Photographer's Best Friend: tips for successful dog photography

Way back in my introductory post, I mentioned one of my favorite subjects: dogs. Animals in general offer images of playfulness, gentleness, and unguarded enthusiasm that is hard to find in humans! For me, shooting dogs (with a camera!) is a way to give back by helping showcase adoptable dogs for a local rescue. It is also a blast to incorporate animal companions in family images. There are a few things to keep in mind that make a huge difference in capturing successful images of dogs in any situation.

1. Make ridiculous sounds. If you want to get that cock-eyed, inquisitive head tilt with eyes looking at the lens, you're probably going to have to make a fool of yourself. The sounds I make vary from a high-pitched trilling to a rather spot-on duck quack, if I do say so myself. Whistling, smooching, and yelping have all come in handy.

Patrick's portrait for Peace for Pits, Inc. dog rescue.

2. Bribe, bribe, bribe. Few things get a dog's attention like a tasty treat or squeaky toy. Bring a few along or have the handler do so and hold them behind your head to get a great portrait.

3. Shoot in shutter priority. While manual mode is my go-to in most situations, a fast-moving dog in mixed lighting calls for continuous focus and shutter priority to keep those eyes in sharp focus! Just be sure to recalibrate your settings when going from dark to light or vice versa.

4. Get low. Once you've got that perfect portrait, get down at the dog's level, or even lower, for a more playful perspective.

Patrick, taken while flat on the grass!

Have any tips for mastering a dog (or other furry friend) session? Leave a comment or head over to the Google+ community page to share!

-Friday Ambassador

Photography and Community

It is a pleasure to begin my time as a student ambassador!  Your former Friday ambassador has transitioned to life after graduation, so I’ll be taking the reins for a while.  As we graduate you will be introduced to new student voices, each with a unique point-of-view. I live in the vibrant city of Chicago with my husband and our overly affectionate dog, Dublin (pictured left).  Dubs will be sitting on my lap on my office chair as I write my posts.  If he loses physical contact with his humans, he is one unhappy pup.   He’s a little spoiled but I greatly benefit from this relationship during the winter when he is my 37-pound heat blanket.

My love for dogs leads me to my topic this week.  When I first began pursuing my photography degree, I was approached by an acquaintance at the law firm where I worked.  She wanted to know if I would be willing to take photographs of an adoptable dog for a local rescue.  Since that day, she and her husband have started their own rescue and I have loved photographing the dogs that they save.  We have also become great friends; I shot their maternity session, newborn session, and countless portraits of their baby girl.  What began as a way to improve my photography skills and help out a friend has led to paid portrait sessions, events, and even weddings!  Not only have I grown as a photographer because of this relationship, but I have also been part of an amazing journey as the new rescue was formed and dogs that I fell in love with got adopted into wonderful homes.

Finding a way to contribute your skills to improve your community is a great way to get you out shooting!  It can bring you valuable business connections, create lasting friendships, and provide a sense of fulfillment.  Most importantly, it will keep you connected to what is really important - using what you learn to make the world better.


During your photographic career you will inevitably be approached with requests to provide your services for free.  While it would be wonderful to be able to say yes to every request, you still need to pay your bills and have a life.  Keep a list of student photographers who may need the experience, and your referral can make both the organization and the student very happy!  So, how can you offer your skills to your community?  If you are not sure where to start, try brainstorming topics that you care deeply about.  Would you like to help a child struggling with cancer?  Check out The Gold Hope Project, an organization that matches photographer with families to capture beautiful portraits and make the children feel like rock stars!  Think of national organizations with local offices, like Veterans Affairs, The Boys and Girls Club, or the Red Cross.  It's likely they hold events and could use a great photographer to help document them.  If you want to help animals, I can guarantee your local animal shelter and rescue groups would love to have beautiful images to help showcase each animal's characteristics, like Bear's goofy smile above.

Whatever your passion, you will feel amazing when you use your skills to better your community, and you will meet incredible people (and dogs?) along the way.

-Your Friday Ambassador

References:
"The Gold Hope Project - Home." The Gold Hope Project. The Gold Hope Project, 2013. Web. 14 Nov. 2013.