I am sure you have many pictures and videos of you family - but what about your pet? Isn't your pet a part of your family? Having pictures of your pet allows people far away to see another important part of your family. And remember to include pets in family videos too!

You should consider taking your pet along for the formal family pictures at a photography studio. Call the photographer first, to see if any special arrangements should be made. Family portraits are that include pets are more special.

Whether or not you decide to have pictures of your pet professionally taken, you can still take your own pictures and video. And, the video and pictures can turn out almost as good as a professional if you remember a few tips. These tips are from Jon B. Bushey and apply to both still cameras as well as video cameras.

First, lighting is very important. Have your pet in a place that has soft even lighting. Look for an area in your home that has many sources of light. Try not to mix daylight and lightbulbs. It may be best to take the pictures at night so the sun doesn't get into the picture. Use many light bulbs to light up the area where your pet will be. The many lightbulbs will provide a soft, even light for your pet.

If you want to use daylight, then use a flash on the still camera to soften the harsh sun. If you are taking video and want to be outside, try to shoot the video on an overcast day. If it is sunny and you still want to shoot the video, pay attention to where the sun is. It is best to shoot video when the sun is not directly overhead. The first of hour in the day is good as well as just before sunset.

Second, get down to where your pet is. The best pictures are taken from the eyeline of your pet, not from YOUR eyeline standing up. When you are standing up and your pet is on the floor, the angle of the picture is not very flattering. Try to get down to where the pet is or bring the pet up to a table.

Third, and most important, is to get close. If you hand a picture to somebody and say "Here is my dog." People do not want to see mostly your carpet and a little tiny dog! They want to see the dog. If your pet is not filling up the whole picture, then the picture could have been better. Get as close as you can with your camera and still have the picture in focus. Most video cameras have adjustable focus, many still cameras do not. Check the camera to see what is the closest focus you can get. Then start at the closest point and move back until your pet fills the picture. Remember, you can hold a still camera sideways to get taller pets to fit better.

Jon B. Bushey has a web site about Utah Video Production. The site has more tips about video production.

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