Opportunities to take animal pictures are everywhere. Domestic farm animals are enjoyable to watch, easy to photograph, and there are a multiple of uses for photos of pigs, cows, horses, ducks, and chickens.

Well-taken pictures of livestock can be used number of purposes, which include catalogs, posters, auction brochures, calendars, pamphlets, books, greeting cards, and even advertisements. Great animal photos can even be a good source of income for an enterprising photographer.

When you are taking pictures of farm animals, whether they are your own, or whether you're just visiting a local farm, it is worth keeping in mind some pointers on how to take great pictures of these animals.

Be Prepared

A major factor in making great livestock photos is proper preparation. This means that you should be aware of the behavior of certain animals and therefore can anticipate the movements they are likely to make when you are taking your shots. Animals have different reactions to photo shoots, and you should have knowledge of these prior to the actual shoot. Animals may be startled, angered, or frightened by your equipment and flashes. You can research your information through books or over the Internet. and use the results of your research as your background for taking pictures of your farm animals.

With the information you have gathered, you can then determine the timing of your photo shoots, and you can even determine the kind of lighting as well as shooting angles that you would like to use for your shoot.

Natural is Best

When taking photographs of animals, especially when shooting for auction brochures or sales catalogs, it is best to showcase these animals in their natural habitat, without any adornments or decorations.

To get quality animal photos, make sure that the animal has proper grooming and that the animal is clean and presentable. You should also seriously consider a good background to enhance the image of the animal, like choosing an open field instead of a cluttered barn for the picture background. Another important aspect is the positioning of the animal for the picture. The animal should appear alert and posed on the side or a three-quarters view in order to maximize the image of the animal being photographed.

Be Patient

Another important phase to photographing animals is exercising patience. As it is common knowledge that animals can very well be uncooperative during a photo shoot, it is vital to wait to get to that proper timing where you can have that winning shot for yourself.

Practice First

Practice makes perfect - and this also holds true in photographing farm animals. Prior to actually doing the shoot, it is very useful to do some practice sessions first. Visit a local farm, ranch, or zoo, first. It may be very helpful for your practice sessions to acquaint yourself with the behavior of different animals, take notes, and make good shoots with them.

Have Good Equipment

Using the appropriate camera equipment and accessories is also very important to photographing animals. You may have the need for a telephoto lens to capture long-range shots from delicate and sensitive animals. Other specialty lenses may also be used to create masterful shots.

Use Safety Measures

Finally, just like in all other endeavors, safety should take priority over any photographing activities. There is absolutely no shot worth taking too much risk with your life, and with the unpredictability of most animals, even a bright flash could cause panic.

Follow these tips when photographing farm animals. Do your research and preparation use good equipment, and follow safety common sense and you'll soon have an array of useful animal photos, good ones at that!