Pet Photography — Warning Lots Of Cute Cat And Dog Pictures Ahead

The crazy world of photographing pets who don’t want their picture taken for an animal fostering charity

Several years back I used to volunteer my photography services for an animal fostering charity. I didn’t just take promotional pictures for them, I took pictures of the pets as well.

The reason being, and not many like to admit this, but the cuter the pets look in the pictures the better the chances are that they will find a forever home. Meaning if a pet is refusing to look all cute and pretty in a picture it can be very difficult to find them a home.

A cruel and perhaps sad truth but a truth all the same. This is where I would step in, my main task was to attempt to make the pets that refused to look cute on camera — perhaps because they didn’t want their picture taken or perhaps because they were just not very photogenic — cute.

Cue much chaos, crawling on hands and knees, being run ragged, and much more all in my attempts at coercing cats and dogs to remain still and pose for the camera so that they can look all pretty and hopefully find a forever home. And the best part about it is, I’m going to share some of those pictures I took of those cats and dogs — all of whom I’m happy to say managed to find a forever home.

Disclaimer: all pictures taken by me.

First up is Darwin, when I arrived at Darwin’s foster home I was told that he was hiding in his usual hiding place:

Yep, underneath the table. And you’ve no idea how hard it was trying to persuade him to come out. Squeaky toys, food, we offered everything, but would he budge… Eventually yes, but very slowly:

Just gotta come out from behind the sofa now:

Then finally he was out:

Then he finally decided to pose for the camera, and did his best impression of what most humans do when they realise a camera is pointed at them:

After that one picture, he decided hiding behind the curtains on the windowsill was preferable:

Photographers are scary things you know. But I deduced that I had captured enough cuteness factor for him to find his forever home, which thankfully he did.

Next up is Sparkle’s, when I told Sparkle’s that I was here to take her picture to say that she was stunned would be an understatement. “What? Me,” she said:

Sparkle’s loved the camera, though with the first picture she forgot that she was a cat and for a moment thought that she was a rabbit:

But once she remembered she was a cat she nailed it:

Interesting fact for you, if you ever see a cat that has one blue eye and one green eye it means he or she is blind. Despite her blindness the lovable Sparkle’s found a lovable forever home.

Next up is Larry the lurcher, Larry was really unimpressed with the notion of having his picture taken, which can be seen in his facial expression the moment he laid eyes upon me:

This point was further expressed by Larry when it dawned on him that I truly was a photographer and was not a man who was simply going to feed him biscuits:

“Though wait you have a biscuit?” Larry said after a moment.

“No I have a jumbo beef chew treat.”

“Say what?”

“Yes, your favourite, and if you look pretty and cute for the camera you can have it.”

“Will this do, good sir?”

How could I not give a dog treat to a dog who looks at me with eyes like that? Even Oliver twist couldn’t compete with that cuteness factor.

Next up is Snowy, when I first met her she was doing her best attempt at pretending to be a statue:

Once I had made clear to her that I would not be fooled, she made clear to me that she had no desire to have her picture taken — mainly because she darted.

Alas unluckily for her the window was closed, meaning her attempts at escape had been dashed:

With her attempted escape dashed, I made an offer that if she posed for me and looked all cute and pretty, I would open the window.

At first she pondered it:

But after a moment of deep thinking she agreed to my terms. “Will this do, good sir?” she asked.

But I’m a tough operator and I believed she could do better.

“How about this then, good sir?” she said.

By gosh and darn it, cuteness overload. Cuteness overload. Needless to say, with the cute’o’metre on my camera near exploding, I was compelled to open the window. But alas I have no pictures to show as proof that I did this because she made such a swift exit that it was like she never was.

Next up is Tibbs, he most definitely was not impressed upon first seeing me:

You old dog you, Tibbs. Old cat rather… I see what you were thinking naughty naughty. But there is time for hanky-panky and then there is time for taking pictures, and it is time for the latter not the former.

Tibbs did not agree, enquiring if a cat could not just please get some alone time with his lady:

“Yes,” said I, “but only after I get a picture of you looking all pretty so that you can find your forever home.”

“Fine,” says Tibbs, “will this do?”

Seeing as he did a runner with his lady right after, it did have to do.

Next up is Rio, when I first arrived it was clear that Rio was not in the mood for pictures right now and wanted to go out for walkies:

After myself and his foster parent told him he would have to look pretty and cute on camera first, he tried his best to use his puppy dog eyes to get his way:

But as the famous saying goes, we were not for turning, which devastated Rio. “Oh woe is me, woe is me,” he said while playing dead:

Realising his playing possum was not having the desired effect, he elected to pick up a toy that sort of looks like a lead.

“Hint, hint,” he said.

But no no, we said, pictures first.

“Oh woe is me, woe is me,” he said again, wondering whether he ever would get to go on his walk:

But after much moping around: “Will this pose do,” he said, eventually realising his only hope of ever making it to the park was to pose for that dastardly photographer:

“Why yes it will,” said I, that dastardly photographer. “You are now free to go for your walk.”

The joy on Rio’s face to say the least was great:

That’s all from me, thanks for reading!

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