Dog Photography with Edward M. Fielding

A few years ago my wife’s boss rescued a scared, timid little hairless mutt from a trailer home where it lived in fear of the other large dogs living in the tiny run down shack of a home.

I posed the little fella with his new mom as a vet giving him a check up. This was a practical situation as the little guy would not leave her side and always wanted her to hold him or at least touch him. So this pose worked out great as it calmed him as well as provided a bit of storyline for the image.

Getting a nervous dog that just won’t pay attention or sit still for a moment is one of the biggest challenges of pet photography. Small pets can be placed in containers that provide visual depth to the image as well as contain them, at least for a little while. Just be careful they don’t jump down from high heights and hurt themselves.

Treats and clickers can be used to get the dog’s attention. Great expressions can be had with an unexpected noise just before the shutter is clicked. “Parents” of the animals can be a help or a distraction. Limit it to one other person in the room with you as you’ll be fighting for the dog’s attention if the owner is making too much of a fuss. Another person in the room is very handy for making sure the dog is in position but they can also get in the way of the shot or cause undue commotion. But they can help position the pets and provide for their safety.

Great dog photography is all about a great idea and of course wonderful, cute dogs.  To see more of my pet photography, check out this link – https://edward-fielding.pixels.com/art/dog