Would you love to know how to take good photos of your dog at home? How can you not, when everything they do is so darn adorable?
There’s no time like the present to brush up on your pet photography skills. After all, taking amazing insta-worthy photos of your dog at home takes just a few simple tricks to get right.
The best part is, you don’t always need a professional camera to perfectly capture your dog’s personality and cute features – your smartphone will do just fine!
Here are our top 6 pet photography tips for taking the best photos of your dog at home.
#1. Work with natural light
The key to taking good photos of your dog and capturing their best features is natural light. Soft, filtered light is ideal.
When photographing your dog at home, it’s best to position them near a window or door. Just be careful of harsh sunlight – this can easily be diffused and softened by hanging up a thin white sheet.
Artificial lighting such as lamps and down lights isn’t recommended as these can alter the natural colour tone of the space and your dog, and create unwanted shadows.
Plus, it’s always fun to find nice pockets of light around your home to get creative with!
#2. Focus on your dog’s eyes
We all know the popular saying, “Eyes are the window to the soul.” And this certainly applies when you’re hoping to take cute pictures of your dog!
It therefore makes perfect sense that focusing on your dog’s eyes will create a picture-perfect photo sure to pull on your heart strings.
And if you really want to bring a depth of emotion to your photographs, look for catchlights – those little white reflections of light in your dog’ eyes.
Creating these can easily be done by having your dog face a window, door or natural light source.
#3. Get their attention
While people often use treats as their go-to when photographing pets, we generally prefer not to. Controversial we know, but we swear by it!
After all, what we love most about in-home pet photography is capturing a dog’s true personality at their most calm and content. Treats can change your dog’s mood from easy-going to intense, which is reflected in the photos.
So, what can you do instead to get your dog looking at the camera? Try holding a toy right by the camera lens. Or, hold their attention by placing the toy in front of their nose, then bring it back slowly to just above the lens.
Making strange noises works a treat too! But if you don’t fancy your skills you can always go with an animal sounds or squeaky toy app (we have four of these on our phone!)
#4. Get down to their level
One of the best ways to take good photos of your dog and capture all their cute features is by getting up close, and down to their level.
This might mean that if your dog is laying on the ground, you could lay flat on the floor, stomach down, and position your camera or smartphone in between you. If they are sitting on the couch, you could crouch down so you’re at the same height.
Taking a photo from your dog’s perspective can really bring depth to the image – like you’re experiencing a moment and view of the world just as they do.
#5. Declutter your background
If you really want your pet photos to pop, your dog needs to take centre stage.
Sure, your dog may be the cutest fur kid on the block…but if your space is cluttered with bright or unsightly objects such as clothes or coffee cups, these will detract from who should really be the main star of the show.
So, always take a minute to quickly scan your setting and background before taking your photo, and declutter if necessary.
#6. Work with your dog’s mood
In our opinion, the most beautiful photos of dogs happen organically. Therefore, the best photos will of course depend on your dog’s mood!
Try to be patient and spend some time watching your dog acting naturally. When the moment is right (it may be a yawn, a stretch, or glancing at you) then start snapping away.
Capturing natural, spontaneous moments will reflect your dog’s true temperament and personality, resulting in a beautiful pet photograph you’ll proudly treasure forever.
At Dogfolk Pet Photography, we capture the love stories between dogs and their people.
If you’d love an in-home pet photo shoot with your furry family, make a pet photography booking enquiry here.
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