Top Dog Photography Tips

Dog photography is all about perfectly capturing your pooch’s personality whether you prefer pawfectly posed or more natural shots - but even the most natural of shots can often take careful planning in advance to ensure the best results.

Here at Teddy Maximus, we love taking photos of our dogs and are delighted to share some of our dog photography tips so you can take pictures you can treasure.

This article covers just a few of our dog photography tips you can use to create fun, photogenic and awwww-inspiring pictures of your dogs.

Consider Your Dog's Personality

No two dogs are the same, and just because one pup seems to ‘turn on’ for the camera and follow every command faultlessly doesn’t mean another will.

Taking beautiful dog photos that expertly express your pooch’s personality is about matching their energy and adapting to them. 

If your pup tends to wiggle a lot and has no interest in sitting for more than three seconds, you’ll need to get ready for a fast-paced, time-sensitive, and unpredictable photoshoot.

Alternatively, if you struggle to get your pooch up, one of the best tips for dog photography we have is to have a bag of treats on hand to pique their interest when they need it.

Teddy always loves hopping in his dog carrier and loves to be photographed where he feels happy and safe. 

Consider finding another four legged friend - does your dog love being in the company of other dogs and do they love to pose alongside their BFF? Or is it simply too much fun and quite the distraction?

Focus on the Eyes

They say that the eyes are windows to the soul, which is why making them the focal point of your dog photos can be incredibly compelling.

Center your photos around specific points to create depth and draw in the viewer.

Use the Burst Function

The ‘Burst’ mode of your camera essentially emulates stop-motion and captures a series of images that create motion and properly represent the movement in front of the camera.

This function will help you get the images you’re trying to set up without waiting for the perfect moment and possibly missing it. 

This tip is invaluable if your pup is especially energetic!

Time of Day, Weather & Lighting

Your conditions can make all the difference - so if you are planning some photos outside, have an indoors back up plan if the rain decides to make an appearance.

Failing that, have some cute, weather appropriate accessories on hand, such as clear umbrellas and bright rain macs that can easily become part of your set up in a fun and effective way.

Being authentic and genuine can often produce the best kind of content. 

Include Cute Outfits!

Get ready to have lots of fun with some carefully coordinated outfits - we just love planning out our shoots around our latest collections - so consider your background and how these outfits will pawfectly complement in advance.

Here at Teddy Maximus, we sell a range of  neckerchiefs and  bow ties in various colours and patterns to take your photos to the next level of cuteness.

Additionally, our adorable accessories perfectly match our selection of  carriers and  coats! 

Our Liberty accessories are ideally suited to a botanical backdrop which you can check out here for some image inspo:

Location, Location!

Take time to find the pawfect locations in advance to save time and energy so your pup doesn’t get bored or impatient - consider what these spots look like at different times of the day which will affect lighting. So make sure you visit at the same time you’ll be taking the photos or indeed anything else that might appear out of the blue - the last thing you need is a car or van right in the way of your ideal posing spot!

Get Involved!

Not only will this offer a fun new angle for your photos, but being beside your dog on their level (well ok… not quite at their level in the case of a Dachshund!) will also help to calm them and make them feel more comfortable whilst on camera.

We love taking photos like this at Teddy Maximus! It’s also a special way to record those precious moments together that you can treasure forever.

We hope you’ve discovered some helpful dog photography tips with the help of our article, and are now taking pictures you can truly be proud of and have fun doing!