How to take great dog photos with your mobile phone

It is often said that the best camera you can have is the one with you at the time - and that applies to the great technology in mobile phones today too.?

Until you are ready for a magical experience for you and your dog, with amazing natural backgrounds, fine art edited final images including lead removals, and phenomenal action shots from the UK’s first certified Dog Photography Master,?enjoy using these ideas - we are sure you’ll enjoy getting some great dog photos with your phone.

1. Get down - as low as possible

If you only take on one of?these ideas, then make it this one! Most people take photos?at?our eye level.?

Looking down on top of your dog can create an interesting photo, particularly if you are holding their favourite treat and they are looking up at you.?

As dog photographers, we spend a lot of our on location time getting as low down as we can.?

If you are able, be at the same eye level as your dog, and if possible, even lower.?

Our clients love it when they see photos of their dog taken as though you are in their own world. It’s a very different perspective and will give you some amazing results.

2. Light - as soft as possible

Soft light is nearly always more flattering for people in photos, and the same is true of our dogs.?

A cloudy day makes the sky act as a huge soft box.?

On a sunny day, a covered doorway or porch, or under the shadow of a tree all help create soft light.?

The earlier in the morning or later in the evening you can be out, the better that is for softer light too as the sun is lower in the sky.?

Sunrise and 60 minutes before sunset are the magical golden hour when the light doesn’t cast hard shadows and if often warmer in appearance.

3. Background - no distractions??

Everything we do is on location.?With the right lenses and set up, and occasionally some post processing in editing, we can use almost any location as a professional dog photographer. However, to make our lives easier, it’s always best to ensure there are no distractions in the background - “keep it simple” should be your motto.?

Your dog must be the hero in the photo, and so with your background, keep it simple.?

Look for a green bush, hedge, or dense trees.?

Look for a solid coloured wall or fence.?

Even a brick wall can work well.?

Unless you are looking for a landscape, keep it simple.?

If you can, create some distance between your dog and the background, as that will help to make the background less of a distraction, and potentially even blur it.

4. Freeze - steady and stable

Whilst this is obvious,?it is often the biggest mistake a photographer makes - with a camera or a phone!

If you have a very cute dog, and have aligned it well on your grid lines, if your phone moves when you take the photo, it’ll be out of focus.

Steady and stable at all times.

5. Fun time - silly noises

Ask any of our clients what happens on one of our experiences and they’ll all mention either the weird noises Chris makes, the squeakers Sue uses, or the duck callers and other items hanging around Chris’ neck.?

Yup, if needed, we use all the tricks we can to get attention for a split second.

You can get great expressions making a sound not known to your dog, or even using their favourite trigger words like “do you want to... go walkies?” or whatever creates curiosity.?

As professionals, we know that we get 2-3 chances with a sound and literally milliseconds to get the shot.?

Make sure that any new noises you use, you only use them if essential and then sparingly - immediately followed by lots of praise and reinforcement!

6. Grid - aligning your?phone to your dog

You may have heard about composition and even the rule of thirds.

These terms simply refer to how the different elements in your photo combine to form the final image.?

Most people take a portrait shot with their dog in the centre of the photo, but you can sometimes make things more interesting by offsetting your dog.?

To experiment, it’s good to have the grid option active on your phone, which you’ll find within the Camera settings.?

Each time you then take a photo, you can see if your dog or your dog’s eyes are at the intersection points of the lines - essential for composition and the rule of thirds.?

Try it - you’ll get some fun results.

7. Frame - framing your dog

Once you are happy with?the majority of your photos, you can start experimenting even more.

To make a good photo a great one, you can frame your dog. This technique is looking to put your dog inside the frame of something else.?

It results in the viewer’s eye being drawn more to your dog as the centre of the photo, but with an interesting aspect to it.?

If you place your dog in a doorway and get the whole doorframe in the photo, that works well.?

If your dog likes boxes, put them in one and look down on them - potentially holding a treat above the phone too.?

When outdoors, we’ll often use trees or gaps in hedges and bushes to frame a dog.

8. Thank You - show thanks to your dog model

We love our job, and any of our experiences are an experience for the owner and the dog.?

If you want to get great photos, then it needs to stay exciting for your dog too.?

Positive reinforcement techniques, to teach your dog that good things happen when you are taking photos, is strongly recommended.?

Every dog is different and so this may be affection, belly rubs, special toys, or as in many cases - treats!?

Don’t get annoyed if you aren’t quite getting the photo you intended. Simply stop, and try another time.?

Remember, when we turn up as professionals, we have a range of techniques to keep your dog interested - including simple curiosity as we are not known to them.?

Your dog is your dog - and so if they get bored, it’ll get harder each time you want to try. They know you and can sense your frustration. Keep it fun, and show your thanks.

Can we help?

We’d love to deliver a magical experience for you and your dog, with amazing natural backgrounds, fine art edited final images, and phenomenal action shots - but until then, have fun with these ideas, and let us know which idea helps you the most.? If you'd like all of the above in a useful free PDF to download, just click here.

Chris Miller?

MIL Pet Photography?

www.millersimage.com