Whether you just dabble in pet photography or it’s your main source of joy (and income), it can sometimes feel like you’re a leper amongst other online photographers.
As a reader and participator in many photo forums, I have no doubt that the least appreciated and least respected ‘genre’ is undoubtedly pet photography. It gets lumped along with snapshot photos and teenage phone cam, or relegated to its own tiny sub-forum, scorned or ignored.
The reason is twofold - snobbery borne out of ignorance, and the enormous and neverending flow of snapshot quality pet photos that overwhelm the minority of photogaphers who are producing creative and intuitive work.
There is one thing I am sure of - the content of the a photo has zero relevance to how good a shot it is. Most people would agree in theory, but still some photos are given automatic credibility based on content and not on the skill of the photographer. It is frustrating but understandable to encounter these attitudes amongst the general public, but to find it within our own photographic ‘fraternity’ is just disappointing.
I have seen amazing portraits of humans facing war and poverty and photos of wild animals capturing awe-inspiring behaviour, and that’s all great - but the content of a photo does not need to be exotic in order for the photo to change the way I see the world. Finding the ‘wow’ in the common takes skill, and can be just as satisfying. Are YOU any less worthy because you’re just some normal person reading a photo blog and not saving the world and curing cancer?
If you know of any great pet photographers or you feel you ARE one, comment and add your website here.
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