Outdoor Flash Photography Tips with Pets

Photography is one of the fun activities that are not only enjoyed by teenagers but also by adults. For some, this is a hobby. For others, this is a source of living. Either way, this is a fun activity that can be enjoyed with the best subjects. Most people would love to take photos of themselves. For others, they love to capture every moment with their pets. This is one of the things people do not only to freeze some important memories but also to capture the personality of their pets.

Pets are already considered important family members, which is why they also become part of important activities. Outdoor photography is fun, and it also becomes more interesting with pets as your subject. Capturing the best moments of your pets while they play outside is certainly very satisfying. But it may be a bit challenging, especially if you have an energetic one.

Outdoor Flash Photography Tips For Beginners

To help you with outdoor flash photography with your pets, here are some tips for you:

Select a Familiar Environment

If you want to ensure the activity’s success, you must choose a familiar environment. This way, the pet will be comfortable, and you will not have to consider adjustments. You can go to the park where you usually walk your dog. You can also consider some places near your home where the pet usually goes to play. These are the kinds of environments where you can easily capture fun moments. The pet will undoubtedly start playing or stay calm while you are taking its photo.

Freeze the Action

Photography allows you to easily capture your pet’s personality. However, it can be challenging because pets move very quickly, especially when they are excited. But you do not have to worry about that; you only need to set your camera to freeze the action.

First, set shutter priority as the mode dial to freeze the action. After that, go to focus and set continuous focusing. This way, the lens will constantly be focused on the moving pet. If you are taking multiple shots, you can hold down the shutter button. Make sure, however, that you were able to set the continuous shooting mode.

Feathering the Light

This photography strategy aims to transition from a full-lighted frame to more focused lighting to provide focus to the subject. It is all about rotating to narrow the light. As you manipulate the lighting, you will realize how the edges of the light will give you a significant effect on your subject. You can make use of this strategy to emphasize your subject. In an outdoor setting, this is an excellent way to make the photo more elegant and the subject catchier.

Aim for the Eyes

If you want to capture the emotion of your pet, you have to aim for the eyes. Most people are fascinated with the expression of pets. You will see from their eyes how they feel in the moment. This makes the photograph more interesting. To do this, you can use a zoom lens that can easily cover 28-70mm length or a standard lens if you do not have one. Go to mode dial and choose Aperture Priority. From there, go ahead and choose a wide aperture. Do not use flash to maintain a soft look on the eyes. Maintain the sharpness with the use of spot metering.

Shoot in Short, Quick Bursts

This is one of the recommended outdoor flash photography tips for pets, especially when the subject is in successive motion. This is usually used in sports photography, but it can also be perfect for outdoor photography with pets.  This strategy is also called the continuous high-speed mode. When using burst mode, the photographer can capture several photos by holding or pressing the button down. From there, you will have options to choose from. You can easily select the best image from those that you have captured.

Flash-fill from the Camera

As an outdoor photographer, you have to remember that there will be days when the sun is too bright. This can affect the quality of your photographs. This is where the fill flash strategy comes in. You can use it when you observe that the surroundings are too bright.

To use this trick, start by setting the ambient exposure. With this feature, the photo will certainly look perfect even without using flash. After that, you can set the flashes until you achieve the right amount of light for your subject. The main point here is to ensure that you will be able to achieve the perfect balance. Your subject should not be over or underexposed.

Use Continuous Tracking Focus

One of the major problems people do not want to encounter in photography is capturing blurry images. Some major features of DSLR cameras and even Smartphones have already solved this. You can now capture sharp images even if the subject is moving nonstop.

In Canon, continuous focus is achieved by choosing the Al Servo AF. For Nikon, you can choose the AF-C mode. When this feature is set, as you depress the shutter release, the camera focuses on the action and detects the subject. It will continue to refocus to make the subject look sharp. Make sure that the battery is full or enough because this requires a lot of power.

Light Modifiers Soften Harsh Direct Flash

There are different light modifiers that you can use to soften harsh direct flash. Some are perfect for outdoor photography. One example of this is a scrim. This is used to diffuse the sun and other natural lighting. You can ask someone to hold it on a light stand. The light that will pass through it will be diffused. As a result, the lighting for the subject is also balanced. There are different options that you can use to modify direct flash. These features are available not only in DSLR but also in Smartphones.

Photography with pets as subjects has become a trend. You will find Instagram accounts and even some websites that include photos of pets as their main content. This is something that most people enjoy looking at. One way to catch attention on social media is to post a photo of your pet. People will undoubtedly feel happy seeing it. With the correct features of your phone and the proper strategy, you can quickly get that perfect photo.

Conclusions

Every outdoor session with dogs or cats is perfect. It does not matter if they just go to the park to sleep or play; you will certainly enjoy every moment. So why not grab that camera and capture the most precious moments with them? We hope our outdoor flash photography tips with pets are helpful for you.

20 Photography Tips for Beginners