Hello, all!

I've decided to put together a few tips about how to get a great photograph of those pesky pets! Below is a photograph of my family's Australian Shepherd. His name is Rocky, and he's really skittish around a camera!

Rocky the Aussie Here are a few ways to make photographing difficult pets a little bit easier!

1) Pay attention to your pet's habits! Finding the times at which your pet is at his cutest is any easy way to increase your chances of getting a great shot!

2) Get a feel for how your pet feels about cameras, or introduce your pet to the camera with a treat and positive interactions.

3) If necessary, get help from another person to squeak a toy or make a noise behind you! Getting your pet to show some expression can be difficult at times.

4) Use a low depth of field to ensure that your pet is the main focus of the photograph - not everything around it!

5) If your pet does not like cameras, try to gain access to a zoom lens! I was a fair distance away from Rocky when I took this picture - he wouldn't have looked my way if I would have been in his face with the camera!

6) Don't be afraid to try an action shot! Make sure your shutter speed is fast enough and try to get a picture of your pet running to you, playing, or just going about his or her day.

7) Don't expect great results every time - your pet doesn't understand what you're trying to do and things don't always work out the way we want them to. It's okay! Because your subject is a family member, you should have plenty of opportunities for pictures (:

Below I have included a few more photographs I've captured of my furry family members! Don't forget the most important part of pet photography - capturing your pet's spirit and the things you love most about her in your photographs!

Thomas the Lovable Thomas is such a lovable guy! I always try to capture his beautiful eyes. Most cats tend to avoid eye contact with humans, but Thomas stares up at you, hoping you'll give him a hug! As you can see, the low depth of field in this photograph really puts the focus on those big, shiny eyes!

Big Kitty the Elder Big Kitty is the elder of our family. He is very old and recently broke a leg, but he's got a winning spirit and he keeps going despite his disability and age. I love him very much. As he is very old, I love to capture photographs of him in light of the fact that he may not be with us much longer. Photographs allow us to remember the little details of pets that have passed on so that we can remember them vividly and lovingly even after they are gone.

Smokey the Bold This is Smokey, and an excellent example of an action shot gone right! Smokey was walking toward me and I was able to capture him on his way! It's important to have a fast shutter speed and make sure that the pet stays in the frame - often times your pet may get too close to you before you are able to get a good shot! I prefer to get a fair distance away before coaxing my cats and dogs my way - they move quickly!

Bill! This is Bill! He's an amazing little Chihuahua that my fiance and I rescued from a nearby animal rescue facility! He is timid at times due to past abuse, but he loves to play! In the photo below, you'll see him in action. This photograph captures his benevolent nature and lovely coloring. Notice that the depth of field in this photo is quite a bit larger than many of my pet photos - if you have a great setting, don't be afraid to use it to your advantage! Sometimes the environment is worth capturing, especially if it is an important part of the pet's daily life or if it is a particularly eye-catching location like this one.

Higher! This is a prime example of capturing your pet in the midst of the action! Bill loves to play around the water when we use rocks to make splashes. Make sure that the lighting is good enough in your location that you can set your shutter speed high and shoot away! Photographs taken while your pet is in action can be cute, inspiring, or just plain hilarious! You never know what you're going to get, but a high-speed shoot is well worth the time and effort involved!

So there you go! You have some great tips and some great examples at your disposal - there's no excuse now! Get out there and start photographing those cute critters. You'll be very glad that you did!

Farewell until the next addition to the blog, friends!

Thank you for your continued support and I hope that you are enjoying this wonderful fall weather!!

-Chari