Bestest Friend and I are doing a blog project. Each day we will write a blog post on a pre-determined theme chosen by a random noun generator. The theme for the thirteenth day of the month is "Failure."
****************
On last Sunday's post, Kae mentioned in the comments that Hannah was posed differently than the other dogs (who, to be fair, had their photos shown in that particular montage because they were ridiculous looking) and that made Hannah's photo look better. The truth is that I work really hard on posing Hannah to show off how adorable she is. I have plenty of photos of her looking ridiculous, but I try not to let those get out because it might ruin her reputation as a doggy supermodel.
Consider the photo that was on the website where we found our baby girl to adopt her:
 |
| Look at her! |
It's not the best angle for most dogs to take a photo while they're sitting down and the human is above. This one makes her look like a bat with an attitude problem.
Look at the photos that came with her documentation when we took her home:
Same pose! Same bat-like appearance! Same failure to show what a pretty girl she is!
To show off Hannah's best side, I usually take photos of her from the side AND I try not to loom over her. You can still get good shots with dogs sitting, but it doesn't have to showcase their snouts!
 |
| Get down to her level! |
Of course, I really like photos of Hannah standing in fields because I think she looks regal and you get an idea of how big she is.
 |
| Still from the side because otherwise she looks like she's all nose. |
But, I suspect most foster families or rescues can't just go around posing their dogs in fields, so another option is to have her lay down, which is what I had Hannah do at the vet.
 |
| I took this on Easter and I clipped out the McMansions behind her. Notice how I squatted down to her level. The light's not exactly right, but the pose is pretty good. |
But I guess my feeling is that if you have to take a photo of a dog in a sitting position facing straight towards the camera, at least do something to make it clear that the dog is in on the joke. And definitely squat down to their level.
 |
| Taken through the baby gate while we were taking care of cat chores and Hannah had to wait for breakfast. She was a bit grumpy and I loved how expressive her ears were here. |
It really helps that Hannah is healthier and happier now than she was in the photos from the rescue, but I maintain that we would have had a lot more competition for her if they'd taken a decent photo of her!
Do you have any tips on how to take flattering photos of pets? What about flattering photos of people? I could use some hints on that!
So cute! The only way I could ever get a photo of Barkley was by having him sit and holding a treat over his head. And omg was he ever cute. But he would inevitably move when I went to take a photo. Rex is much more amenable to the camera! Both are equally adorable, I hasten to say, but Rex definitely is easier to photograph. I like a good closeup of a snoot!
ReplyDeleteYes, I guess I should say that I can do all this posing with Hannah because SHE LISTENS TO ME. If I tell her to stay, she stays. Zelda, on the other hand, is a lot harder to get flattering photos of! I'll never post the bad ones, though. :)
DeleteOh and in terms of flattering photos for people - for selfies, always shoot from above, and make sure the light is flattering. For some reason cars have the best lighting. But shoot slightly above for sure. Also, when it's not a selfie, have someone take the photo at a slight angle above. It always works better than straight on.
ReplyDeleteHm. I feel like selfies are so hard. How do you hold your head? Straight on? At an angle? When did people learn how to do these things? How come I didn't get the lessons?
DeleteMy only tip to get the perfect shot is to take lots of pictures! We take a selfie with the dog everyday, but it's pure luck if she looks at the camera.
ReplyDeleteSelfies with pets are so hard! I have very few selfies where Hannah is looking at the camera. She's either looking at me (for instructions/treats) or away from me (because I won't give her treats). I love that you and your dog have a selfie tradition!
DeleteShe is SO lovely. A very beautiful dog, and regal is the exact right word to describe her. No idea how to take pictures of pets or people. I take a LOT of photos with my kid, but only some of them turn out.
ReplyDeleteI think the old "take a bunch of photos" and maybe you'll get one good one is the best advice. Many times I take dozens of photos of Hannah and none of them turn out. It's just a volume game, I guess.
DeleteI like how much thought you've put into this! I'm pretty bad at photography. Somehow every picture I take of the cats makes them look obese. I also need tips on how to look good in a photo- I always come out looking awkward. I like Nicole's advice- taking a picture from below is definitely to be avoided at all costs.
ReplyDeleteMaybe you should start taking photos of your kitties from above and see if that helps make them look a bit slimmer!?! I think cats are harder than dogs because cats aren't generally as well-trained. Hannah will stay if I tell her to and Zelda does not care what I have to say about anything!!
DeleteI am not a Picture Taking Person and I never have been. Before there were camera phones, I took so few photos that most people accused me of not caring about my babies'/children's lives and milestones. I also detest being IN photos, but I'm trying to be a better sport about it.
ReplyDeleteMost posed pictures are awkward-looking (of people). Hannah always looks cute and fit.
Awww... I'll pass that compliment on to Hannah.
DeleteI had a work acquaintance who died unexpectedly when she was quite young a few years back. Her father was desperately asking all her co-workers and FB friends if they had any photos of her. She just always refused photos. Since then, I've tried to be a better sport about getting my photo taken, even when I don't think I look my best. Someday someone will want those photos!
