How to Take Better Pet Photos: Smartphone Edition
- Brooke Arseneau
- Oct 10
- 2 min read
Updated: Oct 13
10 Tips for taking better photos of your pets using a smartphone, plus 2 bonus secrets you may not know about
Get down to their level, it will feel more personal and enhance their presence. The first photo is shot from above and the next two I got low.
Ensure not to cast a shadow over your subject.
Don't shoot on wide, it can distort the image - Her left paw looks wonky in this photo.
Use portrait mode when it will let you, it will soften the background.
Don't zoom in you will lose quality - Move closer with your body. You can see the grain in the first photo where I was zoomed in, the second photo is much more crisp.
Use treats or toys to get their attention - My girl is not very interested in the camera, I had to be quick with the treat and pressing the button.
Shoot in soft light - Just before sunset, just after sunrise, in the shade or on an overcast day.
Clean your lens! Simple, but photos can look hazy with a dirty lens as seen in the first photo below.
Shoot in live mode and choose the best frame - Live mode can be toggled on and off using the button in the top right corner when you have the camera open, seen in the third photo below. You can choose your favourite frame when in edit mode by selecting the live button and using the slider.
Focus on their eyes. Tap your screen where their eyes are to focus.
Bonus Secrets
Tap the screen to focus and slide the sun up or down to adjust the brightness.
Use burst mode for action shots and pick the best one - How to: In your settings app go to camera and toggle on "use volume up for burst". When taking action photos hold the volume up button to capture the photo sequence and then pick your favourite frame afterwards.
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