His backgrounds come from the remnant table at a fabric store. Bill has a keen eye for what will work well with his props and the animals, and he controls the depth of field in his photos so the background complements rather than distracts.

For outdoor shots he'll often use a Nikon Speedlight for a little fill flash, while indoors he most often shoots with a Norman Superlite 800 strobe setup. For one photo, though, too much light was the issue. "For the dog in the mailbox, Peggy was holding a lightweight translucent sunshield to block the harsh sunlight, and she had her other hand ready to catch the dog if he decided to jump out. But he was amiable and very cooperative."

Now, a cat and a mailbox....forget it, we're not going there.

There are many more delightful images of cats and dogs at Bill's website. Set aside lots of time.

Gear Guide
Bill Landau shoots with a D1X and two NIKKORS, an AF-S Zoom-NIKKOR 28-70mm f/2.8D IF-ED and an AF-S VR Zoom-NIKKOR 70-200mm f/2.8G IF-ED, and he sometimes uses an SB-28DX Speedlight for fill flash.

What's your best bet for pet photography? We asked Lindsay Silverman, Nikon senior product lifecycle manager (in short, our go-to guy for gear guidance) for his thoughts on getting the job done.

"For the entry level, first-time D-SLR owner, I'd suggest a D5000. Scene modes like Portrait and Close-up are great for this type of photography, Live View will permit previewing without having to look in the viewfinder and D-Movie mode is great for multi-media stories that'll bring the pets to life. For lenses, an AF-S DX Zoom-NIKKOR 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR and an AF-S DX VR Zoom-NIKKOR 55-200mm f/4.5-5.6G ED are perfect choices. Add an SB-600 Speedlight for easy, effective bounce lighting to soften flash effects.

"For the photo enthusiast, a D90 offers a wide shutter speed range, Live View and D-Movie mode, a built-in flash with Wireless Commander Mode and a burst rate up to 4.5 fps to catch quickly moving pets. Think about an AF-S DX NIKKOR 16-85mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR for cramped spaces and environmental portraits and an AF-S VR Zoom-NIKKOR 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G IF-ED for outdoor, pets-from-a-distance photos. An SB-600 Speedlight will again provide easy-does-it bounce lighting for soft flash effects and wireless flash control to shape the lighting environment.

"Advanced shooters might consider a D300S or D700 for their wide shutter speed range, fast burst rates (seven frames per second) to capture fleeting movements and 51-point AF systems for superior AF accuracy—plus Live View and D-Movie. Match either with an AF-S DX Zoom-NIKKOR 17-55mm f/2.8G IF-ED for superb image quality with a fast aperture for available light shooting (or limited depth of field when using Speedlights) and an AF-S NIKKOR 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II for outdoor distance shots. One or two SB-900 Speedlights will provide ample flash power and allow for advanced wireless flash control to add depth to the scene."