Your doggo deserves to be photographed too, even though it can be hard to get it to pose! Here’s how to take Amazing dog photographs.
Ever heard of a dog being a man’s best friend?
It’s not wrong! Dogs are social pack animals that want your attention and affection, so there are those moments where you want to take a picture and keep it as a memory.
Yet most dogs are energetic, they love to move around so it will be tricky to catch those moments in full HD. Don’t worry, here are some tips you need to keep in mind for the best dog photographs.
Know Your Dog’s Personality
You know your dog best, so you can capture the moments when your dog feels the happiest. If your dog is hyperactive, capture some action shots where he or she plays around with some toys.
If he or she loves to sleep around, take some photos of your dog taking a nap, or cuddling with you. Those dog photographs can show their personality and emotion.
Have the Right Equipment
Sometimes, your phone can’t handle the movement of your dog or it may not have the best quality. Shooting subjects that move constantly needs the right gear to capture dog moments.
The best point and shoot camera for dog photographs is the Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark II. It’s cheaper than most DLSR cameras, it takes sharp photos, and has a high performance in speed and quality.
The best mirrorless camera is the Sony Alpha a6500 Mirrorless, it’s great for both videos and photos. The camera is fast, stable, versatile, and great for professional-looking shots.
Get Your Dog to Get Used to the Camera
The clicks and flashes coming from your camera can startle your dog. Let your dog have a good sniff of your camera and start shooting around the surroundings. Your dog will go back to doing his or her thing, it means they have gotten used to the camera and you can start getting shots.
Avoid using the flash, most dogs get rattled by the sudden light flash so they turn away from the camera. It is also best for you to have natural light to avoid any washed-out dog photos.
Abide By the Rule of Thumb
The rule of thirds is a guideline where you divide a photo into nine equal parts. Your dog should be along the lines or at their intersections. The rule of thirds discourages putting subjects at the center.
This technique aligns a subject with these points to create more tension, energy, and interest in the composition. If your dog in the photo is off-center, it emphasizes your dog in the picture and it also embraces the blank space.
Start Getting Creative
If you have a patient and well-behaved dog, test your boundaries and try dressing him or her up. Add a shirt, sunglasses, a hat, or dress them in funny costumes. Take photos of them while they take a bath, or place your small dogs in a bag.
Shutter Speed Can Help
For the best action shots of your dog, set up your shutter speed to at least 1/250, 1/500, or 1/1000 to get the subtle moments of your dog’s life. The photo will stay crisp, but note that having a faster shutter speed does not work well in low-light. The slower your shutter speed is, the harder it is to catch your dog in the middle of an action and it tends to get blurry.
Catch Their Attention
Dogs get distracted quickly, the best strategy is to bribe them to face away or towards the camera. You can also use their favorite treats, toys, squeakers, and noisemakers.
Play along with them to keep their attention for a longer time and they may flash you a smile once they’re done playing around. You can also call someone to help and hold the treat and use a happy tone to get them excited in the photo.
Limit the photo sessions to 30 minutes, do not force your dog to stay in one position for too long. Don’t force your dog if he or she is not cooperating. Instead, try to run around, play with your dog, and take action shots.
Check the Environment and Background
Look for the place your dog loves going to and take a few natural pics there. Make your dog model at a simple area with fewer distractions like outdoors or on your pet’s bed. Avoid cluttered and messy backgrounds or you make use of blur and go in real close to your dog’s face.
Take a Lot of Dog Photos
Don’t wait for the perfect shot to occur! The first rule when taking dog photos, the more photos you take, the better your chances of having awesome shots. This is a great strategy if your dog tends to move around a lot.
Shoot from different angles, full-body shots, or face shots. Get behind them, point the lens directly down to your dog’s face, or lie down on the floor with the camera looking up. After the photoshoot, be sure to reward your dog with praises and treats.
Editing Makes a Huge Difference
No matter how good your camera may be, editing can make your dog photos shine better than before. Having editing software also saves you the money and time to find better lighting or taking another shot if the photo is dark.
Use curves to change the lighting and contrast of the photo. You can also increase the saturation to 5 to 10 for more color in a dull photo. Try sharpening the photo to show off the fur of your dog, but not too much or it will look grainy.
The best-paid photo editing software is Adobe Photoshop and Skylum Luminar. Both have an easy-to-use interface and they have a wide variety of tools. They not only edit photos, but you can also make animated GIFs of your dog photographs.
Take Professional Looking Dog Photographs
Be patient in taking dog photographs and do not scold your dog during photo sessions! Take as many photos as you can, go back, and pick the best ones to share or keep in your album.
Don’t stop with taking great pictures with your dog! Feel free to share this guide with your fellow dog lovers and read our other blogs for more helpful tips.
