 
By Holly J. Wagner, Special Advertising Sections Writer
Taking good pictures can
be challenging even with
the most cooperative
subjects. But pets — who
probably don’t understand why
you’re holding that box to your
eye — add an extra degree of
difficulty.
Professional photographers
who have learned the hard way
offered tips to amateur
“puparazzi” on how to get the
best shot. Their most important
advice to pet owners — that you
have to love animals — is a
foregone conclusion. But love
alone may not be enough to get
Fluffy to sit still. You also need
patience, said Jim Dratfield,
owner of Petography in New
York and pet photographer to
celebrities.
“You have to respect them for
being animals. These are not
models . . . Work with them at
their own speed. Don’t expect
them to do it because you want
them to do it,” he said. “Don’t get
frustrated, because they may pick
up on that.” 
It’s best to take the pet’s
picture in a familiar, comfortable
environment. Choose a favorite
chair, bed or blanket for staging.
To avoid startling any pet, it’s best
to use natural light instead of a
flash. If you’re going for a portrait,
it helps to work with a partner
who can get the pet’s attention
while you take the picture.
Dratfield and Franklin Moore,
owner of One Moore Photo in
Huntington Beach, recommended
using distractions such as food
and toys when shooting photos of
dogs, cats or horses.
“With dogs, I always ask if
there is a word or a sound that
the dog will respond to. With my
dog, if it’s a treat he will look up
and react,” Dratfield said.
For cats, he suggested a “cat
dancer” toy – a jiggly toy dangling
from string at the end of a stick.
Have an assistant hold the toy
above your head or wherever you
want the cat to look. And be
prepared. “The easiest cat is still
harder than the hardest dog” to
photograph, Dratfield said.
To get the attention of a dog or
horse, Moore recommended
shaking a can (taped shut with
duct tape) with a few nuts and
bolts inside.
If a pet still won’t settle down,
Dratfield has a secret weapon:
Get the pet’s favorite person to
sit covered with a blanke, then
put the pet in his or her lap. Move
in close to tightly frame only the
pet and the covering, and no one
will be the wiser.
Image: Debi Joyce of Sunland takes photos
for her Web development business, so she carries a camera. Ben,
10, her quarter horse, started mugging for her camera one day
while she cleaned his stall. “He is a clown,” she
said.
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