I know a lot of you humans, especially in the veterinary world, depend on us pets looking our best to make your marketing and social media extra attractive.
It seems a lot of you also like holding up your cellphones to other humans, to show off your own incredibly attractive personal pets.
As a proudly handsome dog myself, I’ve learned a thing or two about making sure my pictures look great when I’m on display. You see, I’m the type of hound who’s not just been a photo model, but also appeared in a few TV commercials. So, I’ve heard humans talk a lot about how to do things right.
Here are the top 3 photo tips that my big ears have collected:
1. Go for the “golden hour”
Ever hear photographers talk about the golden hour? Without getting too technical about it, this is the hour right after the sun comes up or the hour right before it goes down. Think of it like a picture-taking happy hour. It makes special things easier to get: The light is often more beautiful than other times of day. It’s also easier to avoid hard shadows and simpler to have back-lighting give just the right glow.
2. See eye to eye
Get down on the pet’s eye level. See the world how they would see it or how another dog or cat would. Think about it. Would you have someone stand four or five feet over you to take your headshot? Pets look far more relatable if you see them face to face, even if you need to kneel or lay on the ground to do it. And if you want to really pull on some human heartstrings, zoom in close and intimate.
3. Get a dog or cat to do their thing
Know that thing a pet does that’s so lovably cute, or beautiful—or goofy? Aim to capture that. Get a dog to “smile” by making sure he’s panting. Go for a hot day or run him before you shoot. Or catch him flying in the air by positioning yourself where you know he’ll soon run past you. To get pet ears to perk or their eyes to look where you want, try using a squeaky toy to get their attention. Or get a cat in action, by having them chase a laser light.
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Catch you next time, humans!