HOW TO TAKE BETTER PHOTOS OF YOUR DOG

Have you tried to take a good quality photo of your dog but haven't had any luck capturing the full cuteness of your dog? Well today you are in luck! We are giving you 5 tips on how to take a better photo of your dog. If you follow these 5 steps, you will be able to channel that inner photographer that we all know is in you. 

1. FIND THE RIGHT LIGHT  (outdoors vs. indoors)

Outdoor - Taking photos outdoors, gives you the advantage of natural light. However, its good to avoid the hards, bright sunlight. This type of light doesn't always give you the natural light you are hoping for. Taking photos in the shade on cloudless days, you are still able to capture and take advantage of the natural light. The best days for outdoor photography are overcast days. Overcast days produce soft light that is flattering to the face, and in return make for great photos. 

Another way to capture great outdoor lighting is by posing your dog by a window or glass door. This will give you the same type of soft light that you receive on an overcast day. 



Indoor - If you aren't a fan of going outdoors for photography, you can still take good photos indoors. The taking photos indoors, its best to avoid using flash unless absolutely necessary. Why you may ask? Flash makes lighting harsh and flat and a lot of times it gives your dog the dreaded "red-eye" effect. 

The best way to create the best lighting when indoors is by using a lamp. If you have a flexible-neck desk lamp, this can make for great lighting for an indoor photoshoot for your pup. 

2. STAY FOCUSED (camera shake & motion without blur)

Pets like to move and because of this, it's hard for them to sit still. This causes focusing correctly a challenge. 

Avoid Camera Shake - Holding your breath as you take a photo will help make your phone or camera more still. This will result in a better focused photo. It also helps if you rest your elbows on something, whether its a table or a fence post this will help avoid the camera to shake and the photo to be more focused. 

Capture Motion Without Blur - Have you tried to take a photo of your dog while they are running or playing? If you follow the dog with your camera as you take the shot, you will end up with a stunning photo of a clear dog and blurred background. 

3. WATCH YOUR BACKGROUND (think clean & simple)

Keeping your background clean is key so be sure to pay attention to the background before you start shooting. Keeping things simple is a good rule of thumb. Some of the best dog photos we've seen are shot with a solid background.

4. GET THE PUPPY PERSPECTIVE (get on your dogs level)

When you're taking pictures of pets, getting down on their level can make a huge difference. Not only does this capture a dog from their point of view it also helps the dog feel more connected to you, the photographer. Also, using treats, whistling, or a high-pitched one, will help get your dogs attention and make for a really great shot. 

5. EDIT PHOTOS BEFORE SHARING THEM (cell phone or computer)

Whether on your cell phone or a computer, photo editing is priceless. There are so many apps available to you that can make an ok photo turn into a professional looking photo.

Your camera has built-in editing and filters. Playing around with these filters until you find the best one. Editing the brightness and contrast can help make highlights and shadows really stand out. When using these filters be sure to keep an eye on the color. For example, do your whites look too yellow? If so keep playing with the color until its perfect. 



Photo Editing Apps Worth Downloading - Below is a list of photo editing apps that we feel are worth the download. 

• Snapseed
• VSCO
• Afterlight 2
• Elight
• TouchRetouch

Do you mainly take photos with your cell phone? Below are easy cell phone tricks that are good to follow when photographing your dog. 

• Ensure any power-saving modes are turned off. They slow down your camera's performance.
• You can turn on HDR mode to help balance the lighting. 
• To keep up with fast-moving pets, use burst shooting and pick the least blurry of the shots.
• Many cameras have a mode just for running subjects, typically called Sports, Action, or Kids & Pets mode. 

We hope you take these 5 tips into consideration the next time you take to photographing your dog. We would love to see photos taken by you, the pet parent! The next time you post a photo of your beloved pup, tag @thearkpetspaandhotel and let us see your photography sills!



Resource: www.rover.com