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I’m often asked during a workshop how to achieve a soft background in my photos. People assume that this is done in post-processing, but nothing could be further from the truth!

If you take into account the following 4 tips, I guarantee you a perfectly blurred background straight out of your camera!

1. Use a wide aperture

Tele lenses such as the 135mm f/1.8 or the 70-200mm f/2.8 allow more light in, resulting in a shallower depth of field in your photo. Depth of field refers to the area that is sharp in the photo.

Landscape photographers often choose to have the entire photo in focus. However, as a dog photographer, you prefer to have the dog sharp while the background is not, directing all attention to your subject.

The lower the f-stop or aperture value (e.g., f/1.8 or f/2.8), the quicker you’ll achieve a blurred background. Unfortunately, this lenses can be quite expensive, but a low aperture is an absolute must to isolate your subject from the background.

However, it’s not just the lens that gives you a blurred background! With a 50mm f/1.8 lens, you’ll get a less blurred background than with a 70-200mm lens. This is because the focal length also plays a role in achieving a soft background.

I photographed the beautiful border collie Skye with the 135mm lens at f/1.8 aperture. This results in a nice soft effect in both the foreground and background.

2. Focal lenght

Lenses with a longer focal length will create a softer background than wide-angle lenses, even if you’re using the same aperture!

So, a 135mm or 70-200mm lens will much more easily create a blurred background than a 35mm or 50mm lens. However, if you’re using a zoom lens like the 70-200mm, it’s important to always use it fully zoomed outdoors!

I photographed the chihuahua with the 70-200mm lens at 2.8 aperture, zoomed in at 200mm.

I photographed this border collie with the 15-35mm lens. The aperture used was also 2.8, yet the trees in the background are still relatively sharp because I used a wide-angle lens here.

3. Pay attention to your location choice

It’s also important to consider where you’ll position your subject. Even if you consider the above 2 points, if you place the dog directly against a wall or in front of a bush, it will still appear quite sharp in the image.

The podenco below was photographed with the 70-200mm at 2.8, yet the background remains fairly sharp in the image. However, by choosing a slightly angled perspective, you can still achieve the necessary depth in your photo. Rules are meant to be broken sometimes; not every photo needs a blurred background! Follow your own ideas in creating what you have in mind!

I placed this Belgian Malinois in a wheat field, using the 135mm lens at f/1.8. Due to the depth of the field, it’s very easy to achieve a soft effect in the background here!

4. Distance to your subject

Lastly, the distance to your subject also contributes to the softness of your background. The photos below were taken in exactly the same location. The dachshunds are very small, allowing me to photograph them from a closer distance, which will make the background blur more easily.

However, if you want to capture an entire family in the frame, you need to take more distance from your subject, and this will also impact your background. As you can see, everything here is much sharper in the photo!

If you successfully combine the above 4 tips, you will effortlessly achieve a beautiful blurred background straight out of your camera, making your subject stand out immediately!

In this article, I would like to share 10 tips for photographing puppies and kittens, along with some ideas to bring variety to your studio shoot.

What could be more delightful than welcoming a puppy or kitten as your new housemate! It adds a lively touch to your surroundings, and anyone fond of photography will soon be tempted to capture this young life on camera!

However, in practice, it can be challenging. Puppies and kittens don’t follow commands, and sitting still is certainly not their forte; exploring is much more appealing to them!

As an animal photographer, I have a lot of experience photographing young animals. The tips below will guide you towards capturing the perfect shot of puppies and kittens!

Tip 1: Use a pedestal

Puppies and kittens don’t follow commands, so they’re not inclined to sit still for your photo!

It helps to use a pedestal to elevate them, preventing them from freely roaming around. This also positions them well for your lighting setup! Always keep an eye on the safety of your setup!

By placing the puppies on this crate, they were more likely to stay seated, making it easier to photograph them all together!

It can also be helpful for kittens to be placed in a basket or other container type of object. In the photo below, I simply used a flowerpot, and the owner held it up for a moment. Kittens generally enjoy sitting in something, giving you a bit more time to capture the perfect shot!

Tip 2: Make funny sounds!

