Framing Cats & Dogs - Candid Shots

Candids are about capturing your pet's natural behaviour - maybe the dog chasing a stick or hanging out of the car window, or the cat stalking in the garden. On a less energetic level it could just be a picture of them dozing on the sofa. The point is, you're not trying to get them to do something they weren't doing anyway. This approach is easier than the posed portrait but you'll still need patience to catch the right moment.

Seeing my kitten looking out of the window I went out and took a shot of her from the outside, which made a more interesting shot. Nikon D300, 85mm,1/250sec, f/5.6, ISO 400

It helps if you have some knowledge of your pet's character. For example, if you know that when you take your dog down to the river he's liable to jump in, you can be ready and waiting, with tele-zoom mounted and fast shutter speed selected.(Be sure to stand well back when it gets out and shakes itself vigorously!) If your cat follows a specific route on its regular perimeter patrol of the garden, you can pre-focus on a spot and be ready for it.

Keep your camera handy at all times, with the battery charged and a fresh media card, so if your cat unexpectedly curls up with the dog while you're preparing dinner you can grab the camera quickly and get a shot of it.

James Dowd captured his cat Gwen sitting on the roof watching birds. He converted it to black and white later. Canon EOS 400D, 17mm, 1/200sec, f/4, ISO 200