How to Capture Great Puppy Pictures

You are excited to pick up your new puppy. Puppies grow so fast that you’ll want to get a few photos of your pup during these early stages so that when they weigh 75 pounds you can look back and be amazed at how small they once were. The great thing about taking digital photos is that you can take lots of puppy photos and not worry about the bad ones.

You can get great shots whether you have a digital SLR or a digital point-and-shoot camera. You can get great buys on used items if you search the internet. One thing about photography enthusiasts is that they always want to be on the cutting edge, so last year’s model will be sold to make way for this year’s models. This leaves some great deals for the rest of us.

Now that you have your camera, you need to make sure you know how to operate it. You’ll need fast shutter speeds to be able to capture a puppy running. You will need to know this if you are in a low light situation. The camera flash is horrible and it’s too close to the lens. Try to take all your photos without flash. You need to know white balance to get the right color in any light setting. Usually this is set to cloudy, sunny, incandescent, etc. through your camera’s menu system. Point-and-shoot cameras usually have modes that set everything up for you, like portrait or landscape. White balance can be set through an automatic setting in the camera.

Now you have your camera, you know how you are going to shoot, and you take your pup home. They won’t stay still long enough to take pictures. It’s a good idea to wear your pup down a bit before he wants to shoot. Play catch or chase each other. Those shots will be easier when they don’t have that puppy energy pumping.

Want some great professional photos? Get down to your dog’s level. This may mean lying on your stomach, but I guarantee these will be your best shots. Come closer too. Fill the whole frame with that cute puppy face or just part of it.

Basically, you are shooting portraits most of the time. Take advice from professional portrait photographers and always focus on the eyes. You’ll get those beautiful expressions if you stay focused on the eyes. You don’t want a frontal portrait where the nose is in focus and the eyes are not.

Finally take tons of photos. Most of your shots will be out of focus. Even if they look in focus on your camera’s LCD screen, they may still be out of focus when enlarged on your computer. I never use the LCD to see if I’m in focus. I use it for proper exposure and white balance. Professional photographers take a lot of photos but only show the best.

Your new puppy will be grown before you know it, so take lots of pictures. Having someone else to call the puppies attention is also a good idea. You’ll be happy to have lots of great puppy photos to look at after your dog grows up.