Some of the most wonderful photos of dogs show them running, jumping and generally having a blast. But capturing moving dogs is no mean feat. You can often end up with blurry shots and less than crisp images!
A professional dog photographer has not only years of experience but nifty camera settings and kits that allow them to capture awesome action shots. But you can do it on your phone!
Read on for my top tips for photographing dogs running!
Photography Tip #1 – Get down low!
The biggest gamechanger when it comes to taking extraordinary photos of your dog is to get down as low as possible. The smaller the dog, the lower you need to go!
Don’t be afraid to get your knees dirty or look the fool. If you want cracking photos, then thems are the trade-offs! Or you can book a professional dog photographer! 😉
Photography Tip #2 – burn off a little energy
Most dogs don’t want to sit and pose for photos! That’s normal. Dogs want to run around, sniff and burn off their energy reserves!
Start your dog photoshoot by exercising and burning off some of that energy.
Photography Tip #3 – play focus games
Bring your dog’s energy down steadily by playing focus games and doing lots of sniffing before taking a photo. Of course, you can still capture images of your dog running, but by bringing down the speed and intensity, you’ll stand a better chance of getting in-focus photos!
Photography Tip #4 – encourage your dog to run toward you
Positioning is everything. You need your dog running towards you if you’re going to capture stunning shots of them in motion.
You can achieve this through a game of fetch or use the session to practise your recall! Release your dog to run free, then use some high-value treats and call your dog back to you.
Don’t forget to get down low, ready to snap away as your dog sprints back to you!
Photography Tip #5 – pay attention to where your dog is in the frame
Composition is an integral part of taking fantastic photos. Where your dog is in the frame will transform the focal point of your image.
When your dog is in motion, it can be easy to wind up with cropped-off ears or your dog appearing just at the top of the frame.
Try the below ideas to see what results you can achieve.
- Change your point of view. Get down on the floor for some snaps and shoot some more from high above.
- Get really close and fill the frame, so your subject is bursting out the edges.
- Use negative space. Put your subject in one part of the frame and capture them looking into the space.
Photography Tip #6 – take a gazillion photos
Can I tell you a secret? Even professional dog photographers take tons more photos than what you see in the final cut.
This is even more essential when taking photos of your dog running. Put your camera phone in burst mode and snap, snap, snap!
You can delete all the duds later!
Photography Tip # 7 – have fun!
Taking photos of your dog is all about snapping up beautiful memories, so keep it fun! Your dog will enjoy the experience more, and so will you. You’re sure to wind up with at least a couple of great photos, but the time spent together is the most important aspect of it all!
Want more expert dog photography tips?
Grab the ultimate guide to taking pawesome photos of your dog here. It’s bursting with more easy-to-action tips that you can try out and experiment with.
Plus, you can get my help with fine tuning your photography skills by sharing your snaps with me on social media. All for free!