Dog Photography Tips
If you have a pet at home, I am pretty sure you like to take pictures of this beloved animal. For instance, there is a dog in your family and you really want to make some good dog portraits! So how do you go about doing that?
Well, how do you go about making good pictures of people? The first rule is: Make them feel at ease! And the same goes for dogs. More about that below. And, by the way, I take it for granted that you are serious about making dog pictures where you respect the animal’s nature and uniqueness - don’t you? So, you are NOT going to make that kind of awful and tasteless dog shots where the poor animal is adorned with sunglassess, funny hats, and so on and so forth…
Yes, I know this type of “cute” pictures are all over the place but personally I hate them. I feel it is a way of belittling the dignity of a fine animal. Humans can play clownish roles - but then they do it consciously, by their own choice. Dogs don’t have a choice in this matter. So, I recommend treating your dog with the same respect as you would treat a human friend and not make fun of them at their expense.
OK, now the next important tip is the simple rule: Fill the Frame! This rule holds true for just about anything you want to make a picture of - including dogs. If you take a picture of a dog, then your subject is supposed to be the dog - not all manner of irrelevant and distracting stuff that just happens to be there. Therefore, when preparing for a photo session with your dog, for instance out in the garden, then make sure you remove items that may be distracting like garden furniture, tools, etc., to make the space as neutral as possible.
And another thing: get down! Get the camera down to your pet´s eye level! I have seen many dog pictures, and in about 9 cases out of 10 the camera looks down at the dog. The camera was held at human eye level. It is as if some giant, ten feet tall, would walk around and snap pictures of us little humans from its, the giant’s, eye level! Do you think such pictures would feel flattering to us? Probably not. Rather, they would seem kind of weird.
The picture of the retriever here is one good example of a very spontaneous dog shot. Even the technical “imperfections” somehow add to the charm of this fine dog portrait - note that the horizon is tilted and that the dog’s head is slightly blurred. And yet, I like this picture more than most technically “perfect” dog pictures!
OK, I have touched on basic rules dealing with composition. Then there is this thing about making the dog feel at ease. How do you do that? Make the dog feel that when the camera is being used, then it is fun time! In other words, it is NOT a time to yell at the dog for not being in the exact spot you want it to, or being irritated because you don’t quite know how to use the camera. To bring out the best in your dog, treat the dog with kindness and adjust yourself to how the dog moves (or doesn’t move).
And of course, you can’t accomplish all this unless you really know how to handle the camera - so you can focus your attention at your subject rather than fiddling with the camera settings. (As always.)
I hope you find these short dog photo tips helpful. Some other time I will perhaps write about cat photo tips, or maybe guinea-pig photo tips… Stay tuned!
Photo Credits: cuddling dog by Noël Zia Lee; moving retriever by Mel B.
