Do you love having pictures of your furry friends, but struggle to take good pictures of them? I thought kids were hard getting a picture of… until I started trying to photograph my puppy.
I thought It would be fun to share some helpful tips and tricks I’ve learned to help make taking pictures of your pets easier! These tips have come from both research and experience!
All of these photos were taken by me. Some of them on my iPhone and some on my Canon Rebel Camera.
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I started with the Canon Rebel T6, which is a wonderful beginner camera. I now use the Canon EOS Mirrorless and I absolutely LOVE it!
*The above affiliate links allow me to earn a small commission when using them. Even if you go with a different camera, it truly helps fuel my adventures and is MUCH APPRECIATED!
Use natural light when possible! Not only does natural light look great, but It will make your pets much more comfortable than using the flash! Also a lot of times the flash can cause red-eyes in your pictures.
Get on their level. Instead of trying to get your pets to look up (and all of your pictures being angled down at them), go low to the ground with them. Have your camera at eye level, so you can get the best view of their face and expressions.
Get your dog used to the camera! Some people will use treats for this. You can point the camera and click (so they hear the camera noise) and then give them a treat! This will associate the act of taking pictures with treats.
Let them be themselves! Don’t try and pose your pets in ways that make them uncomfortable or unhappy. Just let them be themselves and do what they do, and photograph that! Especially while outside on a hike or at the park, while your pet is having fun is when you’ll get the best pictures!
Focus on the eyes most of the time! Most of the time you will try and make the eyes the main focus. If they have special features, like a long tail or curly ears, you can put more focus on those features!
For dogs: When they have short snouts, pictures from straight on are better.
When they have longer snouts, angles from the side look great on them. It shows off their features.
Get their attention! Let them play for a little bit and when you are ready to take the picture, call for them! Click the shutter as soon as they look in your direction and take several pictures. Try not to make eye contact or move suddenly, so they don’t get up to come to you!
You can also bring toys, bags of treats, or other items to grab their attention.
Take A LOT of pictures! Ultimately you can’t control your pet, and not all dogs will pose when you ask them to. Odds are they will be moving quite a bit. So take as many pictures as possible! This will give you a much higher chance of getting some good, clear ones!
Reward your pet throughout! Give them treats, praise, and anything else that makes them happy during the entire shoot. This will keep them happy and wanting to take more pictures!
BE PATIENT AND HAVE FUN!! Our pets know how we’re feeling and can sense our energy. If we start getting upset and stressed out, they will to! Most pets are trained as models, so we have to be patient. They can’t listen to instructions like a human, so we have to work with what we have! Be patient with them and have fun!
I hope these tips were helpful and you learned something! Photographing your pets is SO much fun and having good quality pictures of them is something you’ll always cherish.