Oh man, I've wanted to write a post about this for a while because I really do think pet photography is my superpower. The trick is to take LOTS of photos and to make lots of crazy noises to get them to look at you. I usually take 10-15 photos to get that one good one where they are looking at the camera and their eyes aren't half-closed or something.
ReplyDeleteGetting good pictures of the dogs is a bit trickier. I will usually hold a treat up to get both of them to look at me, but sometimes I can snap a good one without that.
See, I disagree! I think getting photos of Zelda is SO HARD. She doesn't care if I make noises or shake toys at her. She literally will flick her ears back, so I know she hears me, but she won't move.
DeleteHannah, on the other hand, will basically do whatever I ask her to do if I give her a treat. That's easy!
I love Hannah. And yes, she looks grumpy in that last picture, but I don't blame her. 🤣
ReplyDeleteI mean, we were doing cat stuff BEFORE giving her breakfast. How rude of us! Of course she'd be grumpy.
DeleteAww, I love how much effort you put in to taking her photo! And lol at the photos on her documentation.
ReplyDeleteI take a ton of photos, like Stephany mentioned in her comment, and use the best one.
And I have LOTS of rules for photos of people to make them look good. Nothing from the ground up. No sitting down. No double chins. Etc. etc.
Oh, man, I feel like you need to give me a tutorial on how to look good in photos! It's not my strong suit.
DeleteEngie - Hannah is just so gorgeous. I know I say this all the time...BUT THOSE EYES.
ReplyDeleteThis made me laugh: "This one makes her look like a bat with an attitude problem."
I'm going to be honest with you. The photos they showed us of Hannah were so bad that we were really looking hard at a different dog. She just looked like she was all ears. Now, granted that's not ENTIRELY wrong, but she has other fine traits, including her eyes!!
DeleteHannah is a delightful model. She oozes charm. Your photos do her justice. I'd like to refine my photo skills. It's been a long time since I took a class in how-to. All I remember is composition in thirds and light is everything.
ReplyDeleteI wish I took my photos of the girls with something other than my camera phone, but I have my phone with me all the time and my actual camera hardly ever. I could probably do her even more justice, but the tool you use is the best tool, right?!
DeleteThanks for visiting my blog, and I agree with you when you mentioned that it's a little creepy with the flags being made out of hair. That's the artist's unconventional statement I guess. And Hannah is very very adorable. I actually like the first photo looking down on her face. You can really see her eyes. I bet she's a sweetie too.
ReplyDeleteOh, yes, that photo does showcase her adorable eyes, but it really doesn't give you a scale of what size she is or how big those ears are in proportion to the rest of her body! She IS a sweetie and I'm glad we looked past the bad photos to see that she's an adorable girl.
DeleteYou did well photographing your pretty pet.
ReplyDeleteThanks. It's helpful to have a cute model.
DeleteI think Hannah looks pretty cute with the bat ears, but she definitely comes off as a very different kind of dog in the pictures you take. I love that one of her through the baby gate - that's photojournalism right there. I have no advice on dog pictures - we used to have a cat, and you kind of just got what you got with him.
ReplyDeleteThe getting down on her level thing - I do hear the same advice about photographing kids- take the picture at their eye level.
I think she is a different dog now. She's much more settled and relaxed and is willing to give me a dirty look through the baby gate because she knows she'll always be loved and fed.
DeleteI think the rule of just taking a lot of photos of dogs and children is probably the best advice for us amateurs!
She is an excellent doggie model and such a pretty girl! I learned from your recent vet post that you haven't had her for all that long. I had assumed she'd been with you and dr bb for many years, but I think you said you got her in 2019 which doesn't seem like that long ago!
ReplyDeleteYes, it hasn't been super long, but it's been quite a journey trying to figure out her medical complications. That being said, I can't imagine our lives without her at this point - she's such an important part of the family!
DeleteHahaha, these pics are great!! I read this on my phone last week but had to come back to comment.... the ears!! Omg!! Our newest hamster, Summer, was the same with the ears. When she was little her ears were always perked up and they looked HUGE on her little tiny body. I have several pics where she really looks quite odd/ unattractive due to this, but in reality, now that she's settled in and home with us, she doesn't have her ears perked up like that all the time. I think when we got her, she was nervous and in sort of a flight or fight mode, which involved her ears up and "ready" for anything. Now she keeps them a bit more folded back, if that makes sense, and she looks so much cuter and not so "field mouse" looking, though...she still kinda looks like a little mouse. ;)
ReplyDeleteWe have a friend who's looking to adopt a dog and so I've been looking at a lot of photos of rescues and they are almost always from that angle. I guess if you don't have a relationship with the dog, it's easiest to hold a treat in front of it and it will sit down and you can snap a photo. I guess I'm just not sure why exactly they can't have two people do it and maybe try some different angles?
DeleteOh, poor Summer being so nervous and on high alert. Aw. Isn't it crazy what you can tell about body language from animals?
I LOVE the picture from the rescue. Those eyes! The look that says, please love me! And I love that you looked past the picture and saw the heart in the dog. What a sweetie -and a photogenic one, at that. <3 (I STILL hold out hope of meeting Hannah, the celebrity dog, one day...)
ReplyDeleteWe'll make it happen that you get to meet Hannah. She's very good about giving autographs.
Delete