How to Take the Perfect Photos of Your Pets  

We all know how important first impressions are. ‘Love at first sight’ is a powerful statement, and something to have in mind when posting photos of pets you wish to advertise.

The way you advertise your animals online is extremely important. Once you create a profile with PetSales, the next step is to take the perfect series of photos for your listing. The perfect photo gives insight into the owner or breeder, and the type of living environment the pet comes from.

So, do you have a litter of puppies or a kindle of kittens that you want to advertise on  PetSales? Here are a few PetSales pointers on how to take the perfect photos. These pointers will ensure your pet has the greatest chance at finding a loving and caring family.


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• Capture entire body of pet
• Good Lighting
• Face pet front on
• 5 photos
• Show personality

We will also cover three tips on what you’ll want to avoid when taking photos of your pets.

• Excessive Accessories
• Unnecessary Background Objects
• Shadows, Glare, and Too Much Sun

 

What To Do!

Capture Their Entire Body

Have you ever bought something online? I’m sure you have at one point. Try thinking about that process and how it’s easier to make that decision when you can see the whole product. The same is true with pet photos. Ensure you capture your pet’s entire body in most of your photographs. This will help a potential new owner gain an idea of size, colour, and condition of the animal.

 

Good Lighting

Lighting can sometimes be the hardest thing to get right when taking photos. Luckily, most cameras and smartphones allow you to change the settings and use filters to enhance your photo if you find it necessary. Avoid having bright lights behind the pets, like what you would see in overexposed photos. The natural morning light or afternoon light, where the sun is behind you (the photographer), is the easiest way to achieve balanced lighting.

 

Have Your Pet Face You

Ever try to take a photo of your pet and they just won’t look at you? It can get everyone a bit frustrated at times. However, making sure your pet is looking at the camera is extremely important. There’s just something about looking into the eyes of an animal that makes you feel connected. A good tip to get your pet to look at the camera is to hold their toy or a treat to get their attention.

 

Upload Multiple Photos

PetSales has the option to upload 10 different photos, so why not use them all? Every photo you upload will provide a potential new owner with a new insight into who your pet is. Struggling to think of new photo ideas? Try including a photo of your pet’s parents. This will help the potential owner get an overall idea of your pet, what it will grow to, how it might look, and whether it will be a good match for their family.

 

Show Their Personality

We have all met an animal we just don’t seem to get along with. When a potential new owner is looking for a pet they want to make sure they will fit in with their family. Conveying your pet’s personality in your photos will be the best way to this. Try taking a candid photo of the pet playing with their favourite toy, or doing something they love.

 

There you have it, 5 tips on taking beautiful images of your pets. Just to recap, those tips were:

• Capture their entire body in most of your photos
• Focus on using good lighting
• Get your pets to look at the camera
• Upload multiple photos to show different sides of your pet
• Show off your pet’s personality in your photos

What Not To Do!

Now that you know how to take the perfect photo of your animal, here’s what you should avoid.

 

Accessories

It’s not uncommon to see photos of a pet in a sweater or some form of clothing. Whilst these photos can look incredible, when it comes to advertising your pets online, try to avoid these kinds of photos. This is because these clothes shroud your pet and hides them away. Potential new owners want to see your pet for who they are, not the latest fashion trend.

 

Unnecessary Background Objects

When you’re taking photos of your pet, be mindful of what’s in the background of your image. Having unnecessary objects in the background of your photos can distract potential new owners from what should be the focus of your images. We want your pet to be the star of your photos.

 

Shadows, Glare, and Excessive Sun

We already touched on lighting in the Good Lighting section of this article. However, we felt it was important to talk about further. When taking photos of your pets, some other aspects to take into consideration is avoiding shadows, glare, and excessive amounts of sun. All these elements can ruin an otherwise perfect shot. As mentioned before, having the morning or afternoon sun behind you when taking photos is a great way to get some great lighting, just don’t cast a shadow over your pet when you take the photo.

 

Great, those were 3 tips on things to avoid when taking your pet photos. Those points were:

• Needless Accessorising
• Unnecessary Background Objects
• Shadows, Glare, and Excessive Sun

Another thing to keep in mind is that PetSales allows you to update or add pictures at any time. So make sure you are always clicking that shutter button to give your pet the greatest chance at finding the perfect home.

Lastly, remember to have fun taking photos of your pets. They will enjoy the love and attention, which will reflect in their photographs.

We can’t wait to see the photos you take of your pets.

Start uploading now.