The importance of a good photo

Animals in shelters aren't seen if they don't have a photo. Animals aren't shown at their best with a crummy photo. Great photos get animals noticed! It gives potential adopters, and rescuers, an idea of what breed the dog may be, or its size. A friendly photo makes an animal look more adoptable, look happy, and friendly. A great photo makes a huge difference in the visual adoptability of an animal. Clear, bright pictures of the animals make the best impressions. Head shots are great, but people actually want to get an idea of the size of the dog. I try to take "body shots" of the dogs, to sort of get an idea of their size, like their height for example. Sometimes, a head shot of a Chihuahua can be deceiving; dogs that are labeled Chihuahua's are often much larger than the true standard Chi. An accurate photo helps when one is looking for the right dog who might not be local, and aren't able to show up at any shelter. Photos of dogs in training are also extremely helpful. This shows the dog has a head-start on their obedience training, and is a huge bonus when looking for a dog to adopt. 

Things to consider when photographing shelter animals: background, color, props, lighting.

Background

Colors: White is great, or bright colors that don't distract from the animal.

If doing photos outdoors, colorful plants, or neutral objects are best. Try avoiding kennels and fencing, cars, people, etc. Neutral backgrounds like walls can be helpful if you don't have other options. If you are limited outdoors, wearable props can help to jazz up a boring photo. The printed backdrops below are just pieces of fabric! They can be washed or tossed so as not to spread any disease between animals.

Organizations like Shelter Art Foundation, and HeARTspeak, provide equipment, tutorials, how-to’s, and classes to animal shelters needing to improve their photography of their animals.

Before & Afters: (Taken by me at Salinas Animal Services)

Wearable props

A prop like a bandana covers the leash on a dog, and a paper collar if the dog is wearing one. 

Some photographers use things like jewelry, and flower crowns, etc.

Boas also brighten up a photo, and glasses give a dog personality!
                                                                                                                                                                       

Background props can make or break a great photo. At left, you see wonderful bright colors used to cheer up this photo! It makes the dog pop, and gets your attention. It's modern, and can appeal to a wide audience. Too many cheap props can make a photo look tacky, and not as presentable. (Photo courtesy of I Love Your Furry Face Photography, by Paige Burris)

* All photos in this post were taken by me, unless otherwise specified.