PetSugar

Ask PetSugar: Why Do My Pet's Eyes Look Awful in Photos?

PetSugar — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 12:20:16 -0700

Admittedly, I sometimes use editing software to touch up North's pupils but, when a pal asked about the phenomenon of red, yellow, blue, or green eyes in animal photos, I found myself rambling on like a quasiscientist. Just call me Dr. PetSugar . . .

When taking a picture, eye discoloration often occurs if a flash goes off with someone (or something) looking straight at the camera. I know I'm not the only one bending down to capture my pooch's cute antics and look at these baby blues! North's pupils aren't really that color, but learn why they look that way and read more.

You know how many creatures can see better at night? Well, that actually occurs because of the tapetum, a special reflective layer in the back of the eye. To get a touch technical, light passes through an animal's retina from the outside of the eye and is then reflected back through the retina a second time from the reflective tapetal layer beneath the retina. Not only does passing through this layer help species see better in low light, the color of the tapetal layer is actually different for different pets.

Most puppies and kittens have a blue tapetal reflection until the backs of the eyes fully mature and change based on coat color. Dark colored dogs often have a green reflection, light pets will often show a yellow tapetal reflection and other species (like Siberian Huskies and Siamese) may have no pigment and flash back red just like us!

Now there's nothing you can do about the science of animals' eyes, but Snapfish has a new way to battle this problem – Pet Eye can help rid pets of the unwanted glow from your precious piccys without using another editing software before ordering your prints. What color do your animals' eyes most often appear when snapping?

Were You at Petco on Saturday?

PetSugar — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 03:00:01 -0700

Over the weekend, I took off to find my nearest Petco here in SF to check out their Halloween costume photo extravaganza taking place at stores nationwide. Furry friends of all kinds were invited to come dressed in costume, and have a fun piccy taken to remember the fun forever. The photographs were totally inexpensive ($5 plus tax), and came with a cute pumpkin frame to boot. I didn't want to chance taking North along, since he's usually the rowdy one in the bunch and, let's face it, a rowdy pooch while other dogs are trying to sit and stay for the camera doesn't really make sense! Check out some of the costumed pets I found at my local shop in this slideshow.

View Slideshow ›

Do Tell: Do You Carry a Pet's Picture With You?

PetSugar — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 03:00:00 -0700

We recently chatted here at Sugar HQ how pet lovers love to share – and sometimes overshare – about their furry friends. I know I'm guilty of whipping out my cell phone the minute someone asks what kind of pooch I have . . . and could go on and on singing North's praises. While I don't carry a big enough wallet for anything more than the essentials, I've got a whole gallery on my BlackBerry. How about you? Do you have your pet's pictures on your phone or in your bag?

Source

Globetrotters: This Little Piggy Went to Market

PetSugar — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 08:00:00 -0800

D'you know tomorrow is National Pig Day?! Well, the little oinker's super cute, and even popular with some celebs, too. This little piggy was taking a walk in the Barra Funda neighborhood in Sao Paulo, Brazil – where he met this dog, a couple more friends, oh, and the paps. It's hard being a pig. Check out Gabriel's gallery when you read more.

View 6 Photos ›

Source

A Mug Fit For a Hallmark Card

PetSugar — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 09:00:37 -0800

Everyone may think their furry loved one is the cutest around, but are they photogenic? Hallmark is putting pet lovers to the test with their next greeting card competition to find the perfect animal for their new batch of birthday cards. But don't think it's as easy as sending in a pic of your adorable, floppy-eared friends . . . you gotta show your stuff too and come up with a greeting! The best combo of picture perfect pet and sincere – but not too cheesy – birthday greeting takes the Grand Prize of $1000. Now you can finally get that Gucci Backpack you've been eying. With only eight days left to enter, you better get cracking and start off with my tips – good luck getting your pets to sit still for the camera!

Source

To the Rescue: Phenomenal Pet Photos

PetSugar — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 12:00:58 -0700

I love snapping pictures of animals so much that I turned it into my final photojournalism project in grad school. For all those budding kit-otographers and pup-arazzi out there, get ready to take the best photos ever! While I admit trained animals are much easier to snap, if you (and your pets) can make it through these steps, you'll be well on your way.

Four Steps to Perfect Pics:

PREPARING. This may sound obvious, but make sure your pet is well-groomed and clean. Many times what is not obvious day in and out becomes much more visible in a picture. It's also a good idea to run a comb or brush through his hair pre-photo.
LIGHTING. Natural light works best. Flash can cause weird color changes in pets' eyes (to red or even blue in tone) and should be avoided whenever possible. If bright lights are necessary, set up lamps behind you or take photos outside with the sun behind you.

