Because every shelter pet

deserves a second
chance…

Snap a photo. Save a life.

Contents

Page 1 Getting Started Approaching your local animal shelter or rescue

This is the first and most important step. Local shelters and
rescues in your community could use your help to take better
photos of pets. Familiarize yourself with the local resources and
Page 2 Equipment & Cost find out which organization is in the most need of assistance.
Management Reach out and introduce yourself. Approach the organization
with a friendly attitude and explain that you'd be interested in
volunteering, specifically by photographing pets available for
Page 3 Photo Shoot Tips adoption. If you have experience photographing pets, offer to
show some of your photos that you have taken. Be persistent
and don't give up. Animal welfare organizations want and need
your help, but sometimes are so busy with day-to-day
Page 4 Editing and Marketing responsibilities that the logistics of organizing photo shoots, etc,
although important, may not be a top priority.

Also, remember that they need your help, but if you come
across as difficult, controlling or just plain bonkers, they would
rather not deal with you.

You don't have to be a professional photographer to save lives. Anyone

with a passion for helping animals, a sense of patience and creativity, a
winning attitude and some spare time can make a huge difference.

If you don't have any experience with photographing animals, start

practicing by photographing your pets or your friends' and neighbors'.
 Training & Equipment
Once you get the OK to volunteer, you may
have to partake in general volunteer training
which is very important. This will help you
understand the organization and allow you to
make friends with shelter staff and volunteers.
Make as many friends as possible. Shelter pet
photography is a team effort and you will
need as much help as you can get.
The right photography equipment can help you
capture unique moments of pets' personalities.
The most important quality in a camera is to be
able to take a picture exactly when you want to
take a picture. I often hear "pets are too fast to
photograph". That simply isn't true if you have the
right gear. Below are a few recommendations
that will allow you to take quality photographs...
and when you press the button, you take the
picture.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
1) Digital SLR Camera (top recommendation) - $683.00
This can be a Canon, Sony, Nikon, etc. Digital SLR cameras allow much more
creative control and flexibility and the resulting photographs will showcase a higher
level of professionalism. If you are not familiar with how to use digital SLR cameras,
do not be worried. With just a little practice, you can take professional shots. There
are many digital SLR cameras to choose from, but you won't need the most
expensive one on the market. Here is a suggestion for Canon gear:
Canon EOS Rebel T3 - $549 - w/ 18-55 kit lens) - Entry-level digital SLR that shoots 3
photos per second. Also shoots HD video. Lens is good for photographing events,
but the below 50mm lenses are the best for photographing pets. This camera
combined with one of the 50mm lenses produces professional quality photographs.
Canon 50mm 1.8 II lens ($119) - Great lens for any lighting condition. Produces
outstanding results for the price. Allows you to create more intimate pet portraits,
focusing on the expression and blurring out unnecessary background details.
Canon 50mm 1.4 USM lens ($379) - This is the upgraded version of the previous. A
little pricier, but worth it. You don't need both of these lens - just one or the other.

This can be a Canon, Sony, Nikon, etc. Digital SLR
cameras allow much more creative control and
flexibility and the resulting photographs will
showcase a higher level of professionalism. If you
are not familiar with how to use digital SLR
cameras, do not be worried. With just a little
practice, you can take professional shots. There
are many digital SLR cameras to choose from, but
you won't need the most expensive one on the
market.
Compact Flash memory card ($15) - You'll need a memory card to store your
photos. I'm suggesting an inexpensive option by Kingston.
2) Point-and-Shoot Camera - $278
Sony DSC-TX9 Cyber Shot ($260) - This camera won't produce SLR-quality images,
but still does a fantastic job with its Carl Zeiss lens and has an optional "burst-mode"
that shoots 10 pictures per second! Wow! It is operable in temperatures from 14-104
F and also shoots HD video.
4GB Memory Card ($18) - You'll need a memory card to store your photos. I'm
suggesting an inexpensive option by Kingston.

Managing the Cost

The animal welfare organization you volunteer with may or may not have the funds to purchase better photography equipment.

-Consider splitting the cost of the camera equipment with fellow volunteers.

-Reach out to the community to ask if anyone has a digital SLR camera they would be willing to donate.

-Launch a fundraising event such as a "pet photography workshop" featuring a local pet photographer and charge admission.

-Most animal shelters have annual fundraising events such as galas with dinner/dancing/silent auction. If this is the case, a portion of those
proceeds should be allocated towards new photography equipment.

-Team up with local pet businesses and place "donation jars" on countertops, asking for help to purchase new photography equipment at
the local animal shelter/rescue. Come up with a flashy, creative display and ask the staff to mention the fundraiser when possible.

