….Creates Moments to Cherish

Ever see those ever so cute picture of puppies? I mean pictures of dogs are one thing. But those that capture the dog gone essence of mere pups, well they are pretty much priceless. aren’t they?

Puppies have that effect on people. And adorable photos of puppies are almost as captivating. But did you ever stop and wonder if you might be able to snap an equally precious shot of your pup? One you could cherish forever or get made into a desktop screensaver, poster, or just print out and have on your desk at work?

Getting that special shot is not as easy as you might think. Puppies aren’t exactly ready to pose for you while you fiddle with your camera. They’ve got the attention span of a fruit fly so you’ve got to expect this effort is going to result in a lots of shots that are more pit than cherry. Or images that can be deleted from your digital camera on sight.

You can also expect to spend some time chasing the puppy around the house. But this can be a good thing. Gives you a chance to burn off some excess energy. From the puppy, not you, silly.

You may have to pull them away from the trash and brush the Oreo cookie crumbs from their muzzle.

Beforehand you can identify a suitable back drop for your photo session. To bring out all the cuteness your pup can master they need to feel safe. Relaxed. Just not too relaxed. But this makes your home the prime “on location” location, the best place to attempt this shoot.

Then too the focal point should be their eyes. A tip well worth noting if you want the star of your photo to be in focus rather than all blurry. And nothing worse than to wrestling your pup’s favorite old sock out of their mouth, they strike just the right pose, and you end up with an out of focus image.

Don’t limit yourself to full body shots either. You can attach your zoom lens or get up close. Just not that close that a quick flick of the tongue can lick your camera lens. Puppy slobber seldom does much for the end result. Usually you’ll just have to wipe it off and start over again – so keep plenty of tissues handy. But you can be maybe three feet away and still fill the viewfinder with all the puppiness you could ever need.

Now some try to hold the puppy with one hand and the camera with the other. Not a formula for success. As the puppy wriggles and squirms, the camera is being jousted about. Odds of getting a good shot that way are more none than slim.

The big idea is to capture the personality as much as the image. That’s what makes for special moments when the image and personality converge.

Location again is key since having your pup comfortable makes for a more natural looking shot.

Find the best angle. Yes puppies have a good side just like you. So take full body shots, partial body shots and close ups that aim to bring out their best features be it their eyes, ears, or that wet nose.

Your camera’s flash is out. For one it tends to produce photos with red eye. Plus the flash can spook your pup. This is why natural light is your better option.

You could aim to capture things from a pets eye view. You know taken at your pet’s level? This way you convey their world through their eyes from their angle or perspective. Doing this creates a sense of intimacy you can’t produce by taking downward angle shots with you towering over the mutt.

Use you zoom to get up front and personal if the puppy can’t take this seriously. Such a lens is great for isolating your pup in the image. They are crisp and clear while the background fades with a hint of blur.

On the other hand a wide angle lens allows for fuller body shots that are still somewhat close up.

Favorite toys or treats held over your head can create an earnest look in their face. But some find this approach doesn’t usually work more than a few times so use it sparingly.

Oftentimes photographing you puppy comes down to a numbers game in that the greater the number of photos you take the better the odds are you’ll come out with what you’re looking for. So snap away McDuff. A great memory could be but a click away.

Anyway even though puppies resist posing, hate the flash and could care less whether you get a good shot or not that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t at least try to capture their photographic essence. The window of opportunity for capturing adorable picture of puppies passes all too quickly.