I recently caught up with my pal Uschi, who just happens to be a professional pet photographer and mom to super-pup Sawyer (photo above). With the holidays coming up, I asked if she would share a few tips to help all of us pet parents capture some special shots of our own fur kids. Here’s her expert advice on simple tips we can all try ourselves…

1. Pick the right light:  Ideally you would want to take the pictures outside to take advantage of the natural light. If you need to shoot inside, avoid the flash. Instead, take the photos in an area with lots of available light, for example by a large window or a glass door.
2. Be aware of the background:  Outside, find an area without buildings or other distractions. Inside, remove clutter or put up a backdrop.
3. Make sure your pets are relaxed and not paying attention to the camera:  Use treats or toys to distract them from the camera and try to catch them behaving naturally. If possible, have a second person around to keep the pet’s attention.
4. Use a fast shutter speed:  Since animals twitch and jump for unknown reasons at the most unexpected moments you should shoot at the fastest shutter speed possible. Either set your camera to shutter priority and set the highest speed or, if your camera doesn’t have shutter speed control, try the sports or action setting.
5. Most importantly, keep your camera around:  Have your camera handy whenever you can so you can catch your pet doing the things they do naturally. You can spend a lot of time staging pictures and have your pets pose, but you’ll often get better photos just by waiting for your pets to express their unique personality.

You can visit Uschi and check out her gallery at SLC Pawtography. And be sure to LIKE Sawyer the Wander Dog on Facebook!