10 Tips For Perfect Dog Photography

Hay, cheese!” It's difficult to instruct dogs to pose in the best possible light so that their greatest shots can be taken. You can find out here how you can still motivate your dog for a photo shoot and which professional tips you should follow for a successful dog photo.

 

Why are dog photos so popular?

Dogs have a permanent place in the lives of their human owners - and that also applies to the place on the photo wall. After all, we humans like to capture what we love on camera in order to remember it, to enjoy it for a long time and so that we can share it with friends and other family members. It's no wonder that dogs and cats are among the most popular photo subjects after your own children. But dogs - just like small children - usually have better things in mind than staying still and hoping for a good self-portrait. And before the photographer behind the lens can press the shutter button, the dog has run away again and the pretty photo subject has disappeared.

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What do I need to take a beautiful dog photo?

In order to take a beautiful dog photo of your beloved furry friend, you need patience above all. But even the longest thread of patience can break if the dog is constantly moving, the pictures are blurry, the light is too dark and only the dog's tail can be seen in the printed photo - or if the camera fails to work at the crucial moment and the memory card is full. But before you let the camera disappear back into the closet in annoyance, read the following 10 professional tips. Don't worry: to take a perfect dog photo, you don't need to be a trained photographer or own incredibly expensive photography equipment. If you know the following tips on proper preparation, appropriate camera settings, good lighting conditions, and the best formats and perspectives, you will be able to take beautiful pictures of your dog even with your smartphone or a small compact camera.

 

Tip 1: Good preparation

When we see the dog running powerfully across the meadow, his coat being majestically illuminated by the sun or his irresistible begging look, we would like to immediately capture these moments on camera. In order for this to be successful in the future, it is important that you prepare a little for your new “hobby”. Because if you first have to look for how the camera actually works, where to set the appropriate photo mode or how the exposure can be optimized, you will miss the most beautiful motifs. Regardless of whether you want to photograph your dog with an SLR camera, a small compact camera or even your smartphone: it is important that you are familiar with the basic operation of your device. The most expensive and best camera is of no use if the photographer cannot handle it.

If you don't just want to take photos with your cell phone camera, but rather use a digital compact or SLR camera, you should at least know where you can set automatic camera settings such as portrait mode, sports mode or the continuous shooting function. If you want to go a little further, you should take a closer look at technical terms such as shutter speed, ISO sensitivity and aperture. What may sound complicated at first is not that difficult with a little practice and will give your photos the finishing touch. But even if you only have a smartphone on hand, it's worth taking a closer look at the functions of the integrated cell phone camera. If you think these are too limited, there are now a number of good apps that expand the possibilities of taking photos.

Tip 2: Location search and choice of motif

At least as important as having a certain basic knowledge of using the camera is to think in advance how and where you would like to photograph your own dog. If you want to improve your photography skills, you should - in addition to the numerous cell phone snapshots in everyday life - also carry out planned "photo shoots" with your dog, where you can try out the different camera settings, different perspectives and formats at your leisure. The best place to start is in a more secluded place where you and your dog won't be disturbed by cars, motorcycles or other dogs or people. A large, lonely meadow, an open field or a river bank also looks good in later photos. Because even if your dog is the focus as a photo model, what is behind it is also crucial. A busy background with cars, people, an unsightly high-rise building or electricity pylons can spoil even the most successful shot of the dog. If you prefer to photograph your dog at home, you should go into your own garden if possible and photograph your dog in front of the green hedge. Taking pictures indoors is usually more difficult due to the lighting conditions and therefore requires a little more practice.

Tip 3: Motivational aids and the right time for your dog

Have you found the perfect location for your first dog photo shoot, perhaps driven a few kilometers out of town and now your dog is on strike? Such a situation is not uncommon, because which dog is interested in taking beautiful photos of itself? It's much more exciting to sniff around the area, romp around the meadow, or chase a rabbit. If you have a dog that knows the basic commands such as sit, heel, or down, things will, of course, be much easier. However, your dog's look in the later pictures will give away if he actually wanted to do something completely different and was reluctant to "sit". To avoid such an annoyed facial expression, you should consider the following points:

 

• Let your dog do his business before the shoot and allow him to let off steam a little beforehand - of course not so much that he just lies around panting in the later pictures, but at least enough that his basic need for exercise is satisfied for the time being and he can get involved in your project with the necessary concentration and curiosity.

