of a pet while playing can allow rapid shots that best capture the activity.

For millions of individuals and families who have pets as part of their lives, preserving memories of their time with us can be important. A good camera and knowledge of just a few photographic techniques can help to capture the kind of images that will be treasured for years to come.



www.mydigitalzoo.blogspot.com

How To Select The Right Digital Camera

 

By: Roberto Sedycias

Capturing moments was never so easy before digital cameras came into the photography world. Ever since, there has been a big international market dealing with digital cameras. Japan, South Korea and China have been the main players in manufacturing new digital cameras since its inception. Today, no media house can run without digital cameras. Forget media agencies, in our day-to-day life, we have started considering digital camera as a handbag's must-keep item. It has truly given a new definition to the world of photography.

Many kinds of digital cameras with different features are hovering around the market today. And you need to decide on your choices and pick up the right one that fits your clicking needs. You must have already heard a lot about the top brands such as Kodak, Nikon, Canon, Minolta, Sony, Panasonic, Polaroid, Olympus, Fujifilm, HP, Samsung, etc. This article discusses features of famous brands and models of digital cameras to help you select the right one for yourself.

To start your selection process, you must consider whether you are looking for small and compact pocket camera, an advanced camera, a high zoom capability camera, or an SLR camera. These can range from USD 100 to USD 2,000. You will need to take your pick based on your budget and requirements.

What are the features that you should compare between brands while selecting a digital camera? The most important feature is its resolution in mega pixel. In simple language, this figure tells you how much you can expand your picture without parting with its quality. The higher the resolution, the better. But this doesn't mean that you have to go for the highest available model in the market. Usually people print photos that are sized 4x6 or 5x7 inhes. So for these photo sizes, any camera above 4 mega pixels will deliver great results.

Other feature that you should evaluate is zoom-in capability. Optical zoom and digital zoom are different terms. Optical zoom means actual zoom done by the lenses, while digital zoom simply increases the size of the picture display without increasing any details. In simple terms 3x optical zoom means you can get three times closer picture of the image you see with your eyes. For this reason, optical zoom is better.

The third important feature is compatibility with other devices. Find out if the camera you are going to buy is compatible with your computer, printer, memory card, USB drive, etc. Cameras have inbuilt flash memory but the space is limited, so you would have to buy external memory cards, popularly known as Secure Digital Card (SDC) and Multi Media Card (MMC).

The next important feature is the size of the screen that provides digital display of the image instantly. These screens were the major reason that digital cameras replaced conventional cameras so fast. The screen gives you the ability to review the image and delete the ones you do not like. The LCD digital camera screens are up to 3 inches in width.

The other features that make your camera more convenient include automatic light adjustment, automatic flash, red-eye reduction, file format (TIFF, RAW or JPEG), audio and video capability, image stabilizer, manual controls for aperture and exposure, camera speed, weight and size, body type, battery type (lithium of normal), battery life, picture modes for morning light, day light, cloudy day, etc.

The varieties and features of digital cameras are so many that it becomes really difficult for a first-timer to select one. This is worsened by everyday technological advancements. But all the features mentioned above impart a whole new dimension to photography and they make it easier for even an amateur to click great quality pictures.



Dania
www.mydigitalzoom.blogspot.com