Who doesn’t love having a wonderful picture of their pet, right? Today, with high resolution cameras on the phones that nearly everyone carries, it can be very easy to snap a once-in-a-lifetime picture of your dog.
Most people have a smartphone with them just about all the time. Whether you know it or not, the camera in your phone has a rather advanced camera system. If your dog is often with you, too, that means you should have countless opportunities to capture some amazing images even if you’re not a professional photographer.
Here are some tips to help you take fabulous pictures of your best friend.
Timing
Any good photographer will tell you that taking great pictures is all about timing. Sometimes you can take fifty pictures and they’re all duds. But if you’re in the right place at the right time, you can take the best picture in the world. Is it luck? Maybe. But it’s also about being ready with your camera and taking lots of pictures of your dog. The more time you spend with your dog, paying attention to what he’s doing, taking pictures of him, the more likely you are to get that perfect shot. And, with digital photography, taking lots of pictures doesn’t cost you anything the way that film photography once did. If you want to print photos, wait to print only the best ones.
Patience
The perfect picture doesn’t always happen on a schedule. Sometimes you have to wait for it. This is especially true if you’re taking pictures of puppies. Puppies are always on the move, changing position and expression. Whenever you’re dealing with such playful subjects, it pays to be patient. Spend time with your dog or puppy so you get to know what they might do in each situation. Let your subject forget you’re there so they can be natural. Sometimes it helps to keep your distance. You can zoom in a little and crop later.
Awareness
Of course you should always be aware of what your dog is doing when you’re taking pictures but it’s also important to be aware of your surroundings. Pay attention to your environment. Are there other dogs playing nearby? Are there friendly children? Is there an interesting physical setting that you could let your dog use for a pose? Your dog could interact with any of these elements either on the spur of the moment or with a little help from you to make a fantastic image.
Vantage point
When you’re taking pictures of your dog, think about the perspective of the picture. What would the picture look like if you were at your dog’s level? If you were higher? Or lower? Sometimes changing your position can completely change the emotional feel of the picture.
Know your dog
Knowing your dog – or any subject you’re photographing – is always important. If you know that your dog is great at catching frisbees, for example, this would be perfect for trying to capture a great photo. This is a trick that you can ask your dog to repeat again and again while you try to get the perfect picture – and your dog will probably be happy to oblige. You can do this with any behavior or skill that your dog loves to do.
Free apps let your be creative
You can enhance your photos with some of the free apps that are available such as Prisma.
Layout is another popular app. It’s good for posting multiple images in a layout like a collage. It’s good for sharing pics to Instagram and it’s easy to apply filters.
Using these tips can help you take photos of your dog that people will love. As with anything, practice makes perfect so take lots of pictures. Compare your images from month to month and you should see improvement in your results. Cameras are always becoming more advanced, including camera phones. More and more apps are available to help you all the time. But the most important thing is just spending time with your dog and snapping those pictures!
