How to Photograph Your Dog like a Professional

Let’s face it, dog people love taking pictures of their dogs. They love to regale others with pictures of their dog’s first walk, with their favorite toy, laying on the couch and various other scenarios where their beloved pooch is simply being his adorable self. Dog people often have more pictures of their dogs than they do of themselves, their friends and their family put together. If this sounds like you, but you can’t quite seem to get just the right shot then these tips should point you in the right direction to getting the perfect snaps of your best friend.

1. Turn off the flash: No matter how fancy the camera or red eye reducer, dogs photograph with the evil blue eye of death when snapped with a flash. If you have ever uploaded a day of snapping pictures of your dog only to discover bright blue or white orbs in the place of your dogs big brown eyes then you have seen this problem first hand. The size and shape of dog’s eyes make it next to impossible to get a good photograph using a flash.

2. Get the right lighting: When choosing not to use a flash you will need adequate lighting to get a good shot. It is best to shoot early in the morning or later in the afternoon when there is still sunlight, but it is not the brightest point in the day. During the hours when the sun is highest in the sky photographs can be overexposed.

3. Get a good background: People tend to shoot their dogs in the house when they catch them doing something cute. Inside photographs often seem a bit unnatural and can have cluttered backgrounds that take away from the subject of the photo. Try going outside to s simple grassy area to get a bright and clean background.

4. Use the Right Setting: Today’s digital cameras often have a variety of settings when taking photographs. Some cameras will take multiple pictures in very quick secession at the press of the button. This is often called sport setting and is designed to capture moving subjects like sports stars, but is perfect for catching the right shot of a fidgety dog.

4. Ignore your dog: When you go outside to start shooting keep your dog close at hand, but ignore him. Try taking pictures of other things rather than your dog. Your goal is to get your dog comfortable with you taking pictures before you try getting candid shots of him. Sometimes dogs can be camera shy when they know the intended shot is of them. The key to getting good candid shots is getting him relaxed and doing what he naturally does to be his adorable self.

5. Time and patience: Getting the right shot takes time and sometimes lots of it. Wait for him to ignore you to start doing his thing and once he does you can begin to follow him and start taking photos, moving very slowly and being very quiet. If he does something cute, slowly focus the camera and take the shot. Do not make any quick moves. Try keeping the camera up around your face the entire time as sudden moves can cause your dog to come towards you to play thus ruining your photo opportunity. If you want to get one with his ears up and alert, do not start screaming like a madman and getting him all excited. Try patiently waiting for a car to pass or a bird to chirp thus getting his attention and causing him to naturally perk up. If nothing seems to get his attention try throwing a little pebble or stick into some bushes, when he is not looking, to cause a faint noise. He will usually perk up and glance that way. Patience is important when getting natural shots of your furry friend.

6. Take numerous shots: Digital cameras require no film so why not take hundreds of shots, literally? With no film to develop the cost is minimal and if your camera charges without the use of batteries there is no cost involved at all. There will be more bad photos than good; however, the more photos taken increase the odds of getting the perfect shot.

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