Bruce Weber Photographer Marks A Few Composition Approaches That Can Be Used For Pet Photography

Excellent pet photography, much like any other style of photography, begins with great composition ideas. Photographers should try to look for certain natural elements or leading lines around a photo shoot location to include in the shot. They can also use techniques like the rule of thirds, and place the pet on one of the intersections of the vertical and horizontal lines. Most experienced professionals, such as Bruce Weber Photographer, usually experiment with diverse types of composition styles to create a perfectly stunning image. Bruce initially had used his dogs on some fashion photographs he was working on, and eventually started to photograph his dogs a lot more, and has taken both professional and personal pictures of them.

Bruce Weber Photographer underlines a few composition styles that are prominently used for pet photography

The use of leading lines is a great way to draw the attention of the viewers to what the photographer wants, which is to the furry subject. Leading lines commonly go hand in hand with the perspective created by manmade objects like train lines, roads, staircases, buildings, and so on. Leading lines, however, don’t always have to be straight and can be seen in nature as well. The curves of a tree branch or hills on the horizon, for instance, are leading lines found in unexpected places.

Pattern is another composition approach many use in pet photography. While it may seem tricky initially, one can actually find a number of opportunities for patterns when shooting in urban settings if they look carefully. Patterns may form a part or entirely of the background. Patterns of bricks on a wall, or even fences and other repeated elements within the image, can be a great background. One may even opt for natural elements like rows of trees. Patterns can be emphasized upon by keeping them unbroken, or interrupting them. Multiple adorable dogs themselves can form a pattern in an image. On the other hand, one can have a row of puppies, with a single cute kitten in between to break the pattern and create an interesting image.

The “rule of thirds” is one of the most widely used and popular composition techniques. The basic idea behind using is to divide an image into thirds, both vertically and horizontally. Doing so shall create a grid, and provide four main lines on which the most important parts of the image have to be placed, including the subject.  However, placing the subject off to one side by using the Rule of Thirds may leave the image feeling a bit “empty” on the other side. This issue can be addressed by adding an element of interest to balance the subject.

Checking out pet images clicked by Bruce Weber Photographer and other professionals can help in gaining a basic understanding of composing a well-balanced, interesting photo. Bruce’s enduring affinity for canines prevails in his books “Bear Pond” and “Gentle Giants: A Book of Newfoundlands”.