General Ideas
Let the Weather Work for You, Not Against You
Part of the challenge when photographing pets outdoors is that you’re at the mercy of Mother Nature’s whims, who might have different things in mind for your big shoot day than you do. Don’t let this deter you; some of the cutest shots can be captured in bad weather. A long-eared dog on a windy day is pet photography gold.
The weather was crummy that day and I was skeptical that I’d get anything worth jumping for joy, but when I saw what Hana’s ears did when the wind blew, I ended up pretty excited. I have over a dozen shots like this one in different locations during the shoot.
20mm 2.8 lens @ 20mm, f/2.8, 1/1250 second, ISO 500, +0.67 exposure compensation, aperture priority, spot metering
Storms can make for really dramatic skies, and dogs romping in rainy mud puddles with muddy mugs can make for some really cute pictures. Don’t let the weather get you down if you have a willing subject and easy-going pet parent. (Just make sure if you are shooting in the rain that you either have a weather-proof body or camera housing.) Of course, never venture out in a lightning storm or ask your pet parents to drive through dangerous weather (such as an ice storm) to meet you. It isn’t worth putting yourself, the pet owner, or the animals in danger.
A little bit of rain didn’t deter Fergie and me from doing a shoot at her favorite ...
