I’d like to think that I take pretty good photos of my dog (but I’m sure I’m a little biased). Whatever the case, taking great photos of a pet isn’t always the easiest thing to do but with these tips, you can do it too!
1. Treats, treats, treats.
A dog that doesn’t take a treat is like a duck that doesn’t swim. I don’t think I’ve met a single dog that isn’t motivated by a treat! I find that smaller treats work better. I actually give PJ cat treats a lot of the time because they are small, which means they are easily held in my hand and they shouldn’t contribute to too much food intake.
2. Oh so much patience.
Many times, the perfect shot comes after a lot of frustration. Of course it’s not the dog’s fault because he doesn’t know what I want from him. Exercising your skills in patience is quite the requirement if you want to get good shots of your pet. Don’t get too frustrated because your pet will pick up on it and will make it even harder for them to sit still for you.
3. Training.
If you still can’t get them to pose, implement training. Not only is training important for the safety of your dog, the basics-like sit, stay, down, and wait-are all incredibly helpful when trying to get a good photo of them! The best way to train your dog is using positive reinforcement. This means rewarding the good behavior with a treat or other positive stimuli (such as a toy, verbal praise, or belly scratch). To train your dog to sit, gently push their rear end while saying to the ground until they are sitting (make sure you say “sit”) and give a them a treat. Do this until they are able to do it on their own without you pushing their bottom down. This method can be used on almost any trick. Just remember though, training is never done. Make sure you train your dog regularly to make sure they don’t forget what they have been trained!
4. Unique angles.
Get down to your pet’s level. People are usually taller than most pets, so getting a photo down lower will give you a perspective most people aren’t used to, giving it a more personal feel. The same principle applies to photographing children! If you think outside of the box, you will likely capture some great photos.
5. Play time!
There’s no better way to get your pet to stay still than wearing them out! If you have a dog, throw a ball for a while! If you have a cat, bring out the feather toy! If you have a ferret, give them a box of packing peanuts! I can’t say the same if you have a fish or a hamster, but you can definitely try!
How do you guys take photos of your pets? I’d love to hear your techniques!
Δ Abbi