Dog Photography for the Pet Lover

by Janice Jones     |Updated 10-18-2023

Dog Photography does not have to be left to
professionals.  Dog lovers can take
amazing photographs of their pets to share with friends and family. 

A picture is worth a thousand words, as they
say, so get those creative juices flowing and craft the perfect photo even if
you don’t have an ideal camera and years of experience. 

Warning: 
This information is for amateurs, but professional photographers might
learn a thing or two along the way.

Producing the perfect photo of a puppy or adult dog is not
as easy as taking a still shot or panoramic view of a beautiful field of
flowers.  Some highly trained pooches love the limelight and jump through hoops when one calls Lights,
Camera, and Action. 

But for the average dog,
cameras or smartphones are just another exciting object that can be
sniffed, licked, bitten, or dragged away to bury.  To others, the flash of a camera can be as
stressful as a front-row seat at a yearly fireworks display. 

So, how do you coax your dog into allowing
you to photograph him without causing undue stress on either him or you? 

Planning is a big part of capturing a great photo, but preparing
for your next photo shoot doesn’t need much effort. 

Seven Tips for Great Dog Photography

Tip #1:  Great Lighting

Lighting and lots of it, but not the sunshine variety is key to successful dog photography.

Lighting is the key to any photo and especially when you are
trying to photograph a dog especially a dark brown or black dog. 
Everyone knows that even the best editing software won’t lighten up and make
a poor photo into a masterpiece. 

Professionals
will tell you that natural lighting is the best, so outdoor shots often turn
out better than those taken indoors even when there is great natural
light. 

A sunny day though is not always
the best for taking great photos because it is difficult to remove
shadows.  Further, dogs are not inclined
to sit and pose directly into sunlight so you can’t get true expressions on a
very sunny day. 

Cloudy days are best,
but don’t wait until the moment before the big storm to consider the photo
shoot.  (Unless of course, the movement
of clouds above your pooch is what you want to capture in your dog photography.

If you want a great natural shot of your dog indoors, open
all window shades to create a well-lit environment, and then turn off your
flash. 

The flash on many cameras create
distorted colors that do not accurately reflect the true beauty of your dog’s
coat.

If you want a great studio portrait of your dog indoors,
your best bet is to place two light sources on either side of the camera and
turn off the flash.  This is something
you might want to experiment before you get your dog. 

Choose your spot and take a picture of an
object using only a flash, only room lighting, and both.  Add additional lighting sources if you have
them such as work lights, but do not shine them directly on the object.  Experiment until the lighting is just right,
then get your dog.

Tip #2:  A Bird’s Eye View

We tend to look down on our small dog and photograph him
from above.  This can be an interesting
angle, but other angles are just as fascinating. 

Consider shooting up instead of down or even
at eye level.  Shooting small dogs at eye
level or looking up requires a little maneuvering on our part.  Stoop down or lay on the floor for some great
views. 

What, you say, too hard to get
down that low?  Consider using a
staircase. Your dog can be at the top of the steps and you many steps down, and
you will both be on the same level.

Or, photo your dog at the top and you at
the bottom.  Have you considered tilting
the camera to get a slanted view of your fur baby?  Exciting dog photography is not limited to one angle.

Tip #3: Stage Props for your  Dog Photography

Objects lend interest to your photos and also can be used to
spark the curiosity of your dog.  Objects
can be new dog toys or something that you do not mind your dog sniffing and
investigating. 

A curious dog is less
likely to be moving around, and this is especially important if you are trying
to photograph a hyper pooch.  Find
something that will catch her attention and keep it long enough for you to snap
the picture.

Tip #4:  A Little Help From a Friend

You can make wonderful photos of your dog all by yourself,
but if you really want something especially interesting, consider enlisting the
help of a friend.  Your friend can serve
to gain your dog’s attention as you snap a picture. 

If you want your dog to look at the camera,
have a friend stand as close to the camera as possible.  If your aim is to have your dog looking somewhere
else, position your friend accordingly.

