Kittens can grow up remarkably fast so you will want to take plenty of photographs before they become cats. They are at their cutest before they grow up to become mature felines yet that does not mean they are easy to photograph.
At this young stage, they can be difficult to control so you will need some tips on how to capture them. Here are some really handy tips for how to photograph kittens.
In this guide, we will look at camera settings, kitten behavior, and how you can take some great photographs of your kitten.
Use Food Or Toys
Be Patient And Expect Them To Misbehave
Consider Your Focus
Use Your Continuous Shooting Mode
Choose The Most Ideal Camera Settings
Use Your Light Source Responsibly
Think About Perspective Changes
Take Some Spontaneous Photos
1. Use Food Or Toys
Kittens may look cute but they will still have plenty of curiosity so you need to distract them. They are unlikely to sit down patiently and stare directly at the camera like you would wish them to.
Try to use food or toys to guide a kitten to a certain spot without intimidating them. Your kitten should look relaxed as a playful one can be exceptionally hard to capture.
If you are using toys then it is key that you try to exhaust your kitten so they need a sit-down. That can be a great time to snap away and capture those cute photographs.
If you do want to try to get a playful photograph then use a toy to coax them into a position where you can get a natural-looking and fun pose.
2. Be Patient And Expect Them To Misbehave
Your kitten should have plenty of energy so it may take them a while to settle down. Set up your camera early enough yet be patient as there is an expectation that they will misbehave.
They will likely want to climb around your photoshoot location and explore so bear that in mind. After they have fully explored the area, it may prove to be an ideal time to get those photos when they are on their best behavior.
3. Consider Your Focus
The best shots for a kitten tend to be from around a meter away yet the focal point will constantly shift. Kittens will fail to remain still for a lot of the time so try to use the autofocus.
If you do decide to go old school with a manual focus then you may find that you are simply wasting your time. Use the autofocus and have your finger hovering over the focus button to make sure that you get a sharp-enough image.
4. Use Your Continuous Shooting Mode
To up your chances of some great kitten photographs, use continuous shooting mode, also known as burst mode. That way you can take many photographs in quick succession and then select the best ones later.
5. Choose The Most Ideal Camera Settings
There are other camera settings that you should look to use such as the shutter speed and the flash. Your shutter speed should be around 1/200 of a second or even faster as kittens can be rapid.
With a strobe, you may not have to worry about the shutter speed. Should you use a flash then it should stop the action at approximately 1/250 a second so make sure you set your f-stop as the flash will take care of the shutter speed.
The aperture can be tricky too as a wide setting (such as f2.8 or f4) can result in unclear photographs. A smaller aperture should be better though consider the f-stop based on the distance from the kitten.
Remember, the larger your camera’s aperture, the closer the kitten should be.
6. Use Your Light Source Responsibly
For a serious kitten photoshoot, you may want to forgo using your camera’s flash. With that in mind, you could benefit from using continuous studio lighting then set your camera settings appropriately.
A high ISO can be used to make up for the relatively soft light. Bring the light in, and use a higher ISO so you can benefit from a higher shutter speed and an f-stop of around 7.1.
7. Think About Perspective Changes
Feel free to emphasize how small and cute your kittens are. Shoot downward at eye-level and you can focus on their tiny size.
Taking your photographs at a lower level can be a challenge yet it does provide interesting perspectives.
8.Take Some Spontaneous Photos
Remember that you can still edit your photographs in post-processing. Make sure that you take plenty of photographs and you should capture some spontaneity.
Final Thoughts
Kittens and cats fail to follow instructions at all well so it can be tricky to get them to behave exactly how you want them to (see also “How To Photograph Cats“).
With the right camera equipment and the right way to coax your kitten, you can take some great photographs.
They will move fast so you may have to use a rapid shutter speed and have plenty of light, just like you would any photoshoot.
Frequently Asked Questions
At What Age Should You Consider Taking Photographs of Kittens?
At sixty days old, kittens begin to start looking like mature cats.
Kittens can grow incredibly fast so you will want to photograph them quickly. After sixty days, their growth rate can slow down while they develop their stealthy tactics and their muscle tone.
Their weight will also grow so make sure that you take plenty of photographs.
When Do Kittens Become Truly Mobile?
You may want to know when kittens can be considered truly mobile as it may be easier to photograph them before then. At around five weeks old, kittens will be confident enough to want to explore.
They should also be curious about their surroundings and evidently playful so you should enjoy socializing with them and taking their photo.
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For as long as I can remember, I have loved taking photographs. There is nothing I love more than looking back through old pictures, and having all of the memories come flooding back.
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