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Most of us pet people love taking photos of our dogs. I actually pay for extra phone storage purely to keep hundreds of images of my blue heeler, Scout, within reach. What if someone I meet needs to see her in that very specific yellow sweater she used to have? What if they don't believe me that her tail flops like a fish when she wags it lying down? What kind of dog parent would I be without a few dozen snaps of her simply sleeping in a sunbeam? I digress.
Now, taking good photos of my dog is something of another story. I've never had a photography eye — but a few simple tips from real artists have helped me go from "blurry shot that may or may not be a dog, cat, or raccoon" to "cute photo that clearly captures the memory I want." Here they are!
A bit of basic training can go a long way
Candids and action shots are fantastic. They can be harder to capture than posed pictures, though, especially if you teach your pup just a few simple skills. Some go-tos are:
- Sit
- Down
- Stay
- Watch me, look, or another eye contact cue
You can also train your pup to enter a "front" position sitting in front of you, or a "middle" position between your legs, to help get them into the right position. We rarely use Scout's front cue for anything but photos. Sometimes I stand in place to help guide her where I want, then ask her to stay as I step out of frame. Works like a charm in tight environments!
Don't be afraid to use silly sound effects and movements
Many dogs get tired of posing — even if they know to give you eye contact when you ask — if photo sessions go on for too long. Others keep their focus steady but start to look bored (not unlike how we people might appear after the fifth botched group shot at a family gathering). And sometimes the environment is simply too distracting for our pets to resist looking around and taking it all in.
One solution here? Employ weird noises to keep things interesting! You might chirp, whistle, or sing behind the camera to maintain your dog's attention. There are also entire YouTube videos and phone apps dedicated to this purpose, featuring sounds designed to get your dog to look your way or even tilt their head in that adorable pose we all love.
Sounds alone not doing enough? Consider holding up a favorite toy or treat, or moving around by jumping up and down or waving your arms. Keep your pup guessing!
Hold your phone or camera close to your dog's eye level
We are a lot taller than most of our dogs. I know that seems obvious — but it's easy to forget when we're taking pictures!
While there are always exceptions to the rule (and professional photographers regularly have fun experimenting with different styles) in general the best photos feature their subject near the horizon. This means that you might need to squat or sit down to look at your dog at eye level rather than towering from above.
Taking photos from this perspective can help you better fit specific landmarks or objects in the background alongside your pup, too.
What’s a Rich Text element?
The rich text element allows you to create and format headings, paragraphs, blockquotes, images, and video all in one place instead of having to add and format them individually. Just double-click and easily create content.
Static and dynamic content editing
Static and dynamic content editing
A rich text element can be used with static or dynamic content. For static content, just drop it into any page and begin editing. For dynamic content, add a rich text field to any collection and then connect a rich text element to that field in the settings panel. Voila!
How to customize formatting for each rich text
Headings, paragraphs, blockquotes, figures, images, and figure captions can all be styled after a class is added to the rich text element using the "When inside of" nested selector system.
Pay attention to the lighting and background
Speaking of the background: Unless you're using extreme portrait mode, it's a good idea to look at what's around your dog. Consider where the light is coming from, too, and try to position your pup so that they're lit up from the front. This means you want the sun or indoor light to come from behind you as you take the picture, not from behind your pup as they look at the camera.
This especially goes for dogs with dark fur! They often blend into the background and can be hard to see when the scene is backlit.
The exceptions to this lighting tip are sunrise, sunset, and overcast days. The direction of the light matters less when it's dim. (This is one reason so many photographers love capturing their subjects during "golden hour" times.)
Take more photos of you with your dog
We all have different comfort levels in front of the camera. If you're open to it, we can't recommend enough getting more photos of you and your dog together. These are often the memories we look back on months and even years later — shots where you can see your shared bond right there in front of you. Even goofy, unstructured poses can make for a new favorite picture!
Self timers really are your friend
If you're struggling to manage a selfie arm and don't have anyone around to help, the timer on your phone or camera can be the perfect fix. It takes a little getting used to — especially if you're setting it up to snap a photo in public — but can result in amazing images. Paired with a solid sit or down stay and a bit of patience you can't go wrong.
What are your favorite dog photography tips?
We'd love to hear them in the Juniper community!