How to take great selfies with your pets

Taking a selfie with a pet requires skilful multi-tasking: you have to hold the camera at the right angle, entertain your pet so they sit still, make sure you're smiling and hit the button... all without dropping your phone.

A lot can go wrong so we’ve got a few tips to help you take impawsibly good selfies (accompanied by some great pet selfies from ManyPets customers).

We believe all pets can look great in photos with the help of this guide.

1. Have a play session before you take the camera out

The best time for a photo can be after your pet has had some time to play or exercise, as they’ll be more likely to sit still having exhausted some energy.

This can give you a few extra seconds to stage the purrfect pet selfie.

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2. Pose where your pet is comfortable

It may not be possible for your pet to sit or lie in the exact position you’d like it to. The safest thing to do is to sit or lie down with them. To achieve the perfect results it's best to do what they do (within reason of course).

3. Bribe them with treats

Hold the treat above the camera and let it stick out so that it grabs your pet’s attention. Cats and dogs are likely to move into a cute position in front of the camera as they sniff the treat.

You can even attach a treat to your phone’s screen.

One company has even developed a dog selfie device – a tennis ball that clips on top of your phone, leaving the camera uncovered – designed to capture your dog’s undivided attention and allow you to take a great selfie.

4. Let there be (soft) light

You’ll get the best results in soft daylight. Nothing can beat natural light when it comes to photography, especially if your camera isn’t top of the range.

Go outside on a bright day, sometime before the sun begins to set, so that you’ll have plenty of light.

If taking pictures indoors, use as much light as you can but avoid using a flash as it can be stressful for your pet. Not to mention the results are unlikely to be flattering.

5. Use a simple background

The less you’ve got going on in the background the better. Choose colours that will make you and your pet stand out. For example, if you’ve got a pet with black fur you should go for a light-coloured background and vice-versa.

6. Camerawork

The better your camera, the better the pictures. So if you are a pet selfie aficionado or are hoping to make your pet an Instagram star, you might want to invest in a good camera.

In general, position the camera at your pet’s eye level. Lie down with them if you have to.

7. Be patient

Patience is one of the key ingredients of a pet selfie photo shoot. Cat and dog attention spans are much shorter than ours and if they’re still very young they'll have a desire to explore and play.

Be prepared to suffer for your social media art. Spend time planning the perfect shot and bear in mind that it might take a few attempts before you get it right.

Be patient, time it well and you’re likely to end with a masterpiece.

And don’t forget to send us your pet selfies next time you drop us a line on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.

Happy shooting!