This is one of the challenges for anyone taking photographs of cats. Getting your cat to sit still for a photoshoot can be frustrating so how do you even start so you can take awesome photos?
You can get a cat to pose for close-ups, or any other shots you want to take at home. It takes patience and a few tricks, so let me share my favourite tips.
My first tip is the most important. I know it works for me and has allowed me to capture some of my best images. It is worth spending time with this before you undertake a major project.
Get Your Cat Comfortable to Being Photographed
When I first got my DSLR camera the cats looked as me as if I had lost my mind. Why was I pointing that weird, noisy, clicky ‘thing’ at them? But, I persisted in taking photographs. Lots, and lots, and lots of photographs and after some time, the cats began to ignore me. My crazy behaviour was no longer a cause for concern, nothing ever happened when I pointed the noisy camera, and they got extra treats.
REMEMBER! You are not taking pictures to keep in the early stages. You are getting your pet used to the camera and building a rapport so that they feel comfortable. If some of the pictures come out that’s a win. But your aim is pointing and shooting. You are encouraging your cat to enjoy a photo session, not fear it.
© DashKitten.com
Be Patient
Getting your pet to sit still for a photo shoot, or work to get a photograph you need for your blog requires one vital skill.
- Patience, from you.
You need to put in the work to build trust with your cat so they know they will have fun. Don’t hassle them, grumble, or lose your temper.
Once you have that trust all but the most super stubborn pets (see below) will know a photo shoot can be fun, means treats and will increase your chances of success.
Let your pet sniff the camera. It can help them get used to the photo shoot process faster.
Beth, Daily Dog Tag
Choose When You Photograph
Know when your cat is at its most rested or lively, or when your dog is more likely to behave rather than be eager to go for a walk.
Whether you want to do a sponsored product shoot with your cat, or what dog owners call a ‘drop shot’ with the dog posed gracefully, you don’t want your pet to be lively and full of beans. Choose a time they are calm for great photos.
If you do want an action shot – plan for when your pet is most active and ready for play.
Choose Where you Photograph Your Cat
A cat is most likely to behave properly in an environment they trust or feel relaxed in. This can mean:
- Relaxing in a catio or garden environment.
- The great outdoors like adventurcats Kitty Cat Chronicles
- A dog that loves to hike trails with you.
I will never suggest taking your cat to a new area for a photoshoot unless it absolutely suits their temperament. Many cats will be nervous and unsettled in a strange place. Some cats though are very confident and amaze with their ability to put down their paws and just go! Plush from Life and Cats is a show cat who walks outside with confidence and Kylo Ren and the Kitty Cat Go team are seasoned hikers with their family.
For a Profile Shot
Get down there! Pet level is the only place to be, and no-one says the cat needs to be the right way up, although it usually works best upright and facing either left or right.
How Do I Get My Cat’s Attention?
Voices and short attention grabbing sounds are useful and can be used tactically to grab your pet’s attention:
- A squeaky toy
- A clicker
- A whistle
- A laser pointer
- Treats ( #briberywins)
- Your own voice making funny sounds.
TOP TIP: Don’t repeat a noise endlessly as this will drive you and your pet nuts and spoil any sense of fun. Set up a shot, be as ready as you can be – then deploy your noise of choice and take lots of pictures.
Remember one thing. You have to work with your pet’s attention span. Nothing in the world will change that so be patient and work with your pet’s limits. This may mean covering the photographs you want in a couple of shoots.
The Stubborn Pet
There is always one, and you need to be ruthless, devious and persistent in your pursuit of the image you want from the stubbon cat (or dog) who will not look at you.
The element of surprise works for the super stubborn pet – use it well!
If a cat always looks away, then you may need someone to stand further back from you and make the loud noise you know will cause your cat to turn and look.
Start taking pictures before they start moving. Use sport or burst mode and keep shooting.
You will have a narrow window to take as many photos as you can. Want to play really dirty? Have two people taking photos, one from either side.
Not too many dogs have the ‘super stubborn gene’ but the same tricks apply. You need the element of surprise and be ready with your camera.
