If you have a dog, you’re well aware that they are the definition of cute. So perhaps you’ve thought about taking photos of your puppy for print, social media or to simply capture an awesome photo of your pup doing something adorable. Whatever the reason may be, taking good photography of dogs is possible. I’ll share with you 4 tips on how to photograph a puppy to ensure your best chance at cute dog photography.
Good light can make a good picture look great, but bad light can ruin a good photo. If you have a particularly young dog or a puppy you will most likely be photographing them indoors so use your knowledge of the home and where the sunlight comes through the house and at what time of day. If you’re outdoors consider taking your dog’s photo early in the morning or later on in the afternoon, positioning the sun either behind you or off to one side. That way you’ll avoid terrible shadows.
You should take photos of your dog all day, getting a good one can be tough but you only need one good one, if you persevere it will pay off!
A dog is a lot like a child, and just like with children, you want to capture their best side. As the person taking the photo, your fast reflexes will be tested in capturing the perfect shot. There are a couple of things to consider that might make the task a little easier!
Take your photo’s at the end of a walk or towards the end of the day when your dog is more relaxed and try and give yourself time between meals too. A lot of dogs behaviour can be incentivised with food however hunger is a distraction. Try and take their photo too close to their next meal and you’ll find it difficult to keep them engaged long enough to have a photo taken. Treats won’t replace a meal in this instance, best feed them and try again later!
Utilize the ‘rule of thirds’ and find a different angle. If your not familiar with the ‘rule of thirds’ don’t worry, it’s a guide that breaks the world around us into thirds, most cameras and phone camera allow you to display the ‘rule of thirds grid, using this to create pleasing photos will change your photos massively. So will finding a different perspective or angle with each photo you take of your dog. Getting low down or shooting them slightly higher looking down will help get a little character from them and almost always, close up is better that far away. That cute photo is there for you to find and now you have the tools to take it!
Work on your commands, this can take some time particularly if you have a pup or have just started training with a mature dog. Working with commands will help significantly when posing your dog for that perfect photo. I wrote an article on how to pose your dog for a photo shoot, you can check it out here!
Finally, take photos of your puppy or dog throughout the day and you’ll get a better shot of your pet in the end. You never know, you might end up loving it as much as I do and start a career working with dogs (and people), like me!