Picture Perfect Pooches

By Sandra Bolan

It’s that time of year when we gather the family together for the annual family photo that will be sent out to everyone this holiday season. And as every self-respecting pet owner knows, the family dog must also be part of the family photo.

Location

Choose a location. I personally prefer to photograph dogs outside where they are their most natural. This can also lead to a lot of spontaneous and fun photos. Sometimes the unplanned photo sessions result in the best portraits.

Always photograph the dog without its collar on, unless it’s integral to the scene, i.e. a Christmas collar. A collar will otherwise draw unnecessary attention to itself, as well as break up the line of the dog’s body.

Backgrounds

Whether it is indoors or outside, the background should be minimized so the dog is the centre of attention. Remove brightly coloured objects and things that appear to stick out of the dog’s head (like a tree branch or flower). If you’re good with photo editing, these can be removed that way, but it’s always better to produce the best image you can through the camera’s viewfinder.

If some distracting items can’t be moved, move yourself, to the left or right, a bit. That small adjustment can make a world of difference to the photo’s composition.

Now, step away from the subject, get down to doggie level, or raise the pooch by placing it on a table and zoom in. Most of us take photos of our pets while we’re both standing, resulting in unflattering and distorted photos of your dog.

Outdoor Technical Stuff

Whenever you do a photo session outside, make sure the light is behind you, the photographer. The best type of daylight for pet photography is when there is an overcast sky, this will highlight the fur’s colour and texture. Full afternoon light creates too many deep shadows, while overcast and heavy shade can cause too much soft light. If you have no choice but to take the photos under less-than-perfect conditions, use the camera’s fill-flash function, if it has it. Fill flash fills in the shadows caused by the harsh light as well as fills in some of the soft spots created by the cloud cover.

If you have more than one dog, layer them. Layering can be as simple as putting the smallest dog in the front so it won’t be blocked by the larger one. They can both lie down or sit, or have the front dog lying down and the back dog sitting.

Also when photographing multiple dogs - put them close together. Too much space between the subjects is unpleasing to the eye and does not provide a focal point for the image, causing the dogs to actually become lost in the image.

Black or White Dogs

Photographing all black, all white or black and white dogs, like Border Collies, is a challenge. Black dogs turn into black blobs, while white dogs become brilliant white spots. Mixed dogs often turn out muted, which is just as unpleasant as the blobs and bright spots. Take black or white dogs out of direct, bright sunlight and put them in solid shade or do the photo shoot on a cloudy day.

Avoid placing black dogs in front of dark backgrounds and white dogs in really light surroundings – like snow. There is not enough contrast in either scenario, therefore, the dog will become lost.

A note on white dogs: Their fur picks up whatever colour is surrounding them. For example, red walls will give a red cast over the dog. It doesn’t cause the dog to look dyed in red, but an oh-so-faint red tinge will be noticeable. This can be corrected via photo editing.

Indoor Lighting

Ever wonder why your photo has a green wash all over it? Chances are you took the photo under fluorescent lighting. Unfortunately, the green cast is not easily, if at all, fixable via photo editing software. The only way to avoid the green cast is to use an off-camera flash system.

Regular household lighting often creates a yellow/warm cast to the photo. Sometimes this can be a really nice effect. However, if it is unwanted, it’s easily fixable via software. If you don’t want to fix it with software, again, the off-camera flash system is required.

Green Eye

Green eyes are the animal version of our red-eye, which is caused by the flash going directly into the subject’s eye. Red-eye is fixable with photo editing software, however, green eye is not. If you are using the automatic mode on your camera, even outdoors, turn the flash off. This may do the trick. You may also find the photo’s lighting is a bit more natural. Otherwise, use an off-camera flash system.

Photographing animals is not an easy task. It takes a lot of patience and the willingness to accept the fact that you won’t always get the perfect shot. However, what you may get will likely be better than anything you could have planned. Good luck!

Sandra Bolan is a Dog Writers Association of America nominated freelance writer and professional photographer. Her critically acclaimed first book Dogs and Dads is currently available at www.fetchitup.ca