Pets are an integral part of the family, holding a special place in our hearts and minds while they are with us and even after they are gone. Many families will have about the same number of photos including their pets as they do family members, which shows just how important pets can be to the family unit. Customized pet pictures on canvas as wall art can make use of these great photos while providing eloquent and attractive images for your home decor.
How to Take Great Photos of Your Pet
Pets, especially puppies and kittens, may seem like they are always on the move, which can make it a bit of a challenge to capture a high quality portrait without blurring or distracting elements. Plus, unlike kids, pets don’t understand the direction or concept of taking a picture (although some animals are natural models!). These tips can help you capture the best side of your pet.- Work with natural light. Natural light not only makes for an attractive photo, but also minimizes the risk that the camera’s flash will startle your pet. Using natural light also helps reduce green eye (humans get red eye...animals get green eye).
- Take pictures at the pet’s eye level. Eye level is almost always the most flattering angle for humans and pets alike. You can either get down to your pet’s level or elevate your pet on a chair, table, or other handy resting place to get the best photo. Related to this, if you are manually focusing your camera, always focus using the eyes as a guide.
- Schedule your photos around your pet’s daily activities. Take note of when your pet is at her calmest, whether it be in the mornings, after play, or after meal times, and try to schedule your photo shoot accordingly. However, you can also get great action shots of your pet using sports or kids modes on your camera, especially if you have a burst mode to capture photos in sequence.
Ways to Display Pet Photos on Canvas as Wall Art
Once you have the perfect photo of your pet, the next challenge is deciding where and how to display it. There are tons of unique and charming ways to highlight your pet-centric wall art. Ideas include:- Classic triptych panels. A triptych of your pet can be duplicates of the same photo or can tell a story by using three different photos, either in order (especially if you shot the portraits in sequence) or over time.
- Pet collage. Breaking up one large photo into several smaller canvases adds visual interest and a hint of modernity. One of the more common ways to do this is using a 3x3 grid, but you can also use 2x2, 4x4, and other combinations.
- Pet close-ups. If you captured the perfect photo of your pet’s paw, tail, or another characteristic part, there’s nothing wrong with cropping the picture and using that as your pet portrait, whether alone or paired with other shots.
If you have questions about any of these display ideas please give us a call. We are more than willing to help you with your decorating project. Our pets are part of the family too, so when you are looking for your next photo project, think about creating pet pictures on canvas as wall art for a distinctive addition to your home decor.
This article is written for Canvas Press. To find out more about Canvas Press’ products visit www.canvaspress.com.
