Taking Better Photos

Professional looking pet portraits will make such a difference to your social media posts and the look of your website

Smart phones and relatively cheap cameras are all capable of taking great photos these days. If you just follow a few simple tips you’ll be able to take some pretty impressive photos!

Of course, the better the snaps you take the more you’ll be showing off the quality of your work. Better photos are guaranteed to enhance your profile on social media and they will transform any website.

Example photos...

Study the examples below and challenge yourself to see if you can take some better snaps! (use the arrows above the images to browse).

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1. Looking at the camera is almost always best

If you compare these two photos of the same dog you’ll notice that in one he looks pensive and a little worried – this is simply because he’s looking away from the camera.
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2. The tilt of the head captures personality

The dog’s head will be moving – so use a sport mode if your phone or camera has one. A plain and neutral coloured background provides a good contrast for the coat colour and avoids any mess in the background.
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3. Varying your photos

Simply change the angle of the camera – pointing the camera downwards or even upwards to help improve your compositions. Note – it’s best to use simple backgrounds but changing these also helps.
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4. Lighting is so important

Try to avoid using a flash – natural light will always give you the best results. So the easiest way to get great lighting is to do your photograpy outdoors.
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5. If you need to take photos inside...

Find a place that gives you lots of natural light. Don’t point your phone or camera in the direction of the sun – too much direct light coming straight into the lens will ruin your photo. Compare the two photos above – can you tell which one was taken outdoors? Can you work out where the light is coming from? Look for shaded areas that aren’t being directly lit – these add real depth to the images.

Follow our expert top tips!

Taking better photos is easy when you know how! Don’t expect to get perfect results as soon as you pick up your phone or camera – a bit of planning, trial and error and taking loads of photos will always pay dividends.

Expert Top Tips...

If you can follow these simple tips you’ll be amazed at the improvement in your photos. (use the arrows above the images to browse).

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1. Select a large image size

Make sure your phone or camera is set up to take larger format photos – remember its easy to scale a picture down in size but you can’t scale them up!
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2. Tidy up and declutter

Try not to take photos when there’s loads of stuff in the background – either tidy up or move your camera position! In the image above, there’s too much junk and very poor lighting – can you see the lights coming from behind?
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3. Grab the dog’s attention

For the perfect shot you want the dog to be looking straight into the camera lens – you’ll notice that none of the photos on this page have quite managed this. But it’s so easy to do – just hold a treat or use a squeaker next to your phone or camera.
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4. Use natural light

Almost any photograph is improved by using natural light – so whenever you can, try to take your photographs outdoors. If you have to take a shot indoors then try and position yourself close to a large window – with outside light shinng on you and the dog.
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5. Look out for photo opportunities

If your phone’s in reach be prepared to take a few snaps of a sleeping puppy or a post bath pooch – they’ll make great portraits

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