Sandie has worked with us on numerous occasions; photographing during our walks, providing a photo booth at our Christmas Paw-ty and also doing photo sessions with our own dogs. We've always been really impressed with her work and these tips really help us to take photos of our dogs.
How to photograph your dog
Photographing dogs is great fun, particularly when it's your own pet! It’s great to capture your own memories with your dog, whether you're at home, or having adventures on your daily walks, and today many dogs have their own Instagram accounts to share their adventures with their friends. I follow @potterpaws and it’s great to see all the mischief he gets up to!
Today I’m going to share with you a few tips to help you get the best out of photographing your dog:
TIP ONE: GET DOWN TO THEIR LEVEL
Getting down onto the same level as your dog means you get a better angle and your dog will look in proportion, rather than having a huge head and tiny body.
TIP TWO: MAKE THEM CURIOUS
You want your dog to be looking at you, and the best way to do this is make them curious. Try a squeaky toy under your knee or make a silly noise they may not have heard before to get their interest. Don’t call their name if you can help it – most dogs are trained to come when their name is called – and you don’t want a close up of their nose or tongue!
TIP THREE: CURSE OF THE BLACK DOG
The biggest problem when photographing a black dog is that black absorbs the light, so if you’re not careful you’ll just end up with a black blob that’s shaped like a dog. Before you take the picture on your phone, make sure you tap on the screen where your dog is, so your phone can meter correctly. If you’re using a camera that allows it, use spot metering so that the camera reads the light off the dark dog rather than the entire scene.
TIP FOUR: HAVE FUN!
Don't get too hung up on the technical stuff, but make sure you capture your pet having fun and looking happy. You can try different things such as putting a little peanut butter on your dog's nose to get some funny expressions as they try to lick it off (please make sure peanut butter does not contain xylitol which is harmful to dogs - always check before feeding any new food to your dog!)
You can find out more information about Sandie Powner Photography and a professional photo shoot for your dog at www.sandiepownerphotography.co.uk