How to get a dog or cat to look at the camera

Set up for a calm animal

An animal looks at the camera when it is comfortable, curious and has a reason to. You cannot order either, but you can make both likely.

Let them settle first

Play or walk first so a dog has burned off some energy, and photograph a cat in a spot they already like. Keep each session short. If you see pinned ears, a tucked tail, hiding or a turned-away head, stop. The photo can wait, and a relaxed pet looks better on camera anyway.

Get to their eye level

Crouch or lie down so the lens is level with their eyes. Looking down from standing height makes every animal look small and a bit confused. Eye level gives you the portrait you were hoping for.

Use daylight, skip the flash

Window light or open shade is gentle and fast. Flash can startle an animal and turns eyes into glowing discs, so leave it off.

Treats and toys, used well

Hold a treat or toy right beside the lens, so their eyes line up with it. Make a sound just once, a crinkle or a squeak, just before you shoot. Repeat it too often and they learn to ignore it. Give the treat as soon as they look, so looking at the camera becomes a good idea.

A helper makes this easier: one person holds the attention, the other works the phone.

Shoot several frames

Ears flick, heads tilt and eyes close in a blink. Shoot several frames and keep the one where everything lines up.

Give them something to look at

If you have an iPhone Duo, AnyFront can lend a hand. While the phone is open and the camera is running, the cover screen faces the animal. From the inner screen, you choose what it shows: a photo or video from your library, one of eight original animations such as Bouncy Ball, Bubbles or Fish Tank, or a live mirror of the shot.

We make no promises about your particular cat. Some animals will stare at a Fish Tank; others will yawn and walk away. The useful part is that you can switch from the inner screen, in the Cover Screen sheet, without leaving the camera. If Bouncy Ball does nothing, try a video of the family they know. Keep the phone far enough away that nobody can paw it or chew it.

In short, the manual camera is free on every compatible iPhone, and the cover-screen extras are a one-time unlock on iPhone Duo. Folding the phone or leaving the app switches the cover screen off, and it returns when you come back. More on that on the cover-screen camera page.

Manual controls for fast fur

Freeze the tail and the pounce

Pick SHUTTER in the control row. For a wagging tail or a cat mid-pounce, start around 1/500 s, and go faster for a dog at full gallop. Faster shutters let in less light, so raise ISO to compensate, or move to brighter light.

Get the eyes sharp

With a nose pointed at the lens, it is easy to focus on the wrong end. Tap to focus on the eye closest to you, then check with focus peaking that the eye is the sharpest thing in the frame. When the focus looks right, use AE/AF lock so the camera does not shift when a head tilts.

Black fur, white fur

Black coats disappear into shadow, and white coats lose detail in bright light. Watch the live histogram and zebras. If a white cat is flashing zebras, lower EV (exposure compensation). If a black dog looks like a hole in the picture, nudge EV up, or turn the pet toward the light.

Quick checklist

• Animal calm, exercised and comfortable; stop at any sign of stress.
• Lens at their eye level.
• Daylight, no flash.
• Treat or toy beside the lens; one sound, just before you shoot.
• Shutter around 1/500 s or faster for tails and pounces.
• Tap to focus on the nearest eye; check it with focus peaking.
• AE/AF lock once focus and exposure look right.
• Shoot several frames; keep sessions to a few minutes.

The short version

Patience, a treat and a low angle work on almost every animal; a fast shutter keeps the results sharp. Photographing the small humans in the house too? Try getting a baby to look at the camera or photographing toddlers and kids. To be in the shot with your pet, see iPhone Duo selfies with the rear cameras. Every control mentioned here is on the features page, and the FAQ covers the rest.