LOCATION, LOCATION,
LOCATION
So where do you take the
photos? Try to find a pleasant
area with natural elements
like grass flowers, etc. Colors
are good.
Avoid photographing dogs in
their kennels, as they are
generally not very appealing.
You want to convince people
to come into the shelter and
not scare them away.
PICTURE TIME
Before the photo shoot, a
shelter employee or
volunteer who is familiar with
the current pets available for
adoption should create a list
of pets who need better
photographs. If any pets are
in danger, they should be
top priority.
Positive photos are
the key to adoption.
Through our efforts in shelters across the
country, we've learned that positive photos
have the most impact on potential adopters.
This means happy dogs happy ambience.
Terrified dogs in grungy, depressing kennels
may result in some sympathy adoptions, but
for the most part will scare people away from
even coming into the shelter. For cats, try to
create a colorful, warm ambience around the
cat and focus on unique details.
LIGHTING
WORKING WITH CATS
Photographing pets in
direct sunlight can be a Cats are super mysterious and are often much
difficult challenge,
more challenging to photograph than dogs. If
especially pets with dark
fur. Harsh shadows can possible, work with your cat models in a safe
hide important area indoors with lots of windows. Volunteers
characteristics and the can help you by playing with the cat while you
bright sun can be glaring, snap off photos. What makes each cat unique?
causing the pet to squint. Interesting features? Do your best to highlight
these in your photographs.
Try working in the shade, or
if its a cloudy day, that's
even better. Your best bet
is to experiment with
different areas where you
can take pictures and find
the place that offers the
best lighting scenario.
Practice makes perfect.
For dogs, I always suggest
the "wall of magic", which
offers the absolute best
lighting. Imagine a wall of
green bushes. The sun is
behind the bushes, shining
through. Place your dog in
the shade in front of the
bushes with the sun
FLASH - As a general rule of thumb, don't use it, unless
behind. Snap away. This
you are an expert. Incorrectly used flashes will cause
sounds tough to find, but
"red eye", "green eye" and many other crazy colors in
look around - you may be
the pets’ eyes. This is not very flattering.
surprised!

Continued
Once you've snapped off the photos, it's time
for editing. Editing isn't always necessary, but
can be helpful in creating more impactful
photographs.
WORKING WITH DOGS
Team up with volunteers to help you. The more the merrier.
When you are photographing a dog, a volunteer should be
handling it on a leash. This will keep the dog near you so you
aren't chasing the dog the entire time. As you are
photographing one dog, another volunteer can be getting
another one ready for picture time. Develop a nice workflow
and you'll photograph many more dogs in the time that you
have.
Always be very careful with dogs you do not know. Approach
the dog safely and with confidence. Remember, these dogs
need your help, but not all understand what is going on. Be
respectful of them.
Use treats and squeakers.
Both full-body shots and close-ups are important. You want to
show what the entire dog looks like, but also capture a moment
of expression that people can connect with. Happy, playful,
curious, peaceful, spirited, loving, goofy, etc.
Try to make a connection with the dog's eyes. The eyes tell the
story and draw people in.
Smiling dogs are happy dogs! If the dog isn't smiling too much,
try running him around for a minute to initiate panting. Panting
dogs are smiling dogs, too.
Don't get frustrated. If you aren't getting the shot, getting upset
won't help. Stay positive. Stay focused. Be patient. Have fun.
This entire experience should be positive for the pet. They are
getting a "glamour shot" and also some love and attention from
their human idols.
Sometimes dogs can be afraid of the camera. If this is the case,
be respectful of that. Stressed dogs don't look too happy.
Create more of a distance between the two of you and shoot
from further away.
EDITING AND MARKETING
EDITING TIPS
Each shelter/rescue has a unique way of
posting photographs for the public to see.
You should consult with the organization to
learn about the process and also ask about
the dimensions of the images. For example,
if there is an automated process for
uploading new photos and the dimensions
are 400x300 (horizontal) and you send over
images that are 200x800 (vertical), the
images will get distorted. Once you learn
about the process and dimensions, do your
best to resize images so they are ready for
viewing.
Other important editing tips are adjusting
brightness/contrast, saturation for colorful
photographs and shadows/highlights for
dark colored pets. For more advanced
graphic designers, lighten eyes and remove
any distracting objects in the frame such as
leads. Once the photo is edited and resized,
adjust the sharpness.
PHOTO EXPOSURE
You have created some beautiful images
of homeless pets. As important as it is to
take the photos and edit them, it's equally
important that potential adopters are
seeing the photos. Talk to the organization
you are working with about marketing the
photos. Here are just a few possibilities to
consider:
*Shelter Website *Local Newspapers
*Petfinder *Facebook
*Kennel Cards *Craigslist
*Local Newspapers *Local Dog Blog