‘TIS the season for photographing friends and family, so get in the spirit by capturing your pets, too. Just be sure your choice of camera helps you amass an album of worthy images to show off on Flickr or YouTube.
For 7.2 megapixel photos good enough to meet the exacting standards of The Post’s photo editors, I carry the HP Photosmart (hp.com). It’s small, yet has a nice-sized monitor on which to review images, which is key: My pets insist on photo approval, don’t yours? Plus, this cute camera offers “Pet Eye Fix” so animals won’t appear demonically red-eyed.
Shooting video is tricky, so for the top dogs of videocams, I consulted the pros for their expert opinion.
Filmmaker Jeremiah Alexis, whose work has appeared on Current TV, is frequently called on to shoot short films about dogs. Whether he’s documenting other people’s pets or his own photogenic mutt, Onyx, Alexis alternates between two video cameras: the Canon XL1 for low-light conditions (canon.com) and the Panasonic DVX 100 for shooting outdoors in natural light (panasonic.com).
Over the summer, London-based filmmaker Rani Khanna used the Sony HVE-A1E digital high-definition video camera (sony.com) to shoot “Oh My Dog!,” a documentary about New Yorkers’ propensity to pamper pets, and what that says about us. Khanna plans to return for another round of filming, but in the meantime she’s seeking a distributor; contact her at ranikhanna.com.
Whether taking still or moving pictures, maintain the motivation of your subjects with tempting treats. The most holiday-appropriate ones, Gingerbread Buddy Biscuits by Cloud Star ($4.99 from heartypet.com) are cute canine cookies made with rolled oats and blackstrap molasses. Plus, they come packaged in a shiny, red, one-pound box.
Finally, for some eye-opening candid camera action, install a Panasonic PetCam near your pet’s favorite hangout, then discreetly leave the house. Spy on Spot to discover something you didn’t previously know about him without any additional software. For more information, visit seemypetcam.com
js@pet-reporter.com