How to shoot dogs for families + photographers

For families:

Your beloved pet is part of your family and having photos of them can be tricky if they are move fast. Having portraits taken is a great way to capture their personality. Read on for tips on how to ensure a successful shoot.

1. Check with your photographer that they do have experience photographing animals. This is not the time to try out a newbie.
2. Practice any commands your dog knows to ensure you have control on the day of the shoot.
3. Think of a shoot location your dog is comfortable with. They may not feel comfortable with going somewhere new.
4. Doggy pamper session, give their eyes a wipe and groom their fur – you want them looking pawfect! (sorry).
5. Bring a toy or their favourite treats to help them stay motivated and gain their attention.
6. Energetic pets may need a walk prior to the shoot to help them burn off excess energy.

For photographers:

So you’ve received an enquiry from a prospective client who wants photos of their family, including their energetic springer spaniel. Before you run for the hills, read on for the following tips to not only manage the shoot but to ace the photographs aswell!

Have your camera settings tested and ready. I always work in manual mode.

I’ve found that shutter speed is a very important factor here. For seated portraits I wouldn’t go any lower than 1/250sec for outdoor shots with the dog moving, aim for 1/1000sec or you could miss a great shot.

Use natural light, no one enjoys having a flash firing in their face and I’m sure a pupper isn’t any different.

With smaller pups the large camera body (my Canon 5D MK3) can be a bit intimidating. Allow them to come up close and have a sniff of the camera before taking any shots.

Explore the metering options on your camera, dog hair can be tricky to meter from. I tend to stick to spot metering.

Be prepared to get down and dirty. My personal preference is to shoot any subject at their head height, rather than standing and shooting down.

My go to lens for portraits is my 50mm prime lens, however, a pup approaching the camera with a wider lens offers a different style of image which is quite fun.

Always seek advice from the owners about how friendly the dog is, you don’t want to get too close to a nervous dog.

Discuss ways to get the dogs attention, there may be a specific command or a toy that will have the dog staring into your lens.

Most importantly, relax and enjoy yourself.

I hope these tips help.

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