photo © 2009 Autumn & Phill M. | more info (via: Wylio)

So, this month’s Y-tips are all about trying to help us shift to high gear to make our photos as nice as the pets we love.

1. Choose the best time: Take advantage from the proximity with your model to choose the time when it is most available, most cooperative.
2. Climb down to your subject level: As for many other models, an animal is best shot from eye level (its eye!), even if it means crawling on the floor or shooting a pet when it is set on furniture.
3. Watch the background: Inside or outside, the picture background can be quite distracting. Choose an adequate background or use a wide aperture to make it fuzzy.
4. Include its environmental: Choose a beautiful location that goes well with the pet and do not frame too tightly around (include the field, the beach, for example).
5. Close the frame: On the exact opposite, you can go very near a cooperating animal. Why not try to shoot a detail (an eye, an hear, a tail tip)?
6. Compose a scene Once again, since your pet is much more cooperative than the neighbor’s cat, you can try to create a scene. But be sure to prepare everything before you bring the animal in; Pets are less patient than most human pro models.