Dogs are such an integral part of our lives, households, and memories that it makes sense that we want to capture professional-quality portraits of them.
Plus, with the holidays rapidly approaching and the current season’s gorgeous lighting, this is a great time to capture images of your beloved furry friend for this year’s greeting cards.
Whether you want to achieve the look of a staged studio shot or a more natural outdoor aesthetic, these seven tips should yield pet portraits worthy of framing or printing on canvas.
Eventually, your dog will learn that being in front of the lens means a specific activity is taking place, which may (or may not) make them more compliant. However, the first step to getting your dog to remain in place long enough for you to capture the desired pose on film is to ensure they understand and follow basic commands.
This will make your photo session easier and more relaxing for you both.
If your techniques aren’t working, look up a local dog trainer and attend a group dog training course or solo sessions. You’ll be surprised how fast your dog learns the commands when they’re trained using consistent voice commands, hand signals, and lots of positive reinforcement.
Photographers have their niches, and pet photography is one of them. While it may seem a bit over-the-top to you, it’s well worth it if you can afford it. Successful pet portrait photographers have a gift. They’re an artistic version of animal whisperers, and it’s incredible how they manage to wrangle pets into just the right poses, angles, and lighting to capture dogs at their best.
You may find that after attending a professional pet session, you’ll observe the pet photography tips that work best for your dog so you can take your own photos next time. Pet photographers are excellent readers of an animal’s body language; they leverage a pet’s happy moments and calm them or give them a break when they notice signs of stress or fatigue.
In the meantime, you (and your dog(s)) will appreciate the ease of setting an appointment, attending it, and leaving with amazing pet photos.
If this is your first time attempting a DIY pet photo shoot, be prepared for it not to go as planned (and be thrilled if it does). Remember, your dog is highly attuned to your emotions and energy. If you become frustrated or angry with them, it may directly translate to an anxious disposition, and things will unravel.
Breathe deeply, stay calm, and cease the session if you become upset. Give them lots of positive praise and love for what they do right, and give them (and yourself) a nice long break if it’s not going well.
Choosing the right location for the photo shoot is one of the best ways to support your dog’s comfort and confidence for your pet photography session. Think about:
Ultimately, a pet photo shoot aims to capture the essence of your dog’s personality in a single frame. The more comfortable your dog is, the easier that will be.
Pro Tip: Provide moderate exercise or playtime prior to the session. You don’t want to exhaust your pup or you may wind up with photos of them sleeping rather than posing. However, by giving them a modest walk or play session, they’ll be more calm and apt to obey commands. Just bring a towel and grooming tools to clean them up and brush them before it’s time to say “cheese” (or “woof!”).
Light, shadows, angles - all of these matter in portraiture - whether the subject is human or canine. Overhead lighting is the worst, so avoid outdoor photo sessions between 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Most photographers agree that the best hours for outdoor sessions are in the few hours after sunrise and the two or three hours before sunset. Fortunately, those are also a dog’s favorite time to walk and play, which will work well.
If you’re taking photos indoors, strive to find indirect, natural lighting sources through windows or skylights - rather than artificial light - to optimize your dog’s shiny coat. Also, turn off your flash as that creates lighting issues in the way it reflects off their eyes, coat, or a wet nose. Dogs are also often bothered by the flash. Finally, you want to align the post so the dog’s face is angled toward the light source.
Finally, if you have a higher-end smartphone, learn how to control your exposure. Look for the sun icon on your phone’s camera and tap it. From there, you should be able to increase or decrease the brightness (instead of the flash), which can help get the lighting you want.
Pro Tip: If your dog isn’t sure about this whole photo session idea, go the opposite route regarding lighting. Take them to a beautiful spot closer to sunrise or sunset and see if you can capture photos of them when they stop for a moment or look at something in the distance. Now you’ll have a beautiful silhouette that can be equally as moving or dramatic.
Another trick of the professional pet photography trade is to create a slightly blurry or hazy background effect so your dog comes into sharp focus.
You can do this in real time by setting your dog up about eight to ten feet in front of backlit greenery. Then, ensure the camera lens focuses on your pet’s face—setting it on an eye, ear, or character feature is a great way to do that. If it's easier for you, you can also use your phone’s photo editing tools to create this effect after the fact.
Another version is to find a beautiful landscape and have your dog up close when you shoot the photo. They’ll appear to be a prominent figure with a gorgeous landscape as the backdrop. Again, your phone or camera’s editing tools - or post-session editing software - can help you.
Having a hard time getting your beloved critter to do what you want or stay long enough at the right lighted angle? Change the plan a bit and make it an action shot this year. Digital photo technology has made it easier than ever for pet owners to take hundreds or thousands of photos - and there’s always at least one or two great ones in the bunch.
While you should still prioritize lighting, you can engage your dog in its natural in-motion state. Have it run toward you at the dog park, a leash-free field, or in the backyard. Take photos when they’re jumping up to catch a ball or frisbee or while shaking water off their fur after a swim. These are all opportunities to use the action shot feature on your phone and enjoy the resulting single-frame results.
Are you struggling to get your beloved dog to honor your commands at home, the park, or during your photo session attempts? That’s no problem! Schedule a consultation with Alternative Canine Training, and we promise we can get you both in basic training shape.
The combination of a little professional dog training support and your use of these professional dog photography tips will ensure you can take amazing photos of your dog (and other pets) year in and year out.