Okay, I’ve never actually seen a real hamster dressed up in a Santa’s hat for a Christmas card shoot, but that’s what Photoshop is for, right?
Clearly, some pets are easier to deck out for a holiday photo shoot than others, but that shouldn’t stop you from adding your Fur Baby to a festive scene. Even if Fido doesn’t want to keep the reindeer antlers on his head, you can make him look merry by placing him in front of a seasonal background. Christmas trees and fireplaces are ideal backdrops for Christmas photos. Another option is to take Fluffy outside and pose her next to a snowman or in an ice fort. If you don’t have the ingredients for a white Christmas, then pose your pup in front of evergreen bushes.
If you working with a bigger budget for your seasonal shoot, invest in professional quality backdrops. They are available online and in most camera shops and come in a variety of materials, including plastic, paper, canvas and muslin. In addition, you can purchase backdrops in an array of seasonal colors, such as white, red, green, blue and yellow. While plain canvas backgrounds may seem boring, they allow the focus to stay on your pet. This is important if Brewster is sporting a new sweater and a jingle bell necklace, or is dressing up as Santa Claus, for his holiday photo. When you are working with bright colored outfits and wacky props you want to keep your background as basic as possible.
Finally, if you are shooting your Christmas photo indoors, be sure to flood the setting with as much natural light as possible. This is especially critical when you are taking pictures of pets. If there is not enough light and you have to use your camera’s flash, there is a good chance that you will have to deal with pet photo flash eye, which basically makes your four-legged friend appear as though he is possessed.
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