How to Take Pictures of Your Dog with a Digital Camera
Posted: Thursday, October 08, 2009
by The Old Gray Mare
www.DressYourHorse.com
Hope you have had the chance to read my article about How to Take a Picture of a Horse with a Digital Camera.
I am a firm believer of pictures, loads of them. In a fire, I'd grab people, pets and pictures. At this writing I lost one of my precious Pomeranians (at only age 6) so it's more important than ever to grab all opportunities to have pictures. Take them of your loved ones, and lots of them. Of course, if you have a special dog, get lots of pictures of the dog, too. Some day in the future, as you look back on these days, you'll be happy to have them.
With the digital camera, your subject may be as varied as your imagination. I'm writing about getting memorable pictures of your dog in this piece.
Prepare your dog for his 5-minutes of digital camera fame
Get a picture of Doggie up close and personal. We're not just including him in a scenic shot where he becomes a focal point. Instead, we want Doggie to be the star of the picture. Lets get his adorable face and drop-dead gorgeous body.
We're going for candid snaps, so we'll try to get Doggie in his "every-day look" - nothing special - we'll grab pictures of him just the way he is.
If you desire a more refined shot, take time to brush his coat. You might want to give Doggie the spa treatment including bath, brushing, pedicure (nail polish?). If Doggie just came home from the beauty salon, he's ready for a portrait. Put on Doggie's best collar.
Maybe you'd like Doggie to play dress up in this photo session. Get him into costume or canine duds. Make it a fun experience for him since dogs generally become sullen or afraid in clothes. Doggie needs to think he's having a blast.
Select a location for your photo session
Plan your photo session. Are you taking pictures in the house, outside or at the beach, park, or whatever location. Gather your props such as favorite toys, Doggie's treats, and anything that will work in your pictures.
Set up for your camera session
If you are headed outdoors, have a natural backdrop in mind. Change locations and backdrops as you get ideas but make Doggie the star. He should be the whole frame.
For indoor shots, a sheepskin thrown over a chair as a backdrop is terrific and works well for the small dog. It gives both texture and backdrop, and blend into a blur if your efforts are for great closeups of Doggie. The large breeds photograph well on a sheepskin as well; you just place it on the floor and get down to the dog's level.
In my opinion, a great spot for photographing Doggie is at the top of stairs. The flat surface allows dog posing and is not intimidating for Doggie because it's familiar territory. It's easy to set up a neutral background behind the dog by draping a cloth, sheet or blanket over a chair or two. Here the dog is not out of his element he's on the floor, you can hold his attention, and he won't be fearful.
Pose your dog
Practice patience when posing Doggie. He is probably a bit anxious and may be reluctant to prick his ears. It's up to you to make him comfortable and, before you know it, he will be his normal self. Offer his favorite cookie; pat him lavishly. Never raise your voice or intimidate Doggie in any way. If you yell or push him into positions, he'll remember and won't cooperate now or in the future. Make this a pleasant experience from the start.
Don't concentrate on getting the perfect picture. Let Doggie wonder what you are doing and allow him to change position, expression and attitude on his own. His ears will perk if you squeak his toy.
Be innovative. Take profile shots. Take head on shots. Try one looking down at your dog. If you use the top-of-steps suggestion, get some shots of your dog looking down, extending his neck, reaching for something.
Showcase your dog's tricks
If your dog begs or dances on command or has a special trick - you've got great opportunities for win-win pictures. Give yourself time and many snaps to get the perfect shot.
Take many pictures
Follow your dog with the camera. Click away, capture anything and everything. Remember the pictures aren't costing you anything. You might have to take 25 pictures or more to get even one that's good. If you're lucky, the camara loves Doggie. I recommend snapping, snapping and snapping some more. Don't even bother to check what you have taken until you download to your computer. Just bring an extra chip or two along and take many pictures.
View your results
You're ready to download. Pop them all onto your computer and then critique. Get rid of any that are out of focus, blurred, poor composition, or show half the dog. Now group, edit and name your files. You can crop and compose the remaining pictures. Once you have done all of this, select a few that are favorites. Show them to Doggie - just kidding!
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Print a Few of the Pictures
Select the top photos, decide what size suits each picture and print.
Hang in a wall grouping
When you have several top notch pictures of Doggie, why not show them off in a brag spot on the wall. Make a grouping of your own photographic art.
It doesn't get much better than this! With time, a little forethought, patience and your Doggie, you can come up with the most adorable, totally awesome, greatest-ever dog pictures.
Consider this:
There just is no better picture combination that a child and a dog. You get focal point, human interest, character development and win/win shots
My advice, take as many pictures as your memory chip allows and always bring several. You can edit and cull later.
Finally, don't forget your local leash laws for Doggie.This article and horse articles written by The Old Gray Mare can be found on www.DressYourHorse.com.
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