Evening star., 1951-03-04
Camera Angles
Getting Pictures of Household Pets

oCt III
If you have high blood pressure
this article Is not for you. Today
we are going to discuss the max
ing Of photographs Of domestic
animals or pets. You can take our
word for it that this is one branch
of the field that requires q great
deal of patience of the man with
the camera. Cats, dogs. birds. and
even fish will be our subjects.
1t may be that you are already
wondering II you are suitably
equipped for taking pictures Of
fast moving animals. To be per-
fectly frank, you will run into
difficulties if your camera doesn't
have at least 1/50th Of a second
shutter speed. You will have
still better percentage of success
full shots If they are made at
I100th Of second or faster.
However, If you have plenty of
patience and endurance and have
the needed Judgment to determine
that split-second when q peak Of
action has been reached. you can
photograph your pets with even
an ordinary box camera.
Flash, flood and daylight all
have their merits for this type Of
photography. Flash. synchroniZed
or open is our suggestion If you
must shoot at slow shutter speeds.
We assume. of course, that you
will be trying to snap an action
picture of your cat or dog or other
pet. A picture of an animal just
sitting in repose is all right for
those who want a portrait-type
picture, but much more interest
ing shots will result If the kitten
is batting around a ball of yarn
or the family pup is pictured as
he chews up an old slipper. In
any case use of flash lighting will
compensate for q slow-operating
speed. You may experience some
difficulty If the animal Is nervous
and fees each time you pop a
bulb.
Should this be the case you will
have more luck with hoodlamps
once the animal has become ad-
justed to the glare. To accustom
kitty or the pup to the floodlamps.
leave them in the room with the
turned-on lights for q few min
utes before you start to take pic
lures. Both birds and fish are
under closer control and the light
ing need not be considered an i'm
portant factor from this stand
point.
You can shoot pictures of pets
out of doors if you like but you
will have less control over them
and suitable backgrounds are not
as easily found as in the home.
Then again if you exhaust the
patience of the pet while taking
pictures outside there is always
the danger that it will head for
the hills. Indoors. at least you
have them cornered.
Use Familiar Surroundings.
Whenever possible use surround
ings that are familiar to the SUBJ
ject. Nothing will keep an animal
nervous and uneasy like strange
place. So. If your pets are house
animals. the best place to take
your pictures will be in a room
that they are accustomed to.
We also strongly urge that you
have an assistant. If you are
constantly leaving your camera to
get the subject back in position
it won't be long before you wear
out the patience needed to get
the picture you want. To further
restrict the movement of the sub
ject we suggest that the animal
be placed on table. An end
table or card table will be ideal
and will not only serve to keep
the animal where you want it but
will bring it up to suitable level
for you to work. If you must
take the pictures of the subject
on the floor we recommend that
you mark out on the floor with a
piece Of chalk the field of view so
you won't be wondering whether
the subject will be on the film
when you make the exposure.
Be careful, however, not to allow
any marks to come within the
area of your picture composition.
Now, with your camera on its
tripod, you are almost ready to
start taking pictures. II you are
reasonably sure that your subject
will not move. you can focus on
the eyes and then stop down the
aperture Of the lens to insure an
all-over image sharpness. But
should you find yourself in the
position of taking shots of a rest
less or quick-moving animal, the
thing to do is to focus on the
spot where you want the subject
to be at the exposure. Then stop
down the lens as far as possible,
considering the power of your
lights and the speed of the film
This should give you a pretty
safe margin in the event that the
animal does move slightly away
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