12 Dog Photography Tips For STUNNING Photos Of Your Best Friend

#1 - Lighting is everything!

If you’re shooting inside, use the light from a window or patio doors to light your dog, turn off any lamps so you only have one colour of light and play around with where works the best for you and your dog. 

I have a lovely vintage armchair right next to my patio doors at home and it makes for a great location for an impromptu dog photoshoot, there’s no direct sun on the chair but plenty of natural light.

#2 - Experiment with angles

The most common mistake I see as a professional dog photographer is that people only take photos from where they happen to be, try getting down low at eye level with your dog for a more personal connection - yes it means you may get muddy or your back and knees hurt as you squeeze yourself into the most odd positions, welcome to my world!

#3 - Best phone Camera settings for dog photography

Among professional photographers there’s an old saying often attributed to “Weegee” (mid 20th century American “spot news” photographer Arthur Fellig) that says “f8 and be there” are the most important settings - what this means is basically don’t get too engrossed with your settings it’s much better to capture the moment imperfectly than miss the moment but have the perfect settings.

Camera phones these days are pretty clever and the auto settings do 90% of the battle for you but there are a couple of quick tricks you can use to instantly improve your photos

1. Choose the orientation that best fits your subject - yes you hold your camera phone upright to make a call but you don’t have to do the same when your using the camera on it - choosing between portrait & landscape orientation can completely change your composition
2. Tap on the screen on your dog's eye for the camera phone to focus AND expose for that area, if you can’t control the light you can always slide up the exposure around the dog’s eye to lighten that area of the image thus exposing for their face
3. If your phone has the “portrait” function have a play around with it - phones with 2 lenses are able to focus on the subject and add (or remove) the depth of the image thus blurring out the background. 



Blurring the background is great to highlight what you want to photograph but beware, I often find that due to the shape of Mash’s ears they are either

blurred or the gap between his ear and face isn’t blurred when using this mode and it’s too distracting in the photo so I prefer to edit the images afterwards

#4 - Check your frame for stunning dog photos

Before you start photographing your dog have a look at the area that will be in the frame of your picture - can you see your socks on the radiator behind or is there a power lead trailing across where your dog will be? Tidy up the area before you start to take photos so your dog doesn’t get bored and stop reacting to you

#5 - Don’t be afraid to take LOTS of photos of your dog

Snap away and capture lots of pics. You can go through and delete the ones that aren’t so good later on, often a tiny movement of your dog's head or eyes is the difference between a good shot and a great shot.

#6 - Exercise your dog before your photoshoot

If you have an energetic dog then don’t try to plan your dog photoshoot before walkies! Let them run off some energy before you settle down for your shoot. Also plan your Photoshoot before their dinner and use very high value treats to ask your dog to do something, you can always reduce their dinner afterwards

#7 - Use a squeaky toy, odd noises and treats to get your dogs attention

I always use noises and treats to ask a dog to do something BUT don’t over do it! Too many noises or squeaks can increase your dog’s excitement and you may not end up getting anything done. Similarly, only treat reward your dog when you get what you’re looking for or if they’ve had a really good go at something, too many treats like too many noises will reduce their effectiveness.

#8 - Refrain from firing too many commands at your dog

We want your dog to be relaxed, so try not to overdirect your muse! By all means ask them to sit or lay down - but just be mindful not to overdo it. We want this to be fun for both of you! Always use praise when your dog has done what you asked them to do, it’s nice for your dog to know it got it right but also gives you invaluable seconds to fire off another shot before rewarding them!

#9 - Timing

The timing of your shot is super important, put your camera into burst mode to capture lots of images in succession. This is particularly helpful if you have a very energetic or active dog. 

#10 - Patience!

If either you or your dog is becoming stressed, take a break! Play with your dog for a bit then try again, there’s nothing worse than seeing photos of dogs who are showing clear stress signals that are being ignored - ears back, refusing to look at the camera, whale eye, lip licking are all signs that your dog is not happy with the situation so stop what you’re doing, you can always try again.

#11 - Practise basic dog training!

I always stress how helpful it can be to run through your dog’s basic commands before their professional dog Photoshoot so why should your Photoshoot be any different? Get your dog used to staying in position as you bring something up that breaks your eye contact as that’s what will happen with your camera during the shoot

#12 - Sneaky sausage!

If you have a very clever dog or if you take a lot of photos of your dog you may find that they will come out of their pose as soon as they hear your camera phone “shutter” noise… To get the best out of Mash I have to silence my phone so he doesn’t know when the shot has been taken and stays where he is until I reward him, in the studio he’s often licking my lens before I’ve even looked at the back of the camera!

In Conclusion

Have fun experimenting with these simple dog photography tips! Time spent with your dog is never wasted, so don’t worry too much if you don’t get the perfect shot off the bat. 

Professional dog photographers take years honing our craft and skills… and a lot of the magic takes place during the editing process!

If you’d like to discuss a professional dog photoshoot with me then please just book a call here! I’d love to hear all about you and your lovely dog. 

I am based in Hampshire, but I love to travel and meet new pups all over the country, so let’s talk!