Persistence and Practice
Don’t give up. Yes, it’s easy to say and not so easy to do. Getting your cat to sit still or pose is something you work on as a team. It takes trust from you and your cat, learning from each other, and working together, to create the shots you need.
Have fun, and along the way, take wonderful pictures when you cat does sit still!
Resources
Drop Shot: When a dog is laid down with its front paws and head looking like an Egyptian Sphynx statue. The dog look alert but poised for action.
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Great advice. Brûlée is my stubborn one! She can be in the best pose but once I pick up the camera, no amount of treats or reward will get her attention.
Fantastic tips (as always) for those wanting to start photographing their pets! #BriberyWins in this house, totally! That’s how I trained my five Huskies to pose way back when, and to this day, Wolf and Bandit see my camera or a treat (or hear the bag) they automatically go into pose mode! Sometimes those outtakes or practice pics are gems, aren’t they?!!!
Knowing when to take photos is SO important. I have landed some incredible photos of my cats over the years, but there are times when I know that any effort would be pointless. For example, right now… My dogs are SPUN on weekends so the cats tend to stay laying down on the furniture or up on the scratch post to stay out of their way.
Combine that with the fact they want to cuddle with us as much as possible and they have a lot of pent up energy waiting to escape come Monday morning. It’s noon here right now and my cats are running around the house like little demons. There is NO way I could get a picture of them at this point lol
LOL! I know that ‘demon’ mode!
Before I met my first Maremma sheepdog, Shep, I had zero patience. Stubborn, defiant and independent, he taught me I need it with this breed and it has come in really handy since I launched my pet photography business. It’s certainly a requirement, although some pets – especially cats – can prove more difficult than others.
These are great tips to help capture wonderful portraits of pets! Professional photographers often let the dogs or cats sniff the camera at the start of the session to help them acclimate to the process quickly.
Pipo has been photographed thousands of times since he came here in 2005 as a wee kitten…and he has never been easy to ‘capture’, even with startle noises or another peep to help…and while it was not easy when Angel Minko was still with us, its way harder now, that little rascal! MOL! So when I do get a fairly good picture, I rejoice!!
My point and shoot Canon SX40, (from many years ago already…Dec 2008.), has a fairly decent zoom on it, sometimes that works, but often then the image is grainy. I must try the sport function more often, I do use that for the hooligan pups when we are outside.
Maybe if I had a remote shutter release and put the camera on a tripod, it might help too, then I can distract him easier and get him to look?? Who knows!! But the camera is so old they likely don’t have things like that for my model anymore. It does fit on the tripod I got eons ago from my late father.
Thanks for the tips!
Ah, getting a dog sit still for a photo shoot 🙂 The best timing to try and do that with Cookie is shortly after her walk.
These are all great tips! We also try to get everyone used to the camera at an early stage. We do have a stubborn pup that just doesn’t love it though. Luna is the supermodel of the family, she’ll do just about anything for treats!
Great post and I just do random shots when she is relaxed wherever we are as I have found that is what works as if I move so does she LOL.
Super duper advice!
Have a stupendous Thursday…
Noodle and crew
Thank you Noodle.
I could find the proverbial needle in the haystack before getting a good shot of dai$y; at 17, I might HAVE 17 photos of her. the last few years when she’s seen me with phone in hand, she leaves the room…. !!! 🙂 ♥♥
Great tips! I think patience is the best advice you can give. So true.
Excellent advice!
We have to use lots of different methods to get some of the shelter cats to look at the camera. Patience and persistence are really important. 🙂
The problem I have is getting the cat to look at the camera. Ernie will look away every time I point the camera at him.
I reckon one or two of the attention getting tips might work. Ernie is a wily cat so you would need to be ready once you surprise him with a noise or two.
Walter is our super model but Millie prefers to employ every camera avoidance maneuver she can. A longer lens is good for Millie because sometimes she doesn’t even realize she is having her picture taken. Treats also help and lately even Millie will work for treats for a while.
You are so right! Everyone here got used to the camera at an early age, nobody minds getting photographed and Simon really seems to like it.