Do you take pictures of your fur-baby? Maybe you want your fur-baby to be part of your holiday card. The more cameras we have in our pockets, the easier it becomes to take more pictures of our pets. However, sometimes our dogs are easily distracted… SQUIRREL!
Fortunately, we receive many pet parent testimonials from our clients using Glyde™ Mobility Chews. They often send an adorable photo of their pet with a testimonial. Since we’ve seen so many pet photos, we think we’ve become somewhat of an expert on what makes a good pet photo. That’s why we’ve put together this list of tips you can use today to take better photos of your pets.
Here are 6 tips you can use to take great photos of your pet.
Exercise first
If you have a young puppy or active dog, it’s often a good idea to take them for a walk to tire them out so they can calm down and sit for a photo. Of course, the key is that you don’t want them to be so tired that they want to lie down or sleep. Depending on the dog depends on what is best to get them tired out.
Hold a Treat
Nothing gets a dog’s attention like a treat. If your dog knows how to sit for a treat, this is a perfect way to get him to sit for a photo. Make sure to hold it close to the camera or where you want them to look because their eyes are on the camera. The more pictures, the more treats. This makes it more fun for you and your dog.
No Flash
If you’ve tried taking pictures with a flash, you’ve probably noticed that your dog’s eyes take on a worse shade of yellow or green. There’s a reason why this happens: it’s because of your dog’s eye development. Unlike human eyes, your dog’s eyes have a reflective layer behind their eyes. This helps them see better at night. Does your dog’s eyes get red in the flash? This is because the flash comes from the blood vessels behind their eyeball. Either way, natural lighting is best for doggie photos.
Lower the Camera
If you’re trying to take a picture with your dog looking at you, the picture won’t look as good if it’s looking at the same level as you. To fix this, get on your dog’s level and take pictures from their perspective. Their expressions also get cuter the closer you are.
Remove the clutter
Keep the background in mind. If you took the cutest picture of your pet but your dirty laundry was in a pile behind them, would you share the picture? Probably not. Be sure to prepare the background as well as your dog. What is in full frame is remarkable. Outdoor photos make better backgrounds than anything else in our daily lives.
Hold the Phone
For videos especially, think of holding your phone “hamburger, not hot dog.” This means holding the phone horizontally, like you’re eating a hamburger. Not upright, like you’re eating a hot dog. We live a horizontal life. Think of your television screens, your computer screens and other devices. It fills up more space when you hold it like a hamburger. However, it seems that most people, or 94% of us, now hold our cameras vertically. It’s harder to edit things when you hold your camera this way.
As with every photo you take of a subject, make sure your dog is comfortable in their environment. The better they feel, the better the photo will be. Soon with practice, your dog will “know the picture training,” just like they know others when you repeat it over and over. Get the pets ready and start taking some great photos!