Dog Portraits at Home: Capture Creative Funny Photos of your Pet

1. Introduction: Being a duck owner means your camera roll as probably filled with hundreds of photos of your dog. All of them are quite similar. You want to take unique shots that will present the fun side of your furry friend. By watching this class, you will get plenty of inspiration and depths for capturing funny dog photos. Hi there, I'm Clara and I've been working as a photographer and videographer for about eight years. I've been shooting mostly weddings, engagements, and families. But two years ago I edit something quite different to my niche. I started to photograph ducks. I'm a huge dopa lover and taking photos of them as a dream coming through. There was a lot to learn. Every dog has a different personality and over the years, I've found ways how to work with their unique temperaments. Dogs are my favorite creators and I'm excited to share my insights about the dock photography with other enthusiast. It's difficult to find a person who doesn't like NMOS. So bad photography always attract much attention on social media. Whether you're looking for original photo ideas to grow your following, or you just want to have a unique, long-lasting memory of your bet. You're in the right place. The magnus glass achievable for everyone, I've decided to use a minimum of equipment. Successfully finished this class, you will need to have a camera. Dslr and mirrorless cameras are preferred. But if you don't have a camera, you can use your phone. Editor. Beginning of the class, I'll talk about the preparations needed for the shoot. I'll explain how to find the best spot, where to set up your home studio, and what camera settings are used for the dog photos. I'll then show you different ideas for the funny dog photos. Will play, dress up. Let them get some rest, eat. Gauge the flying food. Make them act like humans. And make fun of the well-known similarity between the dark and its owner. In the end, our talk about post-processing to get the most out of your shots. Throughout the lessons, I'll keep sharing with you my insights and tips on how to work with your dogs to keep them engaged. If you're watching this class, you're most likely a dog enthusiasts. Let's share this passion for dogs. Photography with each other. For the class project, choose one pose from the class and take a photo of your dog. Share your funniest shot with us in the project section so we can all admire your standard window. After finishing the class, you'll be able to take unique pictures of your family member, even without expensive equipment. I hope you're excited to start our fun dog photo shoot. Let's get into it. 2. Class Project: As a final project, you will choose one creative dog photography idea that I'll talk about and take a photo of your pet. It can be a dog or any other animal. To finish the class project, you will need a DSLR or mirrorless camera, Florida photos where the pets then still you will be able to shoot even with your phone. At first, walk around your apartment and find a spot with the best natural light, where you will set up your home photo studio. Find a large piece of colorful fabric that you will use as your backdrop. Get all the stuff like props, entry, it's ready and you can start shooting. You have to be strict, so the dog lessons to you, but you have to remember that it is mostly a fun session. You should motivate the dog with kind words and three, to reward them for all the hard work. This assignment is an opportunity to start thinking out of the box. This is different from pet photography that you see all around. Our pets bring us so much joy. I think they deserve to have their special fun photo branded on the wall and be shared with the whole world. With these funny photos. You will have stuck this for sure. After completing the class, check out the project description and enjoy shooting. Upload your funniest photo in the project section to share your creativity with everyone. And now let's dive right in. 3. Preparation: Surroundings, Light & Camera Settings: You have to prepare everything well before you start taking pictures. Ducks attention starts to wane pretty quickly. And if you don't want to end up with photos of asleep, adopt, make sure you have everything ready before you start shooting. First, think about your occasion, whether you want to shoot outside or indoors. Choose the location without distracting background. I like to have my background simple so that I have all the attention focused on the bed. I don't want trees growing from its head or crazy colorful patterns in the background. To make it simple when shooting indoors, I like to use one colored backdrop for playful, funny photos, quirky pastel colors work awesome. But you can also use simple black or white backdrop or a solid color wall will do the work. If you want to have some colors in your photos, find a piece of fabric, a curtain, or a tablecloth, and experiment with different background colors. Walk around your flood. And I'm pretty sure you will find something to use as your backdrop. When you're choosing your location, you have to think about the light at the same time. Because