The abundance of pictures of dogs around only confirms this is a country of dog lovers.  Some of those dog photos end up on the wall.  Others end up in wallets.  Others still get posted on the internet.  In fact many local TV stations implore viewers to send in their adorable canine snapshots.  To encourage this, they make it super easy to up load and put pics of pooches on display for all to see.

But getting those sweet doggie shots is easier said than done. isn’t it?  Especially if you’re going for photos that draw out your dog’s distinctive personality.  To do that takes a lot of patience, treats and perseverance on your part.  And sometimes a willingness to put up with lots of dog slobber too.  Which is kinda what distinguishes “pictures of dogs” from “dog pictures”.  You capture their essence rather than just another photographic image.

Dog’s Day Out: Some find that a dog day out is the perfect setting for capturing their active dog at his or her best.  While strutting their stuff, with the help of an accomplice naturally, you can put your dog through their paces as they launch themselves to make acrobatic Frisbee snags.  Or as they go full tilt to retrieve a thrown ball with the enthusiasm only your dog can muster.  Such athletic antics are a great way to catch your mutt in action.

Mug for the Camera: Other dogs are natural hams.  They love to show off their pearly whites and mug for the camera and the camera just loves them back.  Once you’ve got them doing their thing, nice and natural like, well, that’s the perfect time to start snapping away.

Posed Shots: Now if this is more of a posed shot you’ll find being able to able to have them “sit” on command to be most helpful. This is also where the treats come in.  It will reinforce a willingness to perform so the command is honored whenever you utter the word “sit”.  Giving you plenty of appealing photographic targets for your camera to capture at will.

Lighting: Again with the more posed type settings, you need to also consider lighting.  With any photography of pets, natural light is best which is why outside shots often produce such dazzling results.  Or you may find that positioning your dog near say a picture window is another good option.  Reason being light flooding in from behind the subject will give you well lit photos.  Others feel having the sun behind your back is better still.

Of course the closer the dog’s fur is to black the more you want the light to illuminate it from all sides. Otherwise some of the finer details, not to mention natural sheen, will be lost.  Softer light, like what you might get in the late afternoon, may work best in this situation.

Red Eye: If you need to use a flash you want to guard against the dreaded red eye.  To avoid that some recommend using an off camera flash that’s held off to the side so the light doesn’t reflect off your dog’s eyes back into the lens of the camera.  Or if your camera is so equipped, you can turn its red eye setting on.

Focus On: Speaking of eyes, to avoid the disappointment of an out of focus result focus on your dog’s eyes.  This trick should produce pictures of dogs that are in perfect focus.

Background Check: Also pay attention to what’s going on in the background.  Not that you need to hang an austere and somewhat boring white sheet, but the cleaner and less busy the background the better is a good rule of thumb here.  Watch to see if you’re getting a fence pole, light pole or shrubbery that’s worked its way into the shot.  Things like that can distract from even the best of photos.

Framing: Decide if you’re going for a full body shot or something more of a close up.  A zoom lens will let you fill the viewfinder without having to invade your dog’s personal space.  Plus it will keep the camera far enough away so you don’t get an unexpected lick out of nowhere that can cover the lens with slobber.

Dog’s Eye View: If at all possible try to get the camera down to the dog’s level.  This gives you a photo at your dog’s eye view.  Some find sitting cross legged gets them down sufficiently to offer an interesting point of view for the camera lens.  Others go so far as to lay prone.  Whatever.  Good pet photographers will position themselves however they need to, to insure they get the shot they are looking for.

Attention Getters: Again, pros suggest keeping your dog’s favorite chew toy or some tasty morsels handy.  Using these can get your dog’s attention while inducing them to be themselves.  Providing an appealing expression for the camera that is just what you want to remember them by.

It’s silly to expect you’ll get the shot you want with one click of the camera.  You need patience to coax the look out of your dog that you are looking for that day.  Rome wasn’t built in a day and neither are cute dog photos.  So don’t be in a hurry.  Plus you’re going to want to take a lot of shots but with a digital camera who cares?

Okay. Now in just five minutes you can watch how an amateur photographer applies these tips to a somewhat disinterested, non-photogenic dog!

Bottom Line: Try to make your time together a fun dog day out for both you and your pet. That way when you want to snap future photos your mutt is up to it.  Giving you unlimited opportunities to create all sorts of snaps that qualify as memorable pictures of dogs that you’ll cherish forever.