DANGER'S ADVICE FOR ASPIRING Pet Photographers
1 Take as many photos as you can, of all different types and temperaments of animals, and in all kinds of different lighting situations. You'll learn so much, the more you shoot!
2 Volunteer your time with animal shelters and rescues. Not just as a photographer, either. You can help with socialization, cleaning kennels...There's a lot of need for volunteers, and you'll get to work with all kinds of animals! If they offer training programs to learn cat or dog behaviour or skills for handling them, sign up to learn every single thing that you can, and then practice those skills until they're second nature for you. You'll gain a lot of knowledge and experience, and you'll be helping animals in so many ways!
3 It's okay to pursue your photography career part time while you work another job, especially if you don't have a big financial cushion to rely on! Sometimes people expect there's a certain deadline that they need to meet to be successful and go full time, but it's just not true. Don't ever let anyone else tell you what your path "should" look like!