Don’t you know what pet photography is? Well, I’ll explain what it is and how to set up a pet photography studio like a pro!
Hands down, pet photography is a growing industry. It is essential for pet owners or someone who loves taking photos of pets to know their photography studio basics.
When you like to start pet photography, knowing about the ins and outs becomes crucial. And this guide will help you with everything you need to know about getting started with how to set up a pet photography studio.
Some people might think that this particular hobby may cost a small fortune, but indeed, it doesn't have to be expensive at all! Here, you can also use everyday household items and save a lot of bucks on your equipment and supplies. Moreover, it is not even that difficult to do a photography studio setup!
What is a Pet Photography Studio?
Indeed, pet photography studios are a great way to capture the cuteness of your pet.
A pet photography studio is a place where you can take pictures of your little one. They equip with props, backdrops, and other equipment that will help you make the best picture possible.
Moreover, you can check out other studios around your town or online for photography studio ideas. Or simply be creative and create a fantastic photography studio setup.
It is important to remember when taking photos at a pet photography studio is to keep your pets calm, so they don't move too much or try to run away.
How to Set Up a Photography Studio - Pet Photographer's Guide
Now I will be diving deep into how to set up a photography studio, which means it will be an in-depth pet photographer's guide.
Get Prepared Before Setting Up
In this section, I will be discussing how to get prepared before setting up a pet photography studio.
One of the most important things is to find a location for your studio. You should be looking for a place where you have enough space and natural light. This will allow you to take pictures of your animals in different settings.
Note: if you plan to photograph multiple animals, you also need space where the rest of the dogs or cats can wait and rest while you work on other subjects.
Also, make sure to have water available to them at all times.
You can also use a studio kit if you want to take pictures of animals in the same setting over and over again. These studio kit photography sets include backgrounds, lights, and other props that are necessary for taking good pictures of animals.
Understanding Pet Behavior
Before pet photography, it is vital to understand pet behavior. Because you never know how a pet animal is, how it behaves or what it does when it's angry, sad, upset, or happy.
Try to make a good plan for understanding pet behavior. Simply by observing the animal in the beginning how the pet is behaving with its owner. And always pay attention to the body language of the pet animal. Try to look at how it is moving its tail, for example, if a pet animal is a dog.
Or another thing that you can do to save time is by consulting with an experienced person. It is wise to keep a reasonable budget because investing will benefit you.
Home or Rental Studios
There are two options where you can do pet photography. If you do not want to use a rental studio for photography, then you can simply do it at home. For doing a pet photoshoot at home, you must know about the basics of indoor studio photography.
Moreover, shooting at a home studio will save a lot of costs, such as no money needed for rents, extra electricity bills, etc. But sometimes, if you do not have the proper photography studio lighting when shooting indoor studio photography. Then you can face some issues with your photographs.
And the professional studios for rent, outside, have everything ready in place. These are the things such as the best studio lights photography, then the photography studio equipment will be there.
In total, the main difference between home and rental studios is that in-home. You have to organize everything from the beginning on your own (though you can also use cheap resources or creative DIY stuff to decorate). And in the rental studios, everything will decorate, and you can pay for it. Home is cheaper, and rental studios can be expensive.
Choose the Best Space to Photoshoot
Remember that the best space for a photoshoot is a place where there is a lot of natural light. Nothing can beat the power and wonder of natural light when it comes to photoshoots.
The space you choose can be small or big, but try to see how the environment is. Is the space animal-friendly or not? Will space scare the animals or not?
So while choosing the best space for the photoshoot, you need to keep in mind these things.
Camera for Photography
The Canon 5D Mark IV is my favorite option to get very sharp images.
And when it comes to the point of a camera for pet photography, people get anxious sometimes. for photography of pets, any of the DSLRs will perform excellent work. Moreover, mobiles are so camera specialized that sometimes mobile photography can be a good option if you just want to have fun while not investing in equipment.
If you are a beginner, starting with mobile cameras will be perfect. After some time, if you want, you can move to a DSLR.
Best Lens for Pet Studio Photography
If you are searching everywhere for a lens that is light in weight, compact, inexpensive, gives sharp images, and helps with faster shutter speed in the situation of low light, then what you need is a 50mm prime lens.
But for taking pictures from a distance, you can use a lens of 135mm or even 70mm to 200mm zoom lens. The choice is absolutely on you, how you want to take a picture of the animal.
Also, you can always check online for the best lens for studio photography.
Photography Studio Lighting Setup
The quality of a good photograph highly depends on great lighting. Photography studio lighting plays a significant role in the shots captured. Umbrellas, softboxes, octa boxes, and beauty dishes are parts of a studio lighting setup.
