Four Tips for Taking Great Pictures of Your Dogs

I love taking pictures of our dogs. One of the greatest things about digital cameras is I can take hundreds of pictures and only save the very best.

But dog photography is something of an art form. Some people may think it involves nothing more than pointing a camera and shooting as fast as you can, but it's much more complicated than that. More complicated than photographing humans even!

One problem I have is getting the dog to not come running up to me whenever I bring out the camera. Ask anyone who has tried to keep a roving mutt still for 10 seconds and you'll see how hard it can be sometimes. Our border collie is especially hard to get still. The picture above is the first picture we were able to get him to sit still for, about 6 months after he came to live with us.

Here are a few pointers to aid you when you're pursuing dog photography and want only the best pictures (and not blurry fur).

Dog Photography Tip 1: Preoccupy Your Pet

For the average dog, photography is simply an impediment to fun. Plus dogs are just as sensitive to humans when you aim a camera at their face.

In order for you to not freak them out, you have to distract them. Throw them the proverbial bone by giving them something to chew on (a tennis ball maybe?) or a dog biscuit. Problem is, they might end up too engrossed in the distraction to pay you any attention. You still need them to look at the camera…

Dog Photography Tip 2: Recapture their Attention

Once they've been distracted, it's time to recall their attention to the camera. Your dog photography instincts may tell you to take it easy but don't listen! Prepare to take your shot as soon as you can. Set up and frame the animal nicely.

Then whistle the dog to look at you. Or use anything that might make a curious noise (a squeaky toy or a tin lid perhaps). Don't waste valuable time here, as your dog will soon tire of your antics and you may lose a great chance to catch him off guard.

Dog Photography Tip 3: Let Sleeping Dogs Lie

Dogs love sleeping and you might want to take advantage of this opportunity where they are in a fixed position. Your squeaky toy will probably come into play again. Catch their attention with a nice loud noise (but not too loud, you don't want them completely out of their skin). Then get your shot before they realize the ruse and begin to hate you.

Dog Photography Tip 4: Get an Extra Hand

If things prove to be too much to handle alone, maybe you could ask someone to help you set your dog up. This would be of immense help as you can then focus on framing the picture and attending to your camera instead of trying to stop your dog from licking his private parts.

Make sure your friend is out of frame when you decide to take the picture. This will take some coordination as it's likely the dog will lose his poise once your friend has moved out of shot. Again, timing is the key.

So there, just a few tips to help you get your dog into a cooperative mood (somewhat!) Dog photography can be hard work but is very rewarding if you pull it off.