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Today’s blog post will be a bit of a continuation on the series of blog posts I have been writing lately. I’ll be discussing what my approach to dog photography is and how you can use it to improve your own pictures of your dog!
Now everyone seems to be an expert at taking photos of their dogs. We take them all the time, at any time, and for any reason – maybe our dog was being silly or we just felt like it. No matter the occasion, everyone has thousands of photos of their dog on their phone. So what makes those photos any different from the photos you receive from a professional pet photographer?
That’s what we’ll be exploring in the three tricks I use to get amazing pictures of Fido.
Trick 1 – Focus on the Eyes
The first trick is simple, but many people don’t realize it – focus on the eyes. The eyes are the gateway to the soul. They can tell you a lot about how a dog is feeling and gives you that sense of connection when you look into them.
Now most people don’t think about this – so everything is super in focus. The eyes are in focus, the nose is in focus, the ears are in focus, the tail is in focus. Everything is so much in focus there is no one particular area the eye can focus on. If anything should be in focus and the main focus point, make it the eyes.
Trick 2 – Shoot Lower
The next trick is to shoot lower. In other words, as we go about our daily lives interacting with dogs, we all see them from above. We see the top of their heads and their backs but rarely do we get down to their level and see the world from their perspective, especially if we have small dogs.
Just by crouching or laying down and taking photos from their eyes perspective – or ideally lower – we can change the way our photos look dramatically. This helps to provide better focus on the dog as the main subject of the photograph and also helps to provide more information on the location and time of day the photo was shot – especially if you are shooting outdoors.
My Approach to Dog Photography with Dogs Who Are Very Small
A nice trick is to place your dog somewhere higher than you are – on a log, couch, or hill that’s higher than you. Then take your shot!
Your other option is to get as low to the ground as you possibly can – or dig a hole in the ground if you have to! Some cameras come with a screen that you can flip to help you if you can’t get low on the ground too.
Trick 3 – Relax and Have Fun
This next trick is also a bit obvious, but many people take pictures of their dog where their dog looks bored, scared, frightened, worried, or tired. They don’t take into account how their dog feels and how that feeling is conveyed in the pictures they take of them.
Everyone can tell the difference between a dog who is happy and excited versus a dog that is sad, upset, or afraid. So make sure to have fun with your dog – play with them a bit, reward them a lot, and make sure they are enjoying themselves as much as you are.
So here are three tricks you can use in your own dog photography to get amazing pictures of your silly friend. These simple, but effective changes will completely change the outcome of your photos and make them much more memorable in the years to come!
CJ Ashmore
Pawfect Photo Moments LLC