Dog Photography Tips
Patience
Pet photography is hard. You can find the perfect spot with the perfect lighting and a nice something to prop your dog up on and you could take 20 pictures and not get one single usable one. With all of the things that can distract your dog, it could take a while to get a clear shot with said dog actually looking in the right direction. Be sure you are starting out relaxed and with plenty of time. You don't need any extra pressure on yourself, good pics will come.
Flexibility
If your dog is just not having it during the shoot for whatever reason, you may not get the exact shot you were trying for, but sometimes if you just let your dog do their thing, you can get something really great anyways. Your dog most likely has no idea what you want from him/her, so sometimes just letting them have their own input can make for something pretty amazing.
lighting
After years of taking pictures of animals, I absolutely insist on doing pictures outside whenever possible. With all of the movement and distractions that happen no matter what system you have in place to reduce them, the last thing I want to do is fight with lighting. Low lighting makes blurry pictures more likely. I have found no better light source than the sun. I personally prefer to take pics during the sunrise or sunset. You can get great shadows that really give depth to your pics, but if you have a dog who is not used to photo sessions, the bright of midday always seems to be easier to work with to get clear pics.
setting
One of the reasons that I like morning or evening photo sessions is that there tend to be less people out. I like to find a nice quiet place with as few distractions as possible where we can take our time and enjoy the weather.
Weather
Consider the weather before you head out. Snow makes for really great pics, but how far will you be from home? Is it safe for you and your dog to be out in the cold as long as you plan to be. Don't forget your dog is barefoot and naked so snow sessions should be short ones. Consider the same in hot summer weather. Not only will you be sweaty and miserable and losing patience quickly, butt your dog could be at risk in extreme heat. Do you know the signs of heat stroke in dogs? Best to keep those sessions short and close to AC. Rainy day pictures can be fun for some dogs, but don't forget to bag your camera to keep it from getting wet!
Treats
Treats and toys are a must for some dogs. If your dog understands basic commands like sit, lay down and stay, bribing them with their favorite things can be very helpful to get a dog to sit still for pictures. On the other hand, if you have an overly food/toy driven dog, you may end up with the dog just jumping on you to try to get his treat! Get to know your dog and try different things.
Angle
Finding a way to be even with the dog tends to be best, rather than looking down at the top of them. Some of my pictures are from a lower angle but that has more to do with physical capability for me than trying for other angles, photography is very personal like that. I like to find things that put my dogs on a higher level than I am standing, but I do know many animal photographers lay on the ground and get great shots.
Exercise
Distractions are everywhere. It can be helpful to exercise your dog before a photo shoot, but until you know your dog well enough, you may have a hard time gauging how much is appropriate before a shoot. If you don't do enough with your dog first, you could end up with a whole lot of blurry pics of a dog who cannot sit still, but if you exercise your dog too much, you may end up getting nothing but pictures of a puppy puddle that won't move.
Cropping Pictures
beanie
Cropping an image can totally change it. In the original image there is a lot going on with the dog, the rock, the leaves, the branches and the tongue that makes Bean look like a dog-lizard hybrid. I feel like my focus goes to the rock in this image. It is big and in the foreground and for some reason it draws my attention. In the second image, Beanie is undoubtedly the focal point with her centered and zoomed in. You can see more detail of the subject and there is less there to pull your eyes a
Beanie Original
Subject is centered, landscape orientation.
beanie portrait
Subject is centered and zoomed in, portrait orientation.
beanie off-center
Subject is off-center, but zoomed in, landscape orientation.
tonka
The thing I love about this picture is that despite the fact that the rock pulls from the subject, it acts to enhance it rather than distract from it. Tonka is so happy to be peeking over this big rock to take a look at what is going on up there. The rock makes the picture because it provides a way to demonstrate Tonka's inquisitive personality. I absolutely love this picture regardless of how it is cropped, but the first picture really has a lot of depth. With the top, side and front of the roc
tonka original
Subject is off-center, landscape orientation.
tonka portrait
Subject brought closer to center, portrait orientation
tonka near centered
Subject is nearly centered, zoomed in, landscape orientation.