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Dixie Rose |
On April 10, 2021 we adopted a new dog. We had been looking for a dog for nearly a year but had been unable to find a small dog to fit our needs. Then, in early April, Tricia from Stray Paws Rescue contacted us and said she thought she had the perfect dog for us. Dixie is a two year old Jack Russell Terrier who had been abandoned and was rescued by Stray Paws in January. She was a month pregnant at the time and was brought to a foster home to have her pups and recover. Tricia took excellent care of her and the pups and the four pups were all adopted once they were weaned. It was then that Tricia, who had read our application, thought she would be perfect for our household. Tricia brought her over to meet us and she is indeed a perfect fit. She loves to follow my husband around and go on long walks with me. Here are the first photos I took of Dixie right after she came to our house.
Photography Tips for Dogs
Now those of you who know me or have been reading my posts know that I love photography. So, when sweet Dixie arrived you just knew she would be my next photography model. The first photos I took were quick shots to show our family and friends what the new member of our family looked like. I knew that I would want to take some better photos once Dixie got to know me better, so I did some online research on tips on photographing dogs. There is a wealth of information out there, but for now I thought I would share a few of the tips I have used. I have a lot of work to do in improving my technique but it is a fun new challenge.
Use a Black Background for Classic Portraits
I found this tip on several sites and decided to give it a try. It is not one I would have thought of on my own but I like how they turned out. My favorite is the intro photo for this article and here are two more that I like.
This first photo shows Dixie in her classic pose every time I walk up to her. She rolls over on her back and waits for me to scratch her belly. She is so cute. This was also another tip I read to have them on their back looking up at you.
On all of the tip sites that I read they suggested to get to know your pets personality and keep that it mind when taking the photos. The following photos show some of Dixie's favorite activities.
Dixie loves to watch the squirrels in our yard and on the trees in our backyard. She will spend hours just looking at them as you see in the two photos below.
When Dixie is tired from her squirrel patrol you will find her curled up on the bed or on a blanket on the sofa. Here are a couple of her resting photos.
Both of these photos also use another tip I read about online. That is to "focus on the eyes to create depth" . That isn't always easy to do because when I put a camera in front of my face Dixie tends to look away. I'll have to work more on that technique.
More Photography Tips for Dogs
Here are a few more tips that caught my interest. I will have to work on them. Stay tuned, I see another post on dog photography after I've had Dixie for a while and have perfected some of these techniques.
- Capture Owner Pet Relationship
- Think before you Snap
- Rule of Thirds- don't always have dog in center of photo. Look for unique angles.
Dog Toys Provide Hours of Fun
Dixie loves all types of dog toys, but I think balls are her favorite. Here is one she recommends.
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