We all love to take pictures of our pets. I bet if you are anything like me your phone is full of them, possibly more so than pictures of the rest of your friends and family! But do you ever think about how you can make sure you get the perfect picture of your dog.
10 Tips to Take the Perfect Picture of Your Dog
Use Treats
If you want to get a dog to look at you then a treat is usually always the answer. If your dog is sitting in front of you and you want them to look at you, or in a certain direction, then hold the treat where you want them to look.
Make sure you reward them after you have taken the shot you want so that they will happily sit for a photo again in the future. If it’s their favourite treat, then they will happily pose for a photo.
Still struggling to get your dogs attention?
BarkCam is an iphone app that makes noises as you take a picture. It has some really fun sounds that are bound to ge your dog attention and get them tilting their head and all sorts.
There are also a cool range of filters, speech bubbles and props you can add to the image.
Selfie Sticks
Selfie sticks are not just for humans! They are a great way to take a good picture of you and your dog, or maybe a picture of your dog from a different angle that is hard for you to reach with your camera.
You can get great side shots of them while catching their attention with a treat, as the selfie stick gives you a little bit more reach to get creative with different angles.
Get out for a walk or run
If you want your dog to look like they are laughing and smiling at you then take them out for a walk and get them excited. As they a panting from the excitement of the walk you can take that perfect smiling photo.
It also gives you the opportunity to take photos outside in a different environment, with different backgrounds and natural light.
Create a nice background
Ever taken the most perfect picture of your dog and then afterwards realised there is washing hanging in the background or a pile of dirty dishes that you haven’t got around to doing.
If you are trying to take the perfect picture, then take a moment to create a nice background. This could be done by taking them out for a walk into a nice open green area or creating a nice seat on the sofa for them to lie on. Think about what you want other people to see in the background of your photo. Don’t let the background distract from the picture of your dog.
Good Lighting
Make sure you have good lighting because there is nothing worse than a cute picture of your dog which people have to squint at to see. Natural light is always the best, so try and pick a bright day to get out and take some pictures.
If the sun is hiding you can always turn on extra lights in the room you are taking the photos in to compensate for the lack of natural light.
Don’t be afraid to use an app on your phone or laptop to edit the picture if it is a little dark.
On Laptop
Picmonkey is very good for changing the lighting on your picture.
On Mobile
Instagram has some great filters and effects to alter the brightness of your photo
Short Photo Sessions
Much like humans get bored then so do dogs. They do not want to spend half a day at a ‘photo shoot’ in your home. Try and make it a quick and fun 10-minute session and if you don’t get the perfect photo then try again later.
If you keep trying to make a dog do something that they are not in the mood for then it’s just frustrating for everyone. Plan ahead of when you need the picture and set aside some fun time for the two of you to hang out.
Make sure everyone is relaxed
Make sure your dog is chilled out. There is no point trying to take pictures when your dog is too tired or wants to nap. Also, if they are hyper from someone visiting or the postman coming then it’s probably not the best time to try and get your perfect dog picture.
Also, don’t put too much pressure on yourself to get the perfect shot. Remember you are not a professional photographer and sometimes the perfect picture takes time.
Don’t get too close with the flash
Just taking a nap and FLASH straight into your eyes. Can you imagine someone doing this to you when you were napping on the sofa? I don’t think you would be happy.
Just think about how much you are using a flash when taking pictures of your dog and how close you are getting to their face. Make it fun rather than blinding them with bright lights!
Avoid too many props
Hats, coats, scarves, drink and so on, they are all great props, but remember your dog is a dog and probably won’t enjoy all that fuss. Sometimes it is best to go with the motto of ‘Less Is More’.
You know your dog better than anyone, so judge this for yourself. But if you think you dog is getting annoyed by your props then just go back to a natural photo.
Have Fun!
Remember you want a nice picture of your dog that was fun to take! Not something that you remember as being painful to capture.
