The Importance of Shelter Photography

I am a firm believer that a photo can make a difference for a shelter animal. A good photo will capture an audience and emotionally move potential adopters. A poor photo will lead a great potential pet to be overlooked and passed on. So, what makes a good photograph?

Shelters are an overwhelming environment for most animals due to the noise, personal behaviors/quirks, and the the thought of the unknown. Most shelters take a photo of a new intake animal the day they come in to be able to upload them as soon as possible online. Due to the understandable rush to photograph the animals, most are unfortunately going to look terrified, skittish or aggressive in their photo since they come in from terrible situations. There is a rare percentage of animals that will actually look happy in their first photo. To get a good photograph, we have to earn the trust of the animal and remain patient. Once the animal feels comfortable it will let its personality start to shine. Its personality is what potential adopters are looking for. You can earn the trust of an animal by being calm, sitting/kneeling down, offering plenty of treats and just by giving them time. Not only does their personality matter, but so does the representation of size. Make sure to get some photos of their body alongside their portraits.

The quality of the photograph also makes a huge difference. A blurry, low res photo lacking personality will lead to several animals online being overlooked. Angles and light are also important factors in taking more flattering photos of the animals. I personally like to change the backgrounds for the animals away from cages and fences. I try to get the dogs outside to give them space to move as well as a natural background. For the cats I will attempt to blur their background for contrast or get them in a free-roam room. Both emotion and quality determine a good photograph, which in turn will grab the attention of more potential adopters.