Hooray! It’s National Pet Month 2018 until May 7th, which means you have even more of an excuse to pamper and spend some time with your beloved pet while photographing all their best angles.

According to recent research from Wilko (referenced here), most people spend more on their pets than their partners, which might explain why we get so many orders for animal portrait prints! We absolutely love seeing your pet canvas prints here at ParrotPrint HQ, so, please do keep sharing your photography and art efforts with us. In the meantime, as it’s National Pet Month, why not treat your pet to some TLC and spend some quality time together? Don’t forget the camera when you try out these tips...

Get a groom

Pet photo shoots can be a great bonding experience, providing you don’t put too much pressure on yourself or your pet to get the perfect shot straight away. Instead, concentrate on having fun and getting your buddy used to the camera. To make sure they’re looking their best, why not treat your pet to a groom or pamper first? A freshly groomed pet means you won’t have to worry about tangled fur; unsightly talons or clumps of dirt spoiling your photos and you should save yourself some time in post editing too. If you decide to DIY groom at home, you could find that cute photo opportunities crop up as a result. That snap of your dog in the bath all covered in bubbles would make a great print for the wall.

Trip or treat

Spending time with our pets is great for ours and their wellbeing, so why not celebrate National Pet Month by doing something special together? You could do something whacky like take your pooch for dogtails at this London bar or even book yourselves in for a spa. If you are a dog owner, a simpler, less extravagant option is to make a list of parks you and your pet haven’t been to before. You can then spend the remainder of the month tick them off one by one. If you’re a proud cat, guinea pig or rat owner, you could treat them to a new tunnel, toy or scratching post. Then all that's left to do is to get down to their level and snap away as they spring into action.

Props or prop free

Instagram is awash with pets in cute outfits or photos that use teeny tiny props to create fun scenes, but it’s really not essential to have fancy props for pet photography. As a pet owner, the very best photographs you will take and cherish are likely to be the ones that really capture your pet’s  personality. Whether that’s a selfie of you both snuggling up on the couch or your best friend curled up on their own personal sofa like these fine specimens, pet photography doesn’t need to be an expensive affair. If it’s a special occasion like a birthday, small birthday hats or cakes can be easy DIY makes. But honestly, don't feel like you need to spend a fortune on props for pet photos - the pic we chose to accompany this article shows that they really aren't needed.

If you do happen to snap some fantastic pet images this month, along with transferring your favourites to canvas, you might want to consider sharing them with the world on social media and helping your pal to become an animal Instagram star. Don’t forget to share your snaps with us on Facebook too.