Fido as photographer? ‘Pet Cam’ offers tips

It used to be enough to take a photo of your pet. But with advances in technology, the animal can be the photographer, and little Flapdoodle’s owner is relegated to a supporting role.

Chris Keeney, a San Diego photographer, demonstrates with his new book, “PetCam: The World Through the Lens of Our Four-Legged Friends.”

In it he offers nearly 100 photos taken by animals — dogs, cats, pigs, cows, even Penny the chicken — wearing small cameras. The result is charming and fun. Keeney then tells readers how they can collaborate with their pets on photos.

“I feel that if done right the pet/animal can have their own say in how the pictures turn out,” he explained via email. “I understand that the person attaching the camera has most of the control, but if animals are allowed to roam freely then they become more in control of how the camera captures the images. … The animal will explore what it wants to explore and linger on what interests it, so the photos you get will reflect the animal’s own point of view.”

He suggests low-cost, lightweight cameras for starters, nothing too heavy for the animal. Familiarize yourself with the camera, then get the pet used to it. As for locations, he prefers places where there’s action, such as a busy street with lots of foot traffic, concerts in the park, fairs and festivals, animal costume contests, dog surfing contests, family vacations.

“The most important factor is the safety and comfort of the animal.”