Evening star., 1954-05-16
Camera Angles

MOSC every one mas q pet OF
one sort or another dog, q
cat, q bird or a few fish-all
of which are excellent subjects
for the camera. Today we will
pass along a few pertinent tips
on how to 60 about taking
pictures Of animals in the
home.
Taking pictures of pets is
usually a welcome relief from
the usual sort Of thing that we
do with the camera. Animals
have the habit of falling nat
urally into amusing situations
and poses for pictures that will
add zest to your photo album
or collection.
Dogs, as q rule, are more
docile than cats and are per-
haps the easiest Of all domestic
animals to photograph. Birds
and fish, being confined, are
not much of a problem even
for beginners. But all can be
satisfactorily recorded on film
if you have the right combina-
ton Of flrmness and patience.
Keep Your Temper
Animals are quick to sense
UNDUE excitement or impa-
tience on your part and in
variably respond accordingly.
The moment you lose your
temper while attempting to
obtain some certain pose. your
subject will want either to run
away or to cover abjectly. In
either case this will spoil any
chance you might have had Of
swapping q good picture.
So make a game Of it. Pets
are not unlike children in their
responses and If you make the
camera sessions happy affairs
the animals will. more often
than not, go along with you
and you will get some highly
diverting snapshots.
The best place to work is in
the house. Outside it is too
easy for an uneasy cat or dos
to bolt. Inside they can't run
very far and you will have bet
ter control over the lighting.
Avoid GIore of FIoodIieht
Flash is undoubtedly the best
type of lighting for pet photo
graphy. The steady glare from
flood lamps is apt to discon-
cert most animals and make
them wish for faraway places
an attitude that is cogently
reflected in the pictures you
take. The flash may startle
them slightly but this usually
lasts only for an instant and
by then the picture is already
en- film. The flashed exposures
will also take care of any sud-
den movement the animal may
make that would show UP rs a
blur If a slower exposure were
made with floodlighting.
The best way to control the
movements of your subject is
to place it on q table-a card
table is ideal. A dog is not
apt to jump Of at, all, q cat
will Jump of in time but the
table will hold it long enough
for you to get in a number of
shots.
Get Focus Beforehand
To keep the subject from be-
coming restless do all your pre-
liminary work before placing
it on the table. Place some in
animate object such as a doll
at about the spot you will have
your pet when the exposure is
made. Set your camera on a
tripod, if you have one, and
focus on the object. This will
save you the trouble later on
when the dog or cat is in posi-
ton. And remember-it's far
easier to focus on an unmoving
doll than on q moving object.
After focusing on the given
spot make some small. unob-
trusive mark there so you will
know exactly where the animal
should be to be in sharp focus.
Another point: Stop your lens
down as far as possible. This
has two favorable results.
First If the subject should
move slightly from the plane
you have focused on, the stop
down will take care Of it. Then,
also, you will want the fur or