How to Photograph Your Dog

Much has been said about whether it’s best to photograph dogs in the studio or outdoors. Whichever route is taken, the following matters more.

To successfully photograph dogs a certain amount of familiarity with their traits, differences of breed, characteristics, etc., is desirable, if not essential to success. Patience, quickness and real interest in the result are equally essential.

Dogs are as sensitive as children about new voices and faces, and they are at least as quick to analyse the emotional state of the photographer.

Most dog owners want the picture to show the dog’s ears erect, and the animal alert, in the same way as many people insist on having children taken full length, standing up. And this, despite the fact that many dogs-pugs and spaniels especially – are so fat and slothful from overfeeding that they can barely move, and seem threatened with coronary failure every time they climb a flight of steps. The most frenzied attempts on the part of the photographer will hardly rouse such subjects from their state of listlessness, or cause more than a few sleepy winks or a stunned gaze.

Other dogs, like the nervous, but intelligent fox terrier for instance, will hear and react to the slightest sound, and are so quick that many shots have been lost by some external diversion which made the dog instantly change position. Fox terriers require the most practiced handling. A slight scratching on the camera box or the crumpling of a piece of paper in the hand is generally sufficient to fix their attention and enable their owner to withdraw beyond the range of the camera. Very often the sight of a rubber ball will throw them into a jaunty, saucy position, which is superb in showing the characteristics of the breed.

A good photograph of a dog, whatever the breed, must bear witness that he has blood of good quality in him, must show his expressive style, his posture and his good points, or else it is to some extent makeshift. Setters and pointers are best posed with a kitten or pigeon to fix their attention.

One technique, which has been successful for photographing dogs without their owners, is to use use a tall table about three and half feet high, the top of which has been thickly coated with glue then sprinkled with coarse sand. A board, similarly coated, hangs in front, to obscure the legs of the table. A plain screen, either lighter or darker, as best suits the dog, is hung behind. Many groomers are of the opinion that most dogs seem better behaved when standing on a table, if that is so then it may explain why this technique works so well. The dog stands on the table. If the dog wears a collar or is used to the leash, let his master hold him, but remove the chain or strap and use instead a length of very flexible, dull copper wire. If this shows the least bit it is only slightly, and can easily be edited out.

The owner may stand behind the background, looking over it, and is naturally well above the top of the picture. More usually the holding of the dog could be handled by a third person, the owner meantime, talking to the dog. When the dog is in position, the owner, telling it to stay walks slowly out of the range of the camera. If the dog does not watch him with sufficient alertness, the necessary expression of interest can usually be achieved by breaking a piece of biscuit or by one of the means suggested earlier.

A lawn is probably the best place for out-of-doors sittings, since the grass, when out of focus, makes an excellent background. The dog to be photographed should be placed in a sitting position, and the camera lowered until the lens is no more than about three feet from the ground.

A dog’s head can be taken in three ways:

(1) front view, (2) three-quarters, (3) profile.

As a rule, front view is best, since the expression of the eyes can be seen much better. A profile view shows the mouth and configuration of the ears better, but which way the dog is taken hinges upon the shape of his head.

The appearance of a sporting dog is sometimes improved if he holds a dead pheasant or partridge in his mouth. If a three-quarter view is called for, care must be taken that both eyes are included in the picture. It is of no use having head-rests or similar articles for keeping the sitter in position, nor should he be tied up. If all the operations are conducted in a gentle quiet manner, the average dog will not usually prove himself troublesome or reckless.

If the dog will not sit still, it is no use shaking or beating him; to do so would only make him worse. Most dogs are usually restless for a few minutes in front of the camera, but they soon steady down as desired. In order to be able to replace the dog in the proper position, should he move after he has been focussed, a small twig or stone is pressed into the ground near to the right or left forepaw. If he chances to move, he can then easily be replaced in almost exactly the same position without the hassle of refocusing.

The dog should be made to turn his head into several positions, so that different expressions can be deliberated on. When the best aspect has been found, the position of his head must be noted, so that it can be found again when the picture is ready to be taken. The background of grass must be carefully examined to see that there are no paths crossing it, or any trees or other objects. A lawn forms the best backdrop, since it contrasts effectively with almost any breed of dog, and, when thrown completely out of focus, has a woolly appearance, that is soft and congenial.

If necessary a cloth can be used as a background, but it should be stretched on a wooden framework, to avoid creases, and placed sufficiently far behind the “sitter” to be definitely out of focus.

Some dogs are more subdued when lying on the ground, and their portraits can be be taken more easily when in that position. The camera must, of course be lowered considerably or too much of the top of the head will show, and it will be difficult to throw all the background completely out of focus. With some dogs this position is difficult to manage, since the fore-legs are inclined to mar the picture.

I hope the foregoing has been useful, but there is much more than can be said here about successful techniques for taking stunning photographs of your pet.