Here are the top ten things I learned that greatly improved my shelter shots. They are so simple, but the results really push the photographs up another level. And most of them can be done with any kind of camera.

I frequently am pressed for time, so the first shelter photos I post on waltonpets.net are of dogs inside their kennels.  This is good enough for people to get an idea of what a dog looks like, but the "in the kennel" photos are rarely too good. Just simply taking the dogs outdoors is a vast improvement over other shelters’ photos and makes a huge difference in the photographs. Not only is the lighting and background better, but the dog usually feels more relaxed and looks less stressed. However, some small “lap dogs” look out of place outdoors, so keep in mind what “kind” of dog you’re shooting and pick your location appropriately.

Just a quick comparison of a dog in full sun, spotty sun, or shade reveals that shooting in the shade (or on cloudy days) is the best way to go. But even in the shade or on a cloudy day, keep in mind the position of the sun. Shoot with the sun behind you so light is cast on the front of your subject, not its back. 

Flash is your enemy. It casts such harsh, unnatural light on the dog or cat, usually causing that greenish glow in their eyes (like red-eye in people). So turn it off!  With that being said, there are times you need to use your flash. In full sunlight (only if you have to) or when a background is very bright, turn on your flash (a.k.a. fill flash) to put some light on the dog or cat you are photographing.  Instead of just shooting in full auto, learn how to adjust your flash settings (auto, off, on, fill flash).  But if you can, shoot in the shade and turn off that flash!

This is the most important tip because it is the least used. Most of us have no idea what “white balance” even is...and most photography books are so technical that their definitions are even more confusing. Basically, every light source (sun, flash, light bulbs, fluorescent lights, etc.) emits a different “color” or temperature light. Our eyes and brain automatically adjust for different light sources and we don’t see the difference; cameras try to do their best on auto, but aren’t always smart enough to get it just right. Have you noticed your pictures in the shade look bluish… photos in the house look yellowish… That is why you need to tell your camera what light source (white balance) is in use.

Most cameras have pre-defined white balance settings (auto, flash, cloudy, shade, incandescent, flourescent, etc.). Without getting too technical, simply read your camera manual, find out how to adjust for white balance, and put it on the “cloudy” setting when you are shooting in the shade (or on cloudy days).  This will “warm up” your photos, taking away that bluish hue and giving a more brown and warm tone. 

With shelter photos, you are trying to highlight the dog or cat for adoption.  So watch out for backgrounds that are too busy, or have objects such as light poles, cars, etc. on the edges. Be careful with backgrounds that are too bright and cause the dog to be too dark or shaded. Simply taking two steps left or right, or changing from a kneeling to standing position can eliminate unwanted objects from the background.

Most of the time, we walk up to an object, and from a standing position we snap the photo. That is what we humans do, walk up to something in a standing position. That is why so many photos are boring… that is how we always see things, from a standing position. Try changing your position:  shoot from above, shoot at the dog’s eye level, lay down on the ground with the dog.  Different angles can completely change the feel of the animal’s attitude in the picture. Pick a position which matches the animal’s personality.

“Aperture” and “Depth of Field”… there we go with more technical terminology. We don’t have time for that, we just want to know how you get that great blurry background which really makes photos jump out at you! But if you want to have a “blurry background” you are going to have to learn what aperture is, how it affects photos, and how to adjust it on your camera (you may need to buy a DSLR and a 50 mm f/1.8 lens because the point-and-shoots can't do this, sorry).  Take the time to learn this one and you won’t be disappointed! But here’s the “keep-it-simple-stupid” steps:  put your DSLR camera in A mode (aperture priority mode), then dial for the smallest number. (And if you do buy that 50 mm, f/1.8 lens, you’ll never take it off your camera again! Its that good!)

This is the trick to being a world class photographer:  take 200 shots and show people only the best one or two shots.  Find out if your camera has a continuous shooting mode (or Burst mode) and just hold that shutter release button down! I keep my Nikon D7000 on the continuous high-speed setting and always fire a burst of 3 to 6 shots each time. Animals look away, camera shake, etc. …but one of the burst will be good.  If I have the time, I just keep shooting and shooting; usually taking 60 to 100 shots per animal to get the one or two good ones for the website.

Obviously, you have to have Photoshop or some type of photo editing software for this one… and you have to learn how to use it! But of all the countless tweaking you can put a photo through in Photoshop, I always… always check and adjust the levels, and usually brighten and sharpen the eyes. On an animal shelter webpage, the eyes say a lot:  the sad eyes draw them in, pull their heart strings; bright clear eyes speak about the animal's health. Learn how to select the eyes using the lasso selection tool, feather your selection, then on the quick edit menu, simply slide the "shadows" and "sharpening" sliders to the right (but not too far!). There are plenty of tutorials and articles about editing in Photoshop. Do some homework, its worth it!

Get on the internet (you’re there already) and search other shelter's sites. Check out Flickr, Shutterfly etc. for pet and dog photos. Google "pet photography" and see what the professionals are doing. You’ll get some great ideas.  Try to replicate their shots. Challenge yourself.  Don’t just keep doing the same thing over and over.