How To Take Photos of My Dog? Here Are 8 Tips By a Professional Dog Photographer

When it comes to capturing the adorable nature of your dog, I have some valuable tips I’ve learned over the years to share with you. Whether you're a professional dog photographer or a dog mom or dad looking to capture fun and cute moments of your pet, these 8 tips will set you up on the right path to take amazing pictures of your dog. By understanding your dog's behavior, you can create lasting memories through your dog photography.

Basic training

Ensure that your dog knows the commands "sit" and "stay" at the very least. Teaching your dog these commands and practicing them regularly, such as during meal times and everyday activities, will help establish a good foundation. We taught Mango sit, stay, okay (means go get the treat/food) and down. We took Brandon Mc Millan’s Master Class where he teaches all these commands and we LOVED IT! I highly recommend it if you have a puppy or even if your dog is a little older it’s never too late to teach them. 

Understand if your dog is food motivated or toy motivated

It's important to know your dog's preference, as this will help keep their attention during a photoshoot (or any situation). Again, practice "sit" and "stay" while playing with your dog, using treats or toys as rewards based on their preferences.  For Mango is food. He loves food! He would do anything to get a treat so it works great whenever I have a photoshoot because he gets very focused when the treat is something he likes. I use baby carrots, training treats, apple, and peanut butter. If food doesn’t motivate your dog (weird) then try to use a toy that can get his or her attention.

Reward good behavior consistently

Once you understand your dog's personality and preferences, engage in frequent positive reinforcement for good behaviors. Regularly practice commands in daily situations, and offer treats or toys as rewards. This will help to capture well-behaved and attentive moments during a photo session

Get settled

Every time you want to take pictures of your dog, whether it is a new or a common place, make sure you are giving them time to get settled, so ensure your dog is comfortable in the environment first. Let them sniff and explore the area before asking them to stay for the photos. Also, make sure your dog is not at his highest energy levels because it would be very hard to make him stay still. I always make sure Mango has had some exercise before a photoshoot so he is not trying to run away.

Background

Choose a fun and suitable background! When shooting outdoors, look for colorful murals or avoid backgrounds with many people in the park. Here I list some of my favorite dog friendly places to go in San Diego. 

Get on their level

Try getting down to your dog’s eye level for a more personal and engaging perspective. You can also hold a treat right above the camera, making their eyes appear to be looking directly at the lens. Also, keep into account your pup’s hair! As I have pugs, it is very easy to get their eyes on the camera, but if you have a long hair dog, I recommend making sure hair is not on the eye area! Here are some examples:

On the left, you can see that when you get on their eye level, you have a more impactul picture as it feels like you are looking directly into their eyes. On the right, you’ll see the difference when taking a picture from above. Both are good angles, however, I prefer to use above when I want to highlight certain breeds, such as corgis, as I like to see how long they are. Also, I feel the above angle gives me more space to play with props! 

7. Only reward your dog after you have taken the photo

To instill the habit of posing for photos, avoid giving treats or rewards too soon. Wait until after you’ve taken the photo, just as if you were training for any other command.

8. Last, but not least: have fun!

Enjoy the process! Don't worry if you don't get the perfect photo right away. Keep practicing, and you'll see how your dog becomes the best model over time.

PS: Pro tips: place your dog on an elevated surface to compose the image in a better way

PS2: if you want to chat more about it, follow me on Instagram and send me a message and we can chat!

By following these tips and spending time with your dog, you can create beautiful and cherished dog photography that truly captures their unique personality and charm. 

Remember, practice makes perfect, so have fun and be patient, and you'll soon be capturing the most adorable moments of your beloved pet.