They say a picture is worth a thousand words. In the animal shelter world, pictures can save thousands of homeless pets. “Our services have boosted adoption rates at every facility we have serviced, some as high as 100% for the animals photographed,” said Nanette Martin, executive director of Shelter-Me Photography (SMP). Several sites like Adopt-A-Pet, PetFinder and Pets911 provide the opportunity to include a photo of the pet in their listings. Some animal welfare organizations, like the Wisconsin Humane Society, go the extra mile by posting photos and video of their pets on their web sites. “We make it a priority to post photos of every single animal available for adoption as soon as they become available,” said Angela Speed, director of community relations and development at Wisconsin Humane, “The pictures often connect with a prospective adopter in a way that a narrative description cannot.”

An adoptable pet photographed by Shelter-Me Photography. Photo by Nanette Martin, Shelter-Me Photography

Social websites like Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, WordPress and YouTube make it easy for organizations to stay in touch with their fans. The best part is that these sites offer many of their services for free. Several animal welfare organizations like the Humane Society of Boulder Valley and Washington Animal Rescue League feature adoptable pets directly on these social sites.

Resources and Budget

Hiring an additional person to your staff can be a strain to your budget, which is why volunteers may be able to help in a creative way. “We have a group of trained volunteers who take pictures on a daily basis,” said Speed. Animal welfare organizations can market volunteer opportunities to local photography/video organizations and art schools as an opportunity to help add to their portfolios.

Thanks to a culture of sharing, basic digital cameras and portable video devices are fairly inexpensive and can even be donated. Plus, creating a basic video is not as pricey as you may think. If you’re a Windows or Mac user, video production software is likely already installed on your computer.  For Windows users, Windows Movie Maker has a helpful tutorial. If you prefer to use a Mac, check out Apple’s tutorial for iMovie. “The videos take under 10 minutes to film, and editing can be very quick,” Speed said, “We focus on keeping videos to 30-45 seconds, because it’s more likely to get shared and people are less likely to lose interest.” She added that “There is something that feels very different about seeing a real dog in a video playing fetch, as opposed to a static photo on the site. Maybe people can imagine themselves tossing that ball. People also love to share videos, so they travel fast.”

Once your video has been produced, you can upload it online. YouTube has a specific program for non-profit organizations to leverage the site’s features and create a greater impact.

Picture day
Martin has a simple mission to “offer our complimentary [photography] services to any adoption agency in the U.S.” SMP asks that organizations apply for grants to help with photography costs, and if they aren’t approved, an organization may still be able to utilize their services, depending on the situation.

Can’t utilize SMP’s services or don’t have access to a professional photographer? Nanette shared the following tips to help take great photos of pets:

• Always shoot from the animal’s eye level (even if it involves lying down on the ground).
• Keep “wannabe helpers” from calling to the animal from the side; this only gets the animal looking at them and not the camera. “This is perhaps one of the biggest challenges,” Nanette noted, “The only people that belong within the animal’s line of sight and earshot are the handler, the photographer and a helper (only if requested by the photographer).”
• Set up with the animal and background in the shade with some sort of light source behind the photographer that creates highlights in their eyes (no highlights = no life).
• Keep the background clean, not cluttered (Nanette suggests using a large cotton drop cloth).
• Position the adoptable pet at least 10 feet in front of the background so the pet will be in focus and the background will not.
• Have a variety of ways to get the pet’s attention ready, but don’t use them up all at once; pace yourself. Most dogs respond to sounds, so start with that. The best shots will most likely occur in the first 10 – 20 seconds. If it has been a minute or more and a good shot still hasn’t been captured, try using visual stimulation like tossing a ball or toy. This can get tricky for the photographer, so the helper can be used in this situation. With cats, there is no telling how long it will take to connect with them; humility is a necessity.
• Practice, practice, practice; then practice some more!

Ready, Set, Share!

Upload adoptable pets’ photos to a Facebook photo album and share with your fans and link to their profiles on your web site or blog. Or, start a Flickr account and upload photos for your community to see.

When your photos and videos are ready for the world, share them on our Facebook page or Twitter feed so that we can see your great work!

Disclaimer: The products and services mentioned in this post are suggestions only. PetSmart Charities does not directly endorse these products and services, is not responsible for and does not warrant any third-party product or service or the accuracy of any description.

Related Content

• Get started: Facebook | Twitter | Flickr | YouTube | WordPress
• Shelter-Me Photography: Facebook | Twitter | Flickr | Web site
• Wisconsin Humane Society: Facebook | Twitter | YouTube | Web site
• PetSmart Charities: Facebook | Twitter | YouTube | Flickr