Christmas is a time for all the family to enjoy and it’s important to capture those special moments on camera. This week we welcome back our regular contributor and photographer, Matt Limb, who gives some tips on how to snap a great picture of your pooch.
Your Christmas Picture Perfect Pooch!
As Christmas fast approaches you can see the camera getting dusted off and prepared for the regular list of must have Christmas Photographs. The tree, the turkey, the decorations, the pudding, hopefully the snow and of course your Gran’s wonderful home knitted festive jumpers! Also likely to get snapped is your dog; at a guess with a set of clip on reindeer antlers so he is a Rudolf look-a-like!
But how do you get a really good memorable photograph of the dog? Everyone says it is easy for me because I have a good quality camera and lenses; yes they help, as they offer control over the lighting, focus and exposure. But with a few basic rules and access to either a smart-phone or a more substantial camera you will have a head start to photographing your hound this festive time of year.
So here are my six top tips to getting a good photograph of your dog over the festive season:
1. Get on your knees. Yes, get eye level and nose to nose with your dog. He will be looking into the camera which is far more natural. Shooting any subject dog or person at eye levels will give a more natural looking and pleasing photograph.
2. It’s all in the eyes. Now we have eye-to-eye with the dog, focus on his eyes. In any portrait your eye, when viewing, is drawn naturally to the eyes in the image; so make then the focal point of the images by getting them in pin sharp focus.
3. A trick for a treat. Want to really get the dogs attention so allowing time to get that memorable photograph, then temp him with a treat. There is nothing better to get him to look into the camera than having a tasty treat held by the camera, but out of the shot, cruel but true!
4. Keep the shooting short. Your dog will soon get tired and bored sitting waiting for to get that memorable photograph, so keep each photography session short. Maybe no more than a couple of minutes. Then have a look at the results, learn from the results, have a rest and then another go.
5. Keep it candid. Nothing is more rewarding that the ambush photograph! Wait until the dog is asleep, or busy with something, or somebody that has caught his attention, then creep in and get your photograph.
6. Capture the character. Finally remember you are photographing your dog, so try and capture their character, personality and spirit. Do not try and make then a dog they are not; that may include the clip on reindeer antlers! They may look good at Christmas but not so in the summer!
The final piece of advice I would give is, remember rules are made to be broken, even if they do act as a good starting point.
Matt Limb OBE is a freelance photographer and writer based in England, with a love for the outdoors and the English countryside. One of his favourite subjects to photograph is working dogs, including his own working English Springer Spaniel gun dogs, to see his Gun Dog Photography Click Here.
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