• After eating, give your dog a break to digest in peace take a nap, and postpone the planned photo takings until a later date.

• Basically, if your dog is physically and mentally busy and knows that you take his needs seriously and offer him enough variety, the more he will be willing to work with you and please you.

• To ensure that your dog continues to enjoy the photo trip together even after the tenth photo, you should have a few treats or his favorite toy in your bag. If your dog notices that he is being rewarded for good participation with treats, petting or his favorite game, he will certainly be even more enthusiastic about posing in front of your camera.

• Stop the shoot as soon as you notice that your dog is losing fun or seems overwhelmed. Praise him again extensively and give him a treat for doing so well up to this point. Then he will also look forward to you picking up the camera again another day.

Tip 4: Lots of light for beautiful dog photos

The right exposure is the be-all and end-all when taking photos. Many photos fail because there is insufficient light. For beginners, it is advisable to take your dog photos outside in the open air - this usually looks much nicer and more natural in the later photos than photos taken inside the apartment. The sunlight outside not only makes the colors of nature shine but also the fur of your dog model. The images are usually sharper, even when your dog is moving because the natural sunlight allows for short exposure times. But be careful: You should avoid excessive sunlight, such as the blazing midday sun in summer. Not only is this too hot for your furry furry friend, but it's also too harsh for most cameras. The colors in the photos often appear lifeless and the extreme light creates unsightly shadows.

 

The best time to take photos outdoors is in the early morning hours or towards evening when the light becomes softer and the high proportion of red creates warm colors and gentle shadows.

 

Of course, taking photos with cloudy skies, fog or storm clouds is also very interesting. The darker the sky or the surroundings (this also applies to shots in a shady forest), the more light the camera has to be able to capture when taking photos. If you are taking photos with a good compact camera or an SLR camera, in this case, you should try to increase the shutter speed (e.g. 1/320), increase the aperture (e.g. 2.8), or set the ISO value high. If you are unsure, just try different settings. With a little practice, you will soon find out which mode gives you the best results.

Tip 5: Sharp eyes, blurry background

Dogs have an irresistible look - and we want to see it in the photos. It is therefore essential that the eyes are razor sharp, especially when taking portraits. A light reflection in the eye should also be visible - the dog's gaze should therefore ideally be directed towards the light source. When taking portrait photos, get as close as possible and focus on your dog's eyes with the camera lens. By the way, your dog's pretty face and look look even better when the background is blurred. To do this, professionals set the aperture to the lowest possible number (mode A or AV). At a value between f2.8 or f3.2, the aperture is wide open and the depth of field is therefore smaller. So the background appears blurred while your dog is in focus in the foreground.

 

For anyone who is new to manual photography but still wants to take beautiful portrait photos of your dog, we recommend portrait mode, which is easy to set on most digital cameras (portrait mode is usually marked with a head symbol). Some smartphones are also able to take portrait photos with a blurred background. If this mode is not available on your smartphone model, you can also download corresponding apps to reduce the depth of field. Or you can blur the background afterward using an image editing program or app.

 

Tip 6: Get at eye level with the animal model

Unless you have a Great Dane at home, you are probably significantly larger than your four-legged friend. So if you stay upright when taking photos, you will necessarily be taking photos of your dog from above, i.e. from a bird's eye view. However, this perspective is not recommended for animal photography, because really good animal photos only convince us when they reflect the animal's perspective. After all, the pictures are about the dog so you should definitely get to your dog's eye level. You can do this by sitting, kneeling, or moving your dog to an elevated position yourself, such as a tree stump, a rock, or a small embankment.

 

The proportions of your dog are hardly distorted when photographed from a horizontal position. With small dogs, such as a Chihuahua, you can of course also try out the worm's eye view by lying on the ground with the camera and photographing your dog from below. This is how the little guy looks really big in the photos!

Tip 7: How to take portrait photos successfully

Get close, get at eye level and focus on the dog's gaze while the background blurs - these tips described in points 5 and 6 are particularly important in portrait photography. A shallow depth of field through a wide open aperture (=low f-number) is an extremely popular effect in portrait photography because it puts the model - whether two-legged or four-legged - even more in the foreground. Appropriate manual settings (e.g. aperture number F1.8) or portrait mode will help you with this. Basically, eyes, ears, and snout should be sharp in dog portraits - everything else can be blurred.

