How to shoot successful pet portraits this Christmas

Pets can be so wonderfully cute – many of us will often find ourselves reaching for the camera to capture their crazy antics, funny expressions and quirky habits. But Christmas is the perfect time to try to capture a portrait of your favourite pet. A picture of your cat, dog or hamster posing in festive gear would make a fun image for a home-printed card, or could be framed to create a bespoke gift.

The challenge is that most animals are completely uninterested in having their photo taken. In fact, some creatures will do everything within their power to frustrate and outwit you. So, you'll need a few tricks up your sleeve to grab their attention. A combination of camera skills, posing tricks and a pocketful of treats should give you the edge in this battle of wills.

A Christmas tree makes for an attractive backdrop for your Christmas pet portraits. It gives you both bold colours and bright highlights. Props such as Santa hats and scarves can look great too, as long as your pet is amenable to wearing them. Ideally choose a room with large windows for your shoot. Natural light is ideal for pet portraiture as it's soft and gently fills in the shadows, while using a flash may spook your animal. Position your pet facing the window, with the Christmas tree and lights behind them.

Dogs tend to be a bit easier to pose than cats, as it doesn't take as much to get them interested. A quick whistle, a cry of 'where's the cat' or any funny noise will usually get their attention. All animals have their own individual characters, but it's fair to say that cats are usually less eager to please. Patience is key, and you may need to wait a while for the cat to relax. Try getting them settled in one position, such as a comfy chair or a stool (you could even bring their pet bed). Keep a favourite toy or food bowl to hand, and gently tap it above the lens to grab the cat's attention. If they won't do what you want then be prepared to change your approach – after all, if being aloof is part of their character then why not capture this in the photograph?

Choose an exposure setting that you can set and forget, as it will free you to concentrate on the posing and framing. The simplest way to do this is to set your camera to manual exposure mode (M).

Your shutter speed needs to stay fast enough to capture the action. Around 1/200 sec is ideal if the animals are fairly still, but you'll need to go faster if they're moving around a lot. We also recommend a wide aperture (f/5.6 here), as this will separate the subject from the background and create lovely bokeh.

Setting ISO to Auto means it will adapt to the conditions – in a bright room with plenty of window light, the ISO should hover around 800-1600. At these ranges, a camera that performs well in low light, such as the Canon EOS 850D, will allow you to capture relatively noise-free shots. If – like the Canon EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM we're using here – your lens has stabilisation, then it's best to switch this on too.

Focusing can be one of the biggest challenges in pet portraiture, as you need to focus precisely on the eyes of a creature that might move its head at any moment, or scamper off.

As such, it's inevitable that not every shot will be sharp, but if you have a camera that reacts instantly to the subject's movement then you can improve your chances. Set your Canon's focus mode to AI Servo. This means the camera will track the movement of the subject and adapt the focus to lock on to their shifting positions. Precise focusing is crucial when shooting close-ups, so it may not be enough to simply lock on to the face. Instead, try switching to a single focus point, then aim this over the eye that is closest to the camera.

It's usually best to use a wide aperture for your pet portraits as this means your shots will have a shallow depth of field, and the background will be thrown out of focus. For festive shots like this the wide aperture has another benefit – the out-of-focus Christmas tree lights are transformed into beautiful spots of bokeh. The bokeh will be stronger if you can put some distance between the subject and the tree, so move the pet as far from the tree as you can. Using a longer focal length can also enhance the blur, so try stepping back and zooming in with your lens.

As well as throwing the background out of focus, you could also add some bokeh in the foreground. Try holding Christmas lights in front of the lens, and find a gap to shoot through. At the right angle, this can result in beautiful out-of-focus highlights that surround your subject and add an extra element of depth to the scene.

Whether you're shooting portraits of your pets or your pals, capturing your subject at eye level helps to create a connection, as it places the viewer on the same level. Of course, with pet portraits this may mean crawling around on the floor in order to get low enough, but it can better show the pet's point of view.

You're bound to have lots of fun trying to capture that perfect shot – even if your pet isn't always willing to cooperate. Whether you're attempting an animal portrait at Christmas or any other time of the year, it's a great opportunity to practise your technique and enhance your photography skills.

Written by James Paterson