Photobird Daily

Dogs are hilarious. When they’re puppies, everything is new to them so they want to smell everything and everyone. When they’ve had some years under their collar, they’ve smelled all of the usual stuff so it’s no big deal to them. But if a city dog, for example, gets a whiff of something they don’t usually get to smell, like chicken manure fertilizer, “Oh boy, gotta smell that. Yeah, that’s new. Added it to my list. Okay, I’m done. Let’s go.” On the other hand, older dogs are like, “Yeah, whatever. Just get me home so I can crash on the floor and watch TV.”

To help capture your dog’s unique personality, Kim Levin, best-selling author of Why We Love Dogs and Cattitude, has a new book entitled PhoDOGraphy: How to Get Great Pictures of Your Dog. In this heartwarming book, Kim Levin shares her practical ideas for taking great photos of our four-legged friends. She has photographed thousands of dogs over the past ten years for outlets such as Animal Planet and Reader’s Digest, as well as for everyday people who simply love their dogs and want fine art photographs of them.

PhoDOGraphy is a wonderful book. It’s easy to read with lots of beautiful dog photos. The size of the book is also handy: It’s very easy to flip through if you want to learn a new tip or just want to look at great dog photos. Although smaller than typical coffee table books, I think it would still make a great coffee table book and a great gift at only around $12 on Amazon.com.

Kim Levin covers a lot of ground in PhoDOGraphy. Of course, she writes about dog portraits, including the head tilt, but she even explains the challenges and solutions for photographing black dogs. She discusses photographing indoors as well as outdoors, and has tips for photographing groups of dogs, dogs and cats, babies and dogs, kids and dogs, puppies, older dogs, big dogs, small dogs, and big and small dogs together.

Ten Tips for Fantastic Holiday Pet Portraits

Here are Kim Levin’s ten best tips for taking fantastic holiday pet portraits, and as the saying goes, she encourages “Practice makes perfect.”

1. Develop a rapport with your pet. Before you take any photographs, spend some time getting your dog to relax, and pay attention to you. Create a more relaxed atmosphere by talking to them and letting them know that you love them.

2. Cookies, cookies, cookies. Use food and treats to your advantage. Treats help pets stay in one place so you can take several shots at a time. Call their name to get their attention away from the treat or take the photo while they are waiting for their treat.

3. Make some noise. My best shots come when I use a high pitched “shrill” sound or a harmonica. Some dogs tilt their head to these sounds.

4. Dressing up. Grab a stash of winter accessories for your pet to wear. Dogs have difficulty keeping hats and scarves on their heads so shoot fast!

5. Indoors with natural lighting. I like to photograph dogs where they are most at home and comfortable. If you are looking for a traditional holiday portrait, place your dog in front of the tree or on the staircase with tinsel in the background. Natural lighting is preferred because artificial lighting sometimes scares pets, and they won’t stay in one place too long.

6. Photograph outdoors. Photographing outdoors is ideal because it allows dogs to be playful and happy, creating more personality-driven photographs. Utilize natural backgrounds such as a first snowfall in the woods or a pile of autumn leaves. Let your dog romp around and start shooting.

7. On the porch. If you don’t want the traditional holiday portrait in front of the tree but still want your pictures to look festive, consider photographing your dog on a porch with your decorated front doors behind him.

8. Get down on the same level. Roll around and lay down on the floor so that you are eye-level with your dog. This unique positioning shows you the world from your pet’s perspective.

9. Strike a pose. If you have a small dog, place them on a chair or a bench so they can’t run away.

10. Always have a camera handy. Taking a great holiday photo takes time, so have patience and keep your camera close by. Some of my best pet portraits have been truly spontaneous. When your pet smiles or rolls around on the ground in a funny manner, pull out the camera and begin photographing. Take as many shots as possible because it usually takes many to get a really great one.

Get Your Chance to Win PhoDOGraphy!

PhoDOGraphy is published by my favorite book publisher, Amphoto Books, which also publishes Understanding Exposure, by Bryan Peterson. Understanding Exposure is listed as a prize each month for the Photobird Photo Contest, but the winners actually get to choose a book. Winners may choose one of the books listed on the page at http://amphotobooks.com ; click the book covers and if “Amphoto” is listed under the ISBN number at the top, then the book is available as a prize. The following books are also available as prizes:

• Hands-On Digital Photography
• Night & Low-Light Photography
• The Art of People Photography
• Beyond Portraiture by Bryan Peterson
• Mastering HDR Photography, by Michael Freeman
  
• Baby Face

Enter the Photobird Photo Contest for your chance to win PhoDOGraphy!

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