You love your cute dog and want to take photos of him. But what can you do if he doesn’t want to cooperate?
With these tips, you can learn how to take an impressive photo of your dog. You can also plan a fun photo shoot with your partner.
Take your dog’s personality into account
The best photos of your dog will showcase his personality.
If you have an active dog who enjoys running, take him outside and prepare for some fun action shots. It will be much easier than making him sit still for an hour.
If you have a lazy dog, get him to lay on his favourite blanket for a cozy and relaxed photo shoot.
Groom your dog and get him nice accessories
Before photo shoots with your dog, make sure he looks his best. Your photos will be even better if he looks clean and stylish.
Could you bathe and groom him? If you prefer, take him to a professional groomer. Then, you can get him some accessories, such as a stylish collar or a colourful jacket.
The Ruffwear brand, for example, offers colourful dog gear perfect for outdoor photo shoots. Get your dog boots and a cute sweater before going on an adventure together.
Get down to your dog’s eye level
Getting down to your dog’s eye level is always a good idea, especially if he’s a tiny puppy. If you take photos from this angle, he will be more likely to look at the camera, and you should get adorable shots.
Find a way to grab your dog’s attention
To take a good photo of your dog, you must grab his attention. You could give him his favourite toy or dog treat to get him to stay where you want him to be, or you could show him a treat to get him to look at you and your camera.
If you want action shots, talk to your dog to get him to run towards you instead of away from you.
Focus on your dog’s eyes to capture his emotions
Focus on your dog’s eyes for at least a few shots. This will allow you to capture his emotions and show the world who your dog is.
Use a wide aperture, which is perfect for portraits. Your photos will focus on your dog’s face and eyes while the background blurs.
Find a great background
Even if your background is blurred out, you want it to be beautiful. You could shoot your photo in your dog’s favourite place, whether in your yard, in a park, or in his bed.
You could also photograph him in front of a black background, which will highlight him. A black blanket or painted cardboard will do.
Use a zoom lens
If you use your phone’s camera to take photos of your dog, you might need more than digital zoom to achieve the most professional results.
Consider getting a zoom lens for your phone to take quality photos of your dog from a distance.
Try using a wide-angle lens
Whether it’s a fish-eye lens or not, a wide-angle lens can help you take funny photos of your dog from unusual angles.
You can get a wide-angle lens for a camera and your phone’s camera. It would help if you experimented with it before using it to take great photos.
Shoot your photos in manual mode
Your camera’s autofocus mode might be convenient, but it might only focus correctly on your dog’s face.
Try shooting photos using manual mode. This way, you can focus on your dog’s eyes and face, and your dog photos should look stunning.
Make the most of natural light
Knowing how to make the most of natural light will increase photo quality. Avoid taking your dog outside in the middle of the day for a photo shoot. Bright, direct light will make your dog squint, resulting in unflattering shadows.
Instead, favour a cloudy day. Even better, plan your photo shoot right after sunrise or before sunset to take advantage of the golden hour.
Use a homemade reflector
Finally, you could use a homemade reflector to ensure your dog is evenly lit. A large piece of white poster board or aluminum foil makes a great reflector. You might need to enlist a friend’s help holding the reflector properly while you shoot good photos of your dog.
