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Every person, dog, or cat has a unique personality.  Interestingly, when we look at a portrait, we not only get a feeling for the subject's personality, we can usually tell if the picture is presenting the real personality.  Great pictures give us the feeling that the personality being displayed is accurate and truly represents the subject. In the picture above Olive, on the left, is a happy go lucky dog that always wants to greet you with a tail wag and kiss.  Jersey, on the right, is a much more head strong dog that knows what she wants and expects...

To get good natural pictures of a pet they need to be comfortable and relaxed.  Strange people, unfamiliar equipment, nervous owners, and being forced or enticed into posing can all create a stressful environment for the subject of a photo shoot.  When they are stressed it is difficult to get good natural pictures that reflect their true character. Every animal responds differently.  Some take everything in stride.  Nothing bothers them.  But for others, the shoot is a horror show of strangeness that may cause abnormal aggressiveness or the need to retreat to a safer space such as their bed or even...

Getting the right perspective in a picture makes all of the difference when trying to capture the true spirit of your pet. This first picture is a pretty traditional portrait that captures the "happy go lucky" character of Atlas.  It was taken at her eye level (slightly above) which enhances our perception of her being friendly, non-threatening and happy. A minute or two later I took this picture from a completely different perspective. I was laying down in the grass looking up.  Two things happened when I did this.  First the perspective makes Atlas look much larger and more intimidating. ...

If you are taking a portrait look for natural frames that isolate your subject and guide the viewer.  In this picture Olive stopped for a minute to check on me as she poked around the bush.  It was a golden opportunity to use the surrounding foliage to frame and draw attention to her face.

A sense of mystery can add a significant amount of interest to a pet portrait.  By not showing what the pet is looking at viewers are drawn to speculate on what is capturing this its interest.  This leads them to dwell on the picture longer and enjoy the mystery.