 

Portrait photos in which the dog looks directly into the camera and the dog's sincere look is captured frontally are a real eye-catcher. Of course, this is easier said than done, because the curious four-legged friends often look everywhere but at the camera. But there are a few tricks you can use to get your dog's attention. If your dog has good basic obedience, this will, of course, work well with the help of a specific command, but even then it is not always guaranteed that your dog will look directly at you after saying “sit” or “down”. Treats that guide you towards the camera lens can help - however, some dogs are so keen that they just run towards the camera drooling and of course, you want to avoid that. Sounds that your dog doesn't yet know and that attract his attention work better. These can be, for example, unknown animal noises that you either imitate yourself or play via a smartphone app. If your dog hears the strange noises, he will probably look intently in the direction from which they came - and then all you have to do is pull the trigger at the right moment.

But even if your dog doesn't look directly into the camera, you can still take good portrait shots. Especially the dog's face from the side perspective, where the dog lets his gaze wander into the distance, often looks very interesting and elegant. However, you should make sure that there is a certain distance between your dog's eyes and the edge of the photo. There should always be a little more space where your dog is looking than on the other side of the picture. In general, you shouldn't place your dog exactly in the middle. Photos look more interesting if the subject in the foreground is slightly to the side. To do this, you can mentally divide your image into two horizontal and two vertical lines into 9 equal-sized rectangles (some cameras also offer such orientation lines on the display). When taking portrait photos, your dog's face should be approximately where two lines meet.

 

Tip 8: Photograph your dog in action

Photos in which your dog is running or jumping appear particularly dynamic. If the photographer manages to freeze the face of a dog running towards him with the camera, we discover grimaces on our four-legged friend that we would otherwise miss. But as we all know, “focusing” and photographing dogs in motion is not that easy. The contours quickly become blurred, the image becomes blurry or the crucial moment, for example in jumping images the moment when the dog is in the air with all four legs, is already over.

 

In order to capture fast movements with pinpoint accuracy, it is important that the shutter speed is as short as possible. While in normal mode the camera takes a moment to capture the ambient light, focus and freeze the image, at a high aperture number (between f3.2 and f4.5) it reacts immediately. The problem is that this also leaves little time for light to fall into the camera. To counteract this, you will probably also need to adjust the ISO value of your camera. It sometimes takes a little time and practice to find the right ratio between aperture opening and ISO number and to get optimal motion images.

 

Fortunately, most digital cameras and smartphones these days have shooting modes that make it much easier for us to photograph movement. For example, you can set sports mode while taking continuous photos at the same time. While your dog can now run around and play to his heart's content on a meadow or the dog sports field, just keep your camera on it. Even if sorting through the resulting flood of images takes some time, it's worth it: with so many images, there's guaranteed to be one where you've perfectly captured your dog in action.

 

Tip 9: The right styling for your dog model

We want to look good in photos - and that also applies to our animal models. A dog whose fur is unkempt and dull, who still has sand in his eyes, or who may have leftover food stuck to his beard is not necessarily a nice subject. Before you pick up the camera, you should pick up a cloth and brush. Clean your dog's face area, remove drool and dirt, and brush his fur - this gives particularly long-haired four-legged friends a special shine, which you will also see in the photos. At the same time, you can of course also take off his collar and replace it with a nice dog bandana, for example. Pay attention to the details and think beforehand about how you want to show your dog - in its natural beauty or perhaps decorated with beautiful accessories? Try out which motif you like best and what suits your dog's character best.

 

Tip 10: Practice makes perfect

You now know a lot of tips on how to present your dog perfectly - but of course, the theory may not work as expected in practice. However, don't give up straight away - after all, no master has fallen from heaven yet! Depending on previous knowledge, talent, camera equipment, and dog models, it sometimes just takes a little time to achieve the desired image quality. Don't put too much pressure on your dog or yourself. The most important thing about taking photos is that you both have fun - if you see this in the later photographs, the pictures of your dog will be even more beautiful.

 

 With this in mind, we hope you have fun photographing your beloved furry friend!