Every dog is unique and, in the eyes of every ‘pet parent’, the most beautiful animal to ever walk the earth. And that’s just how it should be. But how do you capture that spirit, that personality, that ‘special something’ about your dog in a photograph that you’ll always treasure? Well, the good news is that the advent of affordable digital cameras has made it easier than ever…

The techniques for capturing a stunning image of your dog are pretty much the same that you’d use for taking photos of any other kind of wildlife – immense patience; flexibility over lighting and exposure; awareness of the feelings of the animal; and lots and lots of shots! With a digital camera it doesn’t matter how many images you take, so you can snap away to your heart’s desire – the more shots you take, the better chance of catching that one perfect image. Even so, it’s a great idea to be prepared so here are some handy tips you may want to consider…

Be focused

Before you even pick up your camera to photograph your dog, think about what it is you really want to capture for posterity. Is it the way he manages to sprawl over the maximum possible area of carpet when he’s asleep? Or the way he leaps like a gazelle when he hears the sound of dinner being served? If you have a specific objective, time your ‘photo shoot’ accordingly and wait for the moment.

Focus is also important from the perspective of achieving the sharpest image. Remember, a camera’s auto-focus system will have more success locking onto a solid object (like an eyeball or a collar) than a clump of fur. And if your dog is moving and changing his distance from the camera, remember to keep focusing and refocusing all the time to compensate, so when that perfect moment happens, you can capture it in ‘pin-sharp’ resolution.

Be patient

Your dog doesn’t understand that you’re trying to take his picture – that’s why he refuses to obey commands like “stay still, right there!” or “move just a little to the left”. So you’re just going to have to wait for him to strike the perfect pose in his own good time. Let him relax, don’t chase him. If you want him to look at the camera, try holding a favourite toy above your camera to grab his attention.

Be bright

As a general rule, flash photography and animals don’t go well together. Some dogs are alarmed at the sudden bright light, and flash does tend to ‘bleach’ out the rich colours of an animal’s markings. Natural light – either outside or streaming through a window indoors – is not only far less ‘traumatic’ for the dog but also gives far better results in terms of colour reproduction. And if there’s not quite enough light, the beauty of digital is that you can always artificially brighten the shot later on your PC.

Be prepared