Logan Baker
Logan Baker is a filmmaker based in
Denton, Texas, with a passion for all
things film photography. When he’s not
taking photos of his dog Teddy, he’s
collecting cameras and making
photography tutorials on YouTube.Technique PHOTOGRAPHING DOGS
It’s a dog ’s life
Photographing dogs is challenging; they’re usually curious, get
easily distracted and don’t trust strangers. Shutterstock shooter
Logan Baker shares some practical advice for great dog images
3
Go handheld
Unlike a human model, dogs can’t sit
still for very long. You’ll want to stay
handheld, as your subject may be moving
randomly in every direction. True,
some dogs are trained to sit
perfectly still, but not every dog
has mastered this command.
You’ll need to be ready
for anything, basically.2
If the treats don’t work
There’s always the chance a dog won’t be
interested in the treats you’re offering, or maybe you
just don’t want to walk around with a bag of treats on
you all day. In this instance, fi gure out what the dog is
interested in and use it to your advantage. This could
be a ball, a stick or a squeaky toy. Hold it near the
lens when taking your picture so that the dog’s focus
is towards the camera. Once you get your shot,
throw the toy or play with them so that the incentive
is always there.1
Tape a treat to your camera
One of the most diffi cult challenges of
photographing a dog is keeping its attention. One
thing I’ve found to work is to place a small piece of
duct tape or gaffer tape on the top of my camera and
sticking a delicious-looking treat to it. Let the dog
smell the treat fi rst, so it knows where to look. You
can even do this with your phone – it will work just as
well. Make sure to also have a small bag of treats
handy so you can reward the dog without removing
the treat from your camera.ALL PICTURES © LOGAN BAKER