Dog Days of Summer - Pet Photography

Photographing pets comes with challenges but can also be very fun. I recently had the opportunity to photograph some of my favorite Del Ray dogs and they posed beautifully!

Treat Your Subject Well With people you shower them with complements. You tell them they look great and pose beautifully and they do. But with pets, they may require a little more coaxing to get them to “sit” or “stay” where you want them. Reward with positive reinforcement and you will find your subjects will be eager to please you.

Photographing Families with Pets First get the humans into position and take a test shot with everyone. Then add in the pet and get their attention. However, be sure to tell the owners to look at you or they will look at the dog to try and get the dog to look at you. Although a nice variation is to have the entire family pet the dog.

Capture their Breed The Rhodesian Ridgeback looks stately in his backyard or stretched out on his chair. Where as the Australian Shepherd would look great in an action shot as she is a herder. Most of the above poses show off her calmer cuddlier side. Overall, if you watch the subjects they will place themselves into positions that will lend themselves to your craft. You may just need to encourage them to relax in an area with the most natural light or with the nicest background.