Spring is here, the daffodils are up and the clocks go forward this weekend. I’m sure many of you will be taking advantage of the weather to go and walk your dog in some beautiful countryside and will want to record the memories of your walk with pictures. If you want to take even better pictures this weekend, then read on as I give you my three top tips for taking better dog portraits on your walk this weekend with whatever camera you already have.
1 – Watch your background
The background of your image can make or break the photograph. Common mistakes include poles growing out of heads and a lot of mess in the background. It is much better to find an expanse of grass or a hedge to use as a backdrop. At this time of year with the daffodils out that bright splash of yellow could add some awesome background interest.
2 – Missing the focus
Be careful when focusing your camera. It can be very easy for modern cameras to focus on something else in the frame. Ideally, you want the sharpest point of the portrait to be the eyes. Using your smartphone? You can pick where you want the sharpest point to be by tapping on the part of the screen you want to focus on.
3 – Change your viewpoint
For the most part we tower over our dogs (except maybe a child and a great dane). Pointing the camera downwards at your dog rarely makes for a great dog portrait. Try getting down to their level so you are taking your photographs with your camera level to their eyes. I guarantee it’ll improve your image.
So those are my three top tips for taking better dog portraits. Go out, have a great walk and get an awesome dog portrait at the same time. I’d love to see any images you take using the tips above so be social and share them on either Twitter or Facebook and don’t forget to tag me in the post so I can see it.
Happy walks….
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