How to Take Awesome Photos of a Puppy

A good photograph of a puppy can be a lasting memory of the animal. When taking the photo it is important to keep a few simple techniques in mind. Following these techniques can help you to capture the essence of your puppy or at least keep you from making the most common mistakes.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

• a puppy
• an assistant
• a toy that squeaks
• a camera
• good lighting, preferably daylight

1. Place the puppy to be photographed on a non skid surface.
2. Make sure the lighting is good, preferably use daylight
3. Use a squeak toy to gain the animals' attention
4. Snap several photos so as to have a good choice of pictures. If the photo is for advertising purposes for the sale of the puppy, be sure to get at least two shots, one of the body and one of the head. Here is the "full body" image of the puppy in the photo.
5. When preparing your photo crop out unnecessary background, notice the difference in this photo from the photo in the heading, this photo is not "cropped".

Tips & Warnings

• be sure your puppy is reasonably clean and brushed
• make sure the background does not have objectionable stuff in it, like clothing lying around on the floor or dirty dishes that will show in the photo's background
• Using a treat or a sound will get the puppy's attention
• The most important rule is to GET ON THE SAME LEVEL as the puppy
• When taking photos of several puppies, keep written records as you go
• puppies that are being photographed will do better when they have been allowed to investigate their surroundings a bit first. It is important that the puppy is not afraid and that the experience is pleasant for him.