Whether you have a professional camera or snap pictures with your smartphone, we know you’ve got entire albums of your dog ready to share with the world. So, for National Dog Photography Day on July 26, let’s go over the latest trends in dog photography to learn some new skills. Then, use these tips and tricks to get the best photos of your dog from every angle!
Get the Best Angles for Fresh Shots
We all have at least hundreds of photos of our dog from a basic, front-facing angle. Or pictures of them playing ball, wearing dog costumes, and running around outside. These photos are great, but how can we add a fresh perspective that makes them more interesting?
Instead of snapping a photo of your dog at the same level, remain standing and have your dog look up at you. This photo angle emphasizes those adorable puppy eyes and creates a picture of your dog practically jumping out of the frame! It may be a super simple method, but it will give you great shots to shake up your dog’s Instagram (we know they have their own account)!
How do we create an opposite effect where your dog looks down at you? Well, get on some old clothes that can get dirty and hit the ground! If your dog is large and tall, like a Great Dane, you can easily slide underneath their head and get them to look at you to get an interesting angle.
But, if your dog is small to medium-sized, place them on a chair, a bench, or a porch so you can get a good view looking up at them. Imagine going out after a rainstorm and getting pictures from this angle as your dog plays in mud puddles!
One more cool angle trick is tilting your camera in different directions to get a unique angle to freshen up your shots. This method works really well with a landscape in the background to slightly distort the world around your dog.
Whether in the countryside or the bustling city, pick a location where your dog can safely roam. They don’t have to be far away from you, but get them at a distance and slightly tilt your camera in the direction of your dog to exaggerate the environment.
If you need help choosing whether to tilt your camera left or right, pick something in your dog’s surroundings. For instance, if a long pathway turns left, tilt your camera to the left to exaggerate the long line of the path. If you’re in the city, find a sidewalk or empty street and tilt your camera to follow the direction of a building, an object, a random stick in the road, anything!
To add a more artistic effect, snap a photo of your dog off-center while tilting your camera in the direction they’re walking or running. Not every shot of your dog needs to be directly in the center; let them wander a little to add more visual interest. This photography technique is called the “rule of thirds,” which makes pictures more pleasing to the eye.
Take Action Shots to Make Your Pup Shine
You’ll need to get your camera or phone set up correctly to take action shots. On most professional cameras, you’ll have a fast burst rate and shutter speed. Of course, every camera is different, so set your camera up depending on its settings.
For smartphones, you’ll be able to adjust your camera to burst mode. You can activate “burst” on most phones by holding down the shutter button.
Once you have your camera or phone set up for action, get creative with the angles we’ve learned above while your dog is in fast motion. Getting creative with props can help your dog get into action.
For a starter photo session, have your dog sit in front of you and grab their favorite toy or a ball. Your dog’s eyes will shoot straight to the object, so toss it up in the air and get snapping before your dog catches it. Don’t even wait until the object is in the frame; keep shooting pictures because you could get some dog jumps in the photos!
When you use toys or a ball as props, get more creative and think about other props you can use for fun photos. Also, props don’t always have to be typical doggy objects. You can use interesting-looking furniture, a picnic basket, sunglasses, or anything seasonal to match the aesthetic you’re going for in the photos.
If it’s hot outside where you live, get action shots of your dog running through sprinklers or jumping in the pool. Blow bubbles to get action shots of your dog’s reaction for more summer inspiration! Just make sure the bubbles are non-toxic and safe for dogs!
To switch up your photo backgrounds and get some exciting action shots, check out the dog park to get your dog moving. Snap all kinds of pictures as they play and meet new friends!
How to Pose in Photos With Your Dog
Okay, but what if you want to get a few photos with your dog? If you don’t have someone who can help take pictures of you and your dog, use this photo hack that many YouTube vloggers swear by to get the shots they want. Set up your camera or phone on a tripod, a chair, or a picnic bench to hold it in place.
Next, shoot a video rather than setting the photo timer. Yes, hear us out! Shoot a video and pose with your dog as if you’re taking photos. Because you’re shooting a video, you can do multiple poses without running back to your camera between shots.
If you’ve got an impatient dog, this camera hack can speed up the process so your dog can get back to playing! Plus, you can run and play with your dog without worrying about getting super blurry photos while getting more fun action shots.
To make the videos into photos from a camera, upload them onto your computer. Then, go through the videos and either save the frames as photos or take screenshots and save the images. From your phone, you can take screenshots that will save to your photo album automatically.
With these photo tips, get outside and get the best photos with your dog! It doesn’t matter if you’re a beginner or a professional photographer because this exercise is about trying something new. Practice makes perfect, so do your best and get those awesome photos to show off on social media!
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