For the lighting of pet photography, always choose bright lights, not low and dark lights.
Selecting a professional pet photography setup is deciding exactly what kind of lighting you're going to need. Professional photographers often use studio lighting for the sake of quality and to make sure things are accurate.
To start, you'll have to decide on the type of light you're going to use at your studio. The most common options are: Softbox lights are smaller, and won't produce much light at all. This is ideal for most small-sized pet pictures. It will keep the background dark while still showing off the pet's features.
Hardbox lights are much larger and can produce a lot of light in a very short amount of time. This is great for breathtaking images of larger animals. Because it will fill in their features and make them pop.
Studio Backgrounds for Photography
In the background of a studio for photoshoots, there are a lot of essential things needed, such as backdrops, umbrellas, softboxes, octa boxes, lighting stands, etc.
Studio backgrounds are a key part of any professional studio setup. They are used to create a clean, seamless background for your subjects.
Studio backgrounds are generally made from either fabric or paper. Fabric is more durable and can easily drape over a cyclorama or background stand. Paper is cheaper but needs to be taped down to the background stand in order to maintain its shape.
Photo by Alicia Rius
Tripod Stand for Photoshoot
For fast setup, your lighting, and, try the tripod stand. Tripods are an important part of any photographer's toolkit. You might think you need a really high-end model when you're shooting with expensive camera gear, but it's actually not necessary.
Your pet is irresistibly drawn to anything interesting on the ground, especially your foot. So it's important to find a way to keep your camera stable.
There are different shapes and sizes of tripods available to create a more natural-looking setting. Rather than telling people to hold your camera for a good position and height, it is the best thing to invest in a tripod stand.
Flooring
For a pet photography studio, you can do one thing- make or buy a changeable flooring. Why changeable flooring? That is because our beautiful pets or animals are of different colors and beauty. So, sometimes, the same colored flooring might not work well.
According to the color of the animal, you can change the color of the flooring and make it a quality picture.
You can buy different types of portable flooring.
Stay Innovative
In this beautiful world of pet photography, if you want to stay ahead of your competitors or be unique, always stay innovative. Staying innovative will always help you a lot in the industry of pet photography, you can create ideas of your own.
Your passion for photography has enabled you to make an excellent site filled with tips, tricks, and techniques. So you can get the most out of your pet photoshoot.
FAQ: Questions to Ask Before Set Up a Photography Studio
How Do I Become a Pet Photographer?
Pet photography is a growing field with an increasing number of people wanting to become professionals in this field.
The first step to becoming a pet photographer is to decide if you want to be a professional or amateur photographer. Professionals usually have a license and insurance, while amateurs work on their own time.
The next step would be getting your license and insurance. You need your business name and logo before applying for your business license. Then you need to get an EIN number from the IRS.
The last step in becoming a professional pet photographer is obtaining your general liability insurance coverage so that you can get insured for any damages or injuries that might occur during the shoot.
Is Pet Photography Profitable?
Yes, pet photography can add more fun with profit. The key to success in this pet photography business is the ability to provide different services than other pet photographers are offering
Do I Need a License to be a Pet Photographer?
You are doing pet photography just as a hobby or you can take it as a career. You do not need a license to be a pet photographer.
But if you want to build something like a big business out of pet photography, it is better to have a business license. The only simple requirement is that you are 18 years old and have a camera with a telephoto lens.
How Much Does It Cost to Open a Pet Photography Studio?
The amount you spend will depend on how many people you hire, where your studio is located, and what type of equipment you plan on using. When you start your pet photography business, it may take around $25000- $ 30000. Your budget will spend on pet training, their grooming, your studio setup, photo-editing software, legal cost, and much more.
Where to Buy Pet Photography Studio Equipment?
The first place to buy pet photography equipment is Amazon. They have a wide range of products available at affordable prices. The next place to buy pet photography equipment is B&H Photo Video. They have a variety of items at competitive prices.
The third place to buy pet photography equipment is PetSmart. Rather than these, you can buy photography studio equipment offline in the markets and other online stores.
Conclusion - Ways to Set Up a Pet Photography Studio
Before starting the business, you have to know how to set up a pet photography studio. It's not just for the people who want to make money, but also for people who want to do something they love!
In summary, the first step is the location. You need to find a place with good lighting and comfort for you and your pet. The second step is setting up your background. You can use a seamless paper or cloth backdrop or use natural elements like trees, grass, flowers, etc.
The third important step is to set up your camera equipment and lighting around the area to shoot your pet pictures. The fourth step is getting the right props for the picture, such as toys, treats, and so on.
And lastly, you should take some test shots of your pet before shooting them so that they get comfortable and adjusted with it.
Wish you good luck!