Taking Photos of Things Other Than People

Let's be honest, it's hard to take photos of your pets. I have a lot of trouble getting my cats to actual do what I want. Every time I think I have a good photo of them, I realize that I don't because they move or jump or try to claw my camera.

Here is the single photo I have been able to take of one of my little kitties:

Having said that it's much easier to take photos of food and other inanimate objects. The real key to taking photos of these is lighting. Food looks better in soft lighting, it gives the food a glow which actually makes it look better. If it's in harsh, bright lighting, it will look unappetizing. Most food is shot in natural window lighting, so it's is soft, but not too much. You also have to work with angles as well because every dish has a "good side." It's your job as the photographer to find that side. You can apply this to other inanimate objects as well, such as flowers, toys, books, and instruments.

Let's talk about taking photos of animals. They won't listen to you so you will have to either photograph them in their natural setting, which I find to be a little bit easier, or set them up yourself. Have a lot of treats handy if you want to choose the latter.

Some tips for taking photos of animals in a natural setting is to try and predict what they are going to do. Most of the time you can see where an animal is going or know what they are going to do. For example, if you are taking a picture of a bumblebee in a flower patch, you know he's going to go flower to flower to collect pollen. Try and be one step ahead of him and predict which flower he is going to go to next. Be one step ahead of the animal.

Make sure you know some facts about the animal because you could scare it away with a flash or by getting too close. It's always good to have a zoom lens if you need to be very far away in order to not spook the animal.

Most of the time you will want to get photos of your own pets or friend's pets. In this case, just keep your camera on them and keep shooting. You never know what you might get by just taking a bunch of photos of them. I've found some of my best photos of my cats was when I took a bunch in a row. I got interesting poses and different faces. It may be basic, but just point and shoot. You just might get that Instagram winner.