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The trick answer is neither.  In this case it was just a matter of having the camera ready to capture a moment.  Muffin decided to check out the foliage of this new arrangement for catnip or catnip like flavors. A mild admonition to leave the plants alone created this "Who Me?  Nothing to see here" moment.  Luckily it lasted long enough for me to get the camera up and take a couple of pictures. The light was right, Muffin was relaxed but attentive, and she chose the right spot to settle for a moment's contemplation.  It is almost impossible to...

I take pictures for AARCS to help stray animals find a new home.  It is usually a bit of a "run and gun" process as time is limited and the resolution of the pictures on their website is very low.  There is never the opportunity to do a preliminary evaluation of the setting and animal.  This can be a creative opportunity, challenging one to optimize compositions and lighting on the fly.  But, sometimes the subject decides not to play along.  Most cats and dogs are somewhat wary of individuals crawling around on the floor waving cameras around and flashing off strobe lights. ...

Have you ever tried to get three puppies to line up nicely and stay in one place long enough for a picture?  Almost always one gets up and the rest follow or one wants to play with the puppy sitting next to them. Here we are caught in the act of trying to get three puppies to line up and stay in position long enough to take a picture.  Getting one puppy to sit still for a moment is a challenge.  Two puppies takes infinite patience.  Three puppies are pretty much impossible.  In the end we relied on speed and...

You  can't chose the time and place and you definitely can't ethically bribe them with treats, but, pet photography and wildlife photography share a common challenges and traits.  There is always the common need to properly represent and capture the spirit of the animal being photographed.  Harbor seals are often called the dogs of the sea.  They have a laid back curiosity around our human activities.  Working close to the water one can get the feeling of being watched and find that a seal is quietly hanging out and observing the action. Once spotted they drift slowly under the water...

They start out as cute puppies but, before long, they become adults and then mature seniors.  This picture is created on a simple background that can be easily reproduced.  The plan is to be able to take similar photographs every year or two to capture Olive throughout her life.  This first picture captures her at around 3 months. This picture captures her in the same pose at 9 months. We will reproduce the picture again at 18 months and then approximately every two years.  Eventually, as she becomes a senior, we can bring all of the pictures together with other action and...