Know your gear
Here are some of the best kit options for maximising your pet photography
On the growl Animals change facial expression quickly. Set up your camera to ensure you get the action in focus
Horse play Reflectors can optimise the light quality by directing light onto the animal in a more controlled way
Clean fun Pets are often curious, so keep a cleaning kit handy to remove any obvious nose or paw prints
When photographing pets, you want to capture their uniqueness but to do so in your photographic style. To balance both aspects, the choice of lens, kit and accessories must therefore be carefully considered. When it comes to lenses, you should generally work with a fast lens. These offer the advantage of a small f-number, which produces a concentrated depth of field that brings your main subject visually into focus. Pay attention to image stabilisation modes as you are most likely to be shooting pets hand-held.