Being a pet owner myself, I do find myself drawn to the challenge of taking photos of our four legged friends. And two legged for all you bird lovers.

The thing that I like the most about taking photographs of animals is that they don't stage their poses. They don't smile if they don't want to. What you see is what you get. It's even more rewarding to capture them in the right moment to make something very memorable.

Taking photos of someone's pet can be very emotional because of the bond that can be found between master and his / her best friend.  It can be a lot of fun because pets are almost like small children, they don't care that you are there with a camera. They just want to do their thing and have fun. Some of the best visual images come out of the candid moments involved with what I refer to as "Animaphotography." I'm not sure if that's a word, but I positively think that it should be...

Next time you'd like to get a photo taken of your favorite dog, cat, bird, hamster, gerbil (no jokes), snake, frog, etc.. don't go to PetsMart where you pay $10 for a blurry and generic looking picture. Spend a few more dollars and really have something that you can cherish even long after their time has come.