Tip #5:  Charged and Ready to Go

It goes without saying that you can’t take a picture if your
camera is not charged, the disk too full or the lens dirty.  Make it a point to have your camera ready so when
the occasion arises, all you need to do is point and shoot (as they say).

So your camera is ready, is your dog?  Have you ever noticed that short haired
breeds seem more photogenic than long coated dogs that need much brushing to
look exceptional? 

Unless you are looking
for that “dirty dog” or “shaggy dog” appearance, a well groomed dog always out-performs
an unkempt dog in front of the camera, hands down.

Tip #6:  Tricks & Treats For  Your Dog Photography

Not the Halloween variety, but a good supply of delicious
treats is necessary to keep most dogs interested.  Choose many different treats, especially ones
that smell good. 

Break them up into
small pieces and hold one between your thumb and forefinger just in front of the
dog’s nose; move it slowly to where you want him to look for your photo. 

If you have a friend, she can do this while
you concentrate on the camera.  Once you
get the shot, reward the dog with a treat. 

Do you want your dog to sit? 
If he knows the command, just ask. 
If not or if he is being a little stubborn, give him something to sit on
such as a stool. Or, give him something to sit in to confine him.

Do you want to get a great shot of your dog looking out of a
moving car?  Try placing him by the
window and hold a treat just outside the view of the camera? 

Want his ears to appear as if they are
blowing in the wind?  Try a handheld fan
just outside the camera’s frame. 

Want to get a photo of two dogs that look like they are
kissing each other?  Smear something delicious
just above the dog’s nose.  Place both
dogs together facing each other and snap that photo.

Want to shot a dog that looks like he is jumping, leaping or
flying?  You’ll need a friend’s help to
toss a ball or Frisbee.  Your dog doesn’t
play fetch? 

See if you can get him
running and snap a photo at the moment his legs leave the ground.  Many digital cameras will allow you to
capture this moment with a series of shots. 
See if your camera has this feature.

Tip #7:  In the Background

Creating an uncluttered background is important for great
photos unless you plan to remove the background using editing software. 

Some mistakes we make are so obvious, but we
don’t often think before we shoot.  For
example, placing a white dog on a white sofa or a brown dog in front of a brown
piece of furniture creates a photo that might be better served in a Where’s
Waldo book. 

This type of error happens
when we are outdoors with our dog, as well. 
A cute little brown dog digging in the dirt would make a great action
shot except you can find the dog.  A
light colored dog rolling in newly fallen snow is a great story started, except
it’s difficult to see the dog.  We also
get into difficult when we hold our dog for a photo.  The dog is cream colored, and we’re wearing a
cream colored shirt.  You get the
picture.

Taking a photo of a dog sitting in front of a very busy
background has the same effect.  When
looking at a photo such as this, your eyes don’t know where to focus
first.  Sometimes people will photograph
their dog standing in front of a plant or tree but the result shows a photo of
a dog with branches growing out of their head.

Simple, uncluttered solid color backgrounds work best with
dogs.

Your Dog Photography:  Take that Perfect Shot

No one can agree on the perfect shot, but the best dog
photos I’ve seen are not posed, but rather naturally occurring doggie behaviors
that are captured when the dog is either having fun or is not aware he is being
photographed. 

These are the hardest photos
to take from an amateur point of view because they require patience on our
part.  Scenes of a dog curled up in bed
or on top of your pillow, a dog with a big yawn or one engaged in play would make
great photos. 

Quirky Cute? Your dog photography can make your fur baby a star!

Does your dog do something that makes you smile?  How about a dog that sleeps on his back with
legs straight up?  We have a dog that
doesn’t go anywhere without a toy in his mouth? 
How about a dog who finds clever places to sleep?  These all make great photographs.

Best Advice to get you started on your Dog Photography Adventure?

No number of tips will make you professional dog photography
without this last and most important element: 
Have Fun.  When you have fun, your
dog will have fun, and your photographs will be sensational.