Beginner Tips for Pet Photography

This shop, 5 Tips for Photographing Dogs,  has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #FeedDogsPurina #CollectiveBias

Last month, our family grew by four paws when we adopted a dog. It was love at first sight when we found Millie on a shelter’s website, and again when we traveled a few hours away to meet her in person and bring her home.

As a hobby photographer who takes part in a #365 (photo a day) project, Millie is an important part of what I’m capturing these days, along with the rest of our family.

Today, I thought it would be fun to share some beginner tips for photographing dogs (or any pet, for that matter)  in photography. Let’s begin!

1) Capture relationships – Showing relationships between your subjects can take a picture from good to great. After all, the best part about having a furry family member is that they are part of the family! Show those special relationships with their people, or other furry “siblings.”

Millie is so incredibly good with our kids. Even our youngest, who is always getting up in her business to talk to her, lay in the dog bed with her, or even on her. Millie seems to enjoy her company. Which leads me to my next tip…

2) Get on their level – A photo taken from your height can leave a feeling of disconnection with the subject. But getting right down to their level leads you to feel that you’re a part of that moment or connection portrayed.

3) Show their personality – The best photos are the ones that capture your dog’s personality. Is she happiest getting her belly rubbed?  Show her happy, drooling expressions! 

What about playing ball? Show her in action! If you’re using a DLSR camera, make sure you’re shooting at high camera speeds (at least 500) when taking an action shot.

What about (necessary) dislikes? Millie has at least one! These moments are just as important to capture, if only for the great expressions you’ll get.

4) Have fun with it – Depending on your dog’s personality, you can have lots of fun with props and angles. Millie will do anything for a treat, and she was perfectly content to wear these fun glasses, as long as she got a little something in between photos! I kept the treat right above the lens to get “eye contact” here.

5) Catch them candid – As I mentioned earlier, I love documenting the everyday life of my family. For me, that has meant taking a step back and seeing the beauty in very ordinary things.

When we first got Millie, she was a little timid and took some time warming up to us and our home. She is a year old and had spent time at a shelter and foster home. She wasn’t showing us her true personality right away as she adapted to her surroundings. 

We gave her lots of love, spent a lot of time with the vet, and did our research on the right food that would nourish her. We’ve been giving her Purina Beyond® Simply 9 Ranch Raised Lamb and Whole Barley Recipe Natural Dry Dog Food, because real meat is the #1 ingredient. And, there’s also no corn, wheat, soy, or artificial colors, flavors or preservatives.

Within weeks, she blossomed and showed us her fun and feisty personality. I’m so glad we captured all of these moments, so we can look back and see how far she’s already come!

Do you have a pet? Please tell me about him or her in the comments below!

Then, head over to Target to find the right Purina dog food for your furry family member. When you use the Cartwheel app, you can get up 20% off of your purchase.