You can easily capture their attention with funny sounds! Your voice is always with you, so that’s the easiest option, especially high tones usually work well. If you’re not comfortable making funny sounds yourself, use a squeaky toy or find some animal sounds on your phone to play. Guaranteed to get cute tilted heads, just like this adorable border Collie puppy!

Kittens sometimes respond to sound as well. If that’s not the case, you can use a play stick to direct their gaze in the right direction. Short, quick movements yield the best results. That’s how Yeti below looks like a true model, staring right into the lens with an adorable tilted head!

Tip 3: Have fun!

It’s crucial that puppies and kittens feel comfortable during the shoot. Don’t force anything; let them play and have fun. Use their favorite plush toy or introduce a new exciting toy, and you’ll capture the most original photos!

Even Urbain the Weimaraner brought along a personalized stuffed animal with his name on it to the shoot and was more than happy to pose with it!

Border Collie puppy Bee also had her own bee-shaped plush toy and was up for a game.

Kittens are real playful creatures, making it very easy to capture action shots of them.

Tip 4: What a treat!

A true model loves to be rewarded with some treats for all their efforts! When the puppy starts to get a bit tired, bring out a tasty lollipop! Spread something delicious like peanut butter or KONG filling on the lollipop, and your model will instantly be eager to participate again!

If the pup is a real foodie, they might lick so enthusiastically that you can discreetly place a paw on the lollipop without the pup noticing. With a bit of Photoshop magic, you can remove the owner’s hand and make it look like they’re holding the lollipop themselves!

Some cats are real food enthusiasts as well. In the photo below, I smeared a liquid snack on the back of the lollipop, and Astor definitely enjoyed that!

Tip 5: Let’s pose with my new friend!

Is there already another dog or cat present? Let them join the pose! Make sure they are well-acquainted and tolerate each other’s presence.

Plan this more towards the end of the session when the puppy or kitten is starting to get a bit tired; it will be much easier than at the beginning!

Rudy the husky brought along his new toller friend Drea!

Maddox also made a new friend, and they are clearly best buddies!

Tip 6: Work with reflections

Puppies and kittens are small, making it very easy to capture reflective photos of them. With a plexiglass sheet of 1 by 1 meter, you can easily get them fully mirrored. This always creates a unique effect!

You can read more about the use of different surfaces in this article.

Here, too, the advice is to do this more towards the end of the session when the puppy is already a bit tired.

Tip 7: Gather some fun props!

Use some fun props to add variety to your shoot! A jam jar, a small chair, a hammock, a stool, shoes, a basket, a simple cardboard box, a flowerpot, and more—there’s no limit to what you can use for your photoshoot! This poodle puppy is posing with a vintage dog I found at a flea market.

These kittens are sitting snugly in a jam jar. It adds a nice pop of color, and they stay together more easily! By moving a toy around, they looked right into the lens!

Tip 8: Peekaboo!

If you have a true model at home, try going for a ‘peekaboo’ photo! The simplest way is to create a hole in a cardboard box. Use some treats to lure the puppy through it, or for a kitten, use a toy.

You can also try this with leftover studio background paper.

Tip 9: The whole family!

If you have the opportunity to immortalize the entire family, even better! The more, the merrier! If it’s a large litter, capturing them all together can be quite a challenge, so it’s best to wait until the end of the shoot for this.

Are the puppies tireless, or do you want to ensure success in capturing a group photo? Photograph each puppy individually and later merge them in Photoshop. If the pups or kittens all look alike, create a separate A4 sheet with their name for each one. Photograph this sheet alongside each puppy, so you’ll later know who is who!

For advanced photographers: include the mother and father dog in your photo as well!

For those who love a challenge: give it a try with kittens as well.

Tip 10: Sleepy heads!

Work as efficiently as possible with puppies and kittens; they are still young and can tire quickly. Respect their need for rest when fatigue sets in. Even then, you can take advantage of the opportunity to capture some adorable sleeping shots!

This is also the perfect moment to photograph multiple puppies at once without needing advanced Photoshop skills!

Hopefully, you’re completely inspired to get started with puppies and kittens, ensuring adorable photos!

If you have any questions after reading this article or if you want to further specialize in this subject, consider a private workshop to learn the tricks of the trade. I would be delighted to assist you in diving deeper into this fascinating topic!