Discover how to photograph your black dog so you can actually see them
Did you know, black dogs tend to stay longer in rescue centres than other colour dogs? Could it be that you’re not alone in struggling with your black dog photography? As a professional dog photographer I’d definitely say they can be harder to photograph than other coloured dogs but it’s absolutely not impossible to be able to capture their unique personalities the same as you can any other dog.
So, how do you take good photographs of a black dog? Let’s explore!
Take advantage of the light for black dog photography
Lighting makes an enormous difference to all of your photos, but if you’re taking snaps of a black dog then the right lighting is vital.
While full sunshine may sound like ideal conditions in terms of light, it can actually throw up some difficulties! Hello shadows, squinty eyes and sunbeams spoiling your shots. In full sunshine unless your black dog is directly facing into the sun, some of them will be in sunlight contrasting harshly with the parts that are in shadow.
It doesn’t matter if you’re using a phone camera or a professional DSLR there is only so much range in the camera’s ability to expose for the bright bits and the black bits. (That’s technical jargon incase you didn’t realise!!)
As a pro dog photographer I have the advantage of powerful editing software that allows me to bring out fine detail in all areas of the exposure range but you’ll be hard pressed to get this on a camera phone, but I’m not a pro dog photographer I hear you scream at your screen, so what light is going to help you get the best shots of your black dog…
It may not make much sense, overcast days are actually our favourite! The cloud cover acts as a HUGE soft box defusing sunlight evenly across your dog, bye bye deep shadows caused by eyebrows and big snozzes! And if you’re looking to get the details of your black dog’s features you probably won’t be including the sky in your shot so it doesn’t matter how miserable it looks!
Pick the right time of day
We all know that the sun is at its’ brightest in the middle of the day, that’s why we don’t walk our doggies at lunchtime in the middle of summer. As well as the heat of the day, the light of the day is at its’ most intense so to get better photos of your black dog go our first thing in the morning after the sun has risen or late afternoon.
Either end of the day also give us a beautiful quality of light, it tends to be warmer which can help your black dog not look blue and your photos will have a more pleasing feel to you when you look at them
Choose the right background
Whether a colourful backdrop, a light and natural scenery behind your dog or a well lit room, your background can transform the photos you take of your black dog.
I love photographing black dogs on the beach, the lightness of the sand and sea adds a beautiful contrast to the black of a dog and similarly old fashioned buildings - the ones not made from red bricks - add a beautiful contrast to your black dog photography
Use accessories to add some colour
A snazzy collar or a bright bandana can help to break up your dog’s dark coat and draw attention to their beautiful face.
By separating the area between head and body with some colour, you’re adding what we call a “Leading Line” into your image, directing your viewers where you want them to look
In this image to the left it's not the dog's collar adding the colour and leading line by the lady's red blouse - the top half is exactly the same height as the doggo's head and the bottom part of her blouse separates her from the dog's leg whilst still being right next to her.
Whilst we're talking about colour, and this applies to all your photos, try and keep your colour palette complimentary with other a few colours but using different tones of those colours - notice her tan boots are picking out the tan in the stone work and her tweed jacket is separating her from the wall without colours clashing. I really cannot stress how important the "little things" are when creating stunning photos of your dogs!
Try out silhouette photography
If you want to go a little arty with photos of your black dog why not photograph them as a silhouette?
Set up the scene in your viewfinder, maybe your dog sitting in profile to you (profile is really important otherwise you’ll just have a black blob instead of a black dog!).
Then expose for the sky and not for the dog - this works really well in brighter light rather than the overcast day we wanted before
Make sure there is nothing between your dog and the background as if you’re exposing for the sky everything else will be black and you want to make sure you have a clear view of your dog in profile with nothing distracting you from them
(Pexels Photo 104972)
How to take photos of a black dog indoors
Photographing black dogs indoors can be a little more tricky, it’s always best to use natural light if possible, light defusing in through a voile over a window is perfect!
Turn off any internal lights, whilst this may seem barmy given we need as much light as possible to photograph the dog, each light source is a different colour and can end up not only adding strange colour casts to your photos but also shadows where you don’t want them (unless you’re like me and need to hide the big box of clutter by the side of the sofa!)
Choose a light coloured chair (rather than your dark colour sofa) and position it close to a window at about 45 degrees and get your dog to sit with his head towards the window rather than his behind! By having a particular scrummy treatos in your hand you can get your dog to follow where you position the treat to get the best light on their face
Another little trick is to use natural tiles that you may have in your kitchen, hallway or garden type room. These can be a beautiful plain background to contrast to your dog and they’ll can also act as a natural reflector bouncing the light up under your doggo too
Editing is magic!
Taking great photos is only half of the job. When you choose a professional dog photographer, our kit allows us to adjust to our subject to get the best possible images. But it doesn’t stop there - in post production we can change the contrast, select specific areas to lighten or darken, and even change the colour of the background so it works more seamlessly to highlight your dog without them blending in
If you don’t have editing software then you can try experimenting with the exposure and hues on your phone’s editing app. You could even try out the filters on your phone app (*Shudder*)
In conclusion
So to get better photos of your dog, go out at the right time of day and use the scenery around your to add contrast. Stay away from harsh sunshine and try using a collar or harness that contrasts with your black dog but co-ordinates with the background colours. Easy right??!! Don’t worry, it takes time, patience and practise to get it right but think of the adventures you’ll have with your dog whilst practising!
You can always get more tips and tricks to the secrets professional dog photographers use by signing up for your free Guide HERE
If all this seems like way too much hard work you could book a professional dog photoshoot so you can take advantage of all the pro whizzy gear, expert know-how and super magical editing dust!
Get your paws on some stunning photos of your black dog without all the faff today.
Simply book a free call below and let’s talk dog!
Meet Helen & Mash!
Mash, my miniature dachshund, has brought so much to my life, he's my fur baby, my best buddy and my loyal companion - and he's a right little monster (but if you're also a dachshund owner you'll know that already!)
You'll know, as a dog owner yourself, how much they teach us - patience, understanding, care, responsibility - all of these things are what allows me to give you the very best photo experience for you and your dog!
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