Whether you want to share your cute dog with your Instagram followers or want to snap a shot to display in your home, capturing your pup can be challenging. Here are a few tips to make taking dog photos a little easier:
Have Patience
Remember that dogs aren’t human models and they certainly don’t understand that you need the perfect image for Facebook or Instagram. It often takes time to get your pooch in the right mood and to stay still enough to take an awesome photo.
Pick a Suitable Background for your Dog
The best background is often the outdoors on a nice day. The best time for optimal lighting is the first hour of light after sunrise and the last hour before sunset — It’s referred to as the “golden hour” in photography. Getting your dog to pose in front of a painted wall, in a colourful blanket, in their bed, or on a nice couch/chair are also options.
Get your Dog’s Attention
Sometimes the most difficult part of taking your dog’s photo is getting your pup to hold still and increasing their attention span. There are several ways to get your dogs attention like calling their name or making noises they respond to. Another popular way is getting them to sit and then holding up a yummy treat where you want them to look. They will usually contain their attention to the treat, without getting distracted. Give them the treat afterwards… it will help train them for next time you want to take photos!
Make your Pooch Smile
Before getting your pup to sit down, rile them up a little! Grab a toy and get them to chase you around with it. Play tug of war and make it a tough game for them. Or play a simple game of fetch. Anything that gives them an opportunity to have fun will make their smile show and their eyes glimmer in photos.
Work the Angles
Think outside of the box. Straight level shots aren’t the only way to take photos. Try getting eye level with your dog or taking shots looking straight down at your dog.
Adjust Shutter Speed for Dog Photos
Adjusting your shutter speed is especially important if you’re taking photos of your dog playing live in action. A faster shutter speed will help make the picture clearer when your pup is in motion. However, the problem with a higher shutter speed is that it lessens the light caught by the lens. This is why it’s better to use a higher shutter speed outdoors, rather than inside with artificial, low light.
Lots of Photos in a Short Time
Due to your pooch’s short attention span, you’ll want to keep each photo session short. Sometimes several small sessions are better than forcing your dog to stay in a single spot for an extended period of time. To make the most out of each session, take rapid shots. This gives you better chances of better pictures: pictures where your dog’s eyes are open and looking toward the camera.
Editing to Fix What you Can’t
And we’re not just talking about filters! Photo editing apps or programs often have an “auto adjust” or “auto enhancing” option. It’s a super simple, but effective way to quickly change the levels of a photo. Of course, if you have Photoshop or some more advanced editing apps, you can go into the “curves,” “brightness and contrast” or “hue/saturation” settings.