You're almost ready – click here to read more

POSITIONING. Remember taking school photos against a plain background? There's a reason for that – keep the focus on the subject and make the "set" as uncluttered as possible. Taking a photo in his natural habitat can give a nice perspective. So, if you're shooting him on his favorite chair, try to make the pet on the chair the only thing in your frame.
SNAPPING. Here's the tricky part; it depends a great deal on the pet, the style of photo you want, and the amount of patience you both have. Don't forget to get down onto your pet's eye level. If your pet is well voice-trained, you'll have better luck with posed shots. I like getting a mix of candid and staged shots and always use another person holding my pup's attention with treats or a favorite toy. Lastly, I recommend a fast auto-focus and shutter speed to get multiple takes and varieties. Especially if he darts off for a new adventure mid-shoot.

Source

25 Hot Pics From the Life on White Project

PetSugar — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 10:30:35 -0800

When first hearing about the daunting task of the Life on White Project, aiming to photograph animals with a plain white background, I thought the posing process and sheer number was the trickiest part. That is, until I saw it included animals like lions and hippos and not just puppy dogs and kitty cats. The photographs are all truly stunning, some silly and others serious or straight to the point. Check out 25 lovely shots by Eric Isselée and his team of (human) assistants when you start this slideshow.

View Slideshow ›

Lemurs and Monkeys and Meerkats Enjoy Halloween, Oh My!

PetSugar — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 04:00:23 -0700

Halloween's tomorrow but the creatures of Bristol Zoo got their pumpkin treats a little early. These freshly carved jack-o'-lanterns were explored - and devoured - by creatures from raccoons to ring-tailed lemurs. Luckily for us, zoo photographers snapped the action before the pumpkin carcasses were properly disposed.

Don't just take my word for it, see for yourself when you read more.

View 15 Photos ›

The Spotted Group Needs Your Eagle Eyes!

PetSugar — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 09:30:32 -0700

I know you've seen cute pets or crazy wildlife on your travels about town so stop holding out on me! If you ever see something you can't resist snapping - or even questions about guess that breed or find this product, too - forward all your requests to the brand-new Spotted! group. After all, one of the newest features of the PetSugar Community is the ability to mobile blog!

Mobile blogging is simple to get started:

If you're not already a community member, create an account.
Next up, click Join Group on the top right-hand side of the Spotted! group.
After you register, please go to Edit Profile under your member name drop-down, click on the Post by Email tab, and follow the simple instructions on that page.
Now you're free to post piccys straight from your cell phone! Simply send a message with the photo attached, a title in the subject line, and any text in the body of the email to spotted@onsugar.com - you'll get an email back asking you to confirm so just reply and it should show up in just a few minutes! (Get a detailed explanation of how to do this here.)

If you want to know how to post a photograph from your computer, read more.

First of all, join the Spotted! group.
Click the New Post button on the top right.
Enter a Title - like your pet's name - and click Insert Image to upload a picture of your pal.
If you'd like, you can add more details about your animal in the body section.
When you're all done click Create Post to submit content.

So let's all be cute capturers together as part of Spotted! and share our findings with everyone else. They just might end up on the PetSugar homepage as our "Sight of the Week."

Have You Spotted Anything Cute Lately?

PetSugar — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 04:00:21 -0700

I love to tweet and sometimes post about the animals I see while out and about and my new group makes it more fun (and easier!) than ever. One of the newest features of the PetSugar Community is the ability to mobile blog! To celebrate I've created a Spotted! group where you can share photos of the cute pets you pass, wildlife you encounter and any breed or product questions you come across on those daily adventures.

Mobile blogging is simple to get started:

If you're not already a community member, create an account.
Next up, click Join Group on the top right-hand side of the Spotted! group.
After you register, please go to Edit Profile under your member name drop-down, click on the Post by Email tab, and follow the simple instructions on that page.
Now you're free to post piccys straight from your cell phone! Simply send a message with the photo attached, a title in the subject line, and any text in the body of the email to spotted@onsugar.com - you'll get an email back asking you to confirm so just reply and it should show up in just a few minutes! (Get a detailed explanation of how to do this here.)

If you want to know how to post a photograph from your computer, read more.

First of all, join the Spotted! group.
Click the New Post button on the top right.
Enter a Title - like your pet's name - and click Insert Image to upload a picture of your pal.
If you'd like, you can add more details about your animal in the body section.
When you're all done click Create Post to submit content.

So let's all be cute capturers together as part of Spotted! and share our findings with everyone else. They just might end up on the PetSugar homepage as our "Sight of the Week."