When you love your dog, it’s natural to want to capture some perfect photos to cherish, put on display, or keep for memories sake, but dogs are very different from humans and unfortunately we can’t tell them exactly how to pose and where – it just doesn’t work like that! However, it is still possible to capture stunning, heat warming photos and here we are going to give you some top tips that will allow you to do exactly that. Good luck!
Get Your Dog Used to the Camera
Before you start giving your dog an intense photo shoot, let him be curious first. Let him sniff the camera and get used to having it around. Perhaps take some photos of yourself, other people, or other items around you so that your dog doesn’t see it as an item to be afraid of. By doing this, when you get around to actually taking pictures of your dog, it’s likely he won’t be at all phased!
Use the Features on Your Phone
Most camera phones now have lots of different features that you can use to make the most of your camera. If your phone has an option to take lots of photos in one go, this works perfectly for action shots. Hold the camera button down and it will take hundreds of photographs which you can later go through and keep the ones which capture your dog’s actions perfectly. This is great for capturing moments like your dog jumping to catch a ball or jumping into a lake as you can capture a photo of them mid-air.
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Think about the Background
It’s easy to look at your dog drooling over his dinner or pulling a cute face and think it’s the perfect photo opportunity but after you’ve taken some snaps you might find that you’ve got the laundry hanging up in the background or your baby covered in spaghetti so it’s important to pay attention not only to your dog, but also to what is around him. A blank wall works great if you’ve got one, or a garden for those summer shots. Unfortunately, when you have lots of clutter in the background, it distracts from the main attraction of the photo and if you’ve got personal things lying around, it’s unlikely you’ll want to make the photo public.
Turn off the Flash
The flash on a camera might improve the quality of the photo itself, but your dog is unlikely to appreciate the sharp, bright flash in it’s eyes. Instead, try to get outside or in a bright room where there is natural light that you can use. If you do feel the need to use a flash, then make sure you get your dog used to it first by snapping a few pictures around that around aimed at him specifically. Hopefully, this will mean that when you do point the flash at your dog, he won’t be taken by too much of a surprise!
Get a Second Pair of Hands Involved
If you can rope someone else in, this can be a really great tool! Whilst you hold the camera, get someone else to dangle a toy or treat behind or above you, shout his name, or ask him to do tricks. This takes the pressure off you having to do anything and will feel like less of a chore for your dog if he is having fun as someone his paying him attention and playing with him instead of just having a camera pointed at him.
Think Outside the Box
Instead of taking a picture of your dog on your daily walk, try to use your creative side to make the photos a bit more interesting and quirky. Is there a local park full of leaves that your dog loves to throw around or a lake with a beautiful waterfall you can capture in the background?
What Does Your Dog Love
You might really want a photo of your dog in the lavender field near your house that you think will look aesthetically pleasing. However, if your dog sneezes every time you go anywhere near those fields and makes it quite clear that he doesn’t enjoy a walk through them, you won’t get your photo. By trying to force a photograph that you want but that your dog doesn’t feel comfortable with will only lead to frustration on both sides. Instead, think about something or somewhere your dog comes alive. Is there a particular park he loves to run around or a toy that makes him jump for joy? If your dog is happy, that will come across in your photos.
Sit at Your Dog’s Height
People typically take pictures of their dogs from the same height that they would take pictures of people, but what you should be doing is getting down on all fours and being at your dog’s height. By doing this you can get really natural close up shots instead of the typical photo looking down at your dog.
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Keep Moving
If you keep stopping to take photos, your dog is likely to get fed up and impatient and won’t want to play along. In turn, you will also become fed up and impatient. Instead, make sure you are adaptable to how your dog might behave and always keep moving. Don’t stop for too long and if your dog is not in the mood for photos, simply move on. The natural photos where your dog is happy will always turn out better than the forced ones.
Capture the Real Dog
Another point to consider is that all dogs are individual and the reason you love your dog so much is probably because of all his quirky mannerisms and behaviours. Instead of attempting to replicate other dog photos you have seen, try instead to capture your dogs real personality. If he is a goofy, silly dog, don’t try to capture him as a graceful one!