I want this class to be for everyone, no matter your experience level and using just basic equipment, I have decided I will avoid using external light. As I feel not many beginner photographers will have one at home. Therefore, we need to choose our location based on the light. It shouldn't be too dark or with sharp shadows. We want to find a spot with nice soft light. Set up your shooting spot close to the windows so that your dog has nice soft light on its face. Sometimes you need to improvise with setting up the backdrop, but I love these challenges. This is one example of how you can create a simple DIY home studio in your living room. The last thing we should get ready before the shoot is our equipment. I use a mirror less camera with various lenses indoors where I don't have much space. I like to use a wide angle lens. I use ten to 24 millimeters on a crop sensor, which would be about 15 to 35-millimeter equivalent on full-frame camera. Wide-angle lenses are great for pet photography as you can be closer to your pet and manage it better. This is especially useful if you don't have anyone else to help you keep the dog. Cooperating. Lighting also gives you a different perspective and funny distortions that you can use to your advantage. You can move around and play with unusual angles. You set your shutter speeds depending on how quick your pet is moving. If it's still, you can shoot at 100th of a second. But I would rather use shutter speed no longer than one 250th of a second, because your dog will most likely keep moving. If it moves quickly, you'll need to go even faster and use about 500 or one-thousandth of a second. Let's talk about aperture, which can be tricky when shooting Dogs. To separate the background from our subject, he would usually go for a very shallow depth of field. But because unlike humans, most dogs have a long snowed. I like to use aperture of about eight to avoid blurring the nose too much. With boxers or bucks, It's doesn't matter that much. Madrid, all the other breeds you need to decide if you want to keep the focus on the eyes, the nose, or if you want to have their whole face in focus. The last thing that's left is to bring a lot of threads to reward the good boy and some props that we will potentially use. And of course get your dock ready. It is the main star of the photoshoot. 4. Dress Up: When shooting your dark, you always need to keep in mind that you have to be patient with yourself into your doggies mindset. You have to understand that they have no idea what the camera is. In fact, the lens of a DSLR camera can actually be scared to them. The first thing I'll always do at the start of a short is still at every dog get comfortable around me, the environment, and my cameras. I loved them. Sniff, play and explore. After you become friends and you feel it's the right time to start, we can get into it. The first photo, I have chosen, the colorful background. I have found this light blue bed sheet and I want to capture figure dressed up in some of my clothes. They are really bright and colorful photo. I have never dressed him up a bit for so I'm really keen to see how he's going to like it. I have photographed multiple dogs in past. Some of them were enjoying all the attention and dress ups. Others were more difficult to work with. Beak is still above a very playful and crazy. So it will be a challenge to keep him in place. At the end, I have chosen this bright red turtleneck to have a nice contrast to the background. I have some ideas what I want to capture, but with a dog, you really need to improvise. Sometimes you can do it the best styling, but the dog decides to not cooperate and lays down and not moving, looking set. The photos are always depending on the dog's personality and mood. Be sure to offer regular rewards. Otherwise, you might find your ducks. Attention starts to wane. Take a lot of breaks and treat it as a fun session. Always stop working when the dog stops having fun and let him rest. I think that is quite enjoying the shoot and I loved the photos we took so far. Let's try some more dress ups. Most beds are won over by either toys or treats. Once you decide which motivator your doc will respond to the best, used it to get his attention. If you wave a treat under a duck's nose and then pull it upwards, chances are that he will look up at you and you can use those brushes seconds where he's focused on the street to get your shot. Or if squeaky toys or tennis balls are his things, you can hold them near him to get him interested. And then shoot in burst mode while he is waiting for you to throw them. Also works amazing with most dogs, estimate a squeaky sound. The duck will be focused during its head from side-to-side. So make sure you have your camera ready at all times. When using props. It's really about your creativity and this is a perfect way how to bring out the personality of your dog through the photo. 5. Good Night, Doggo: Our second chute will be more relaxed. I will shoot 50k in his favorite position, which shows his personality the best, laying on his back. It shouldn't be difficult to get him to this pose as he basically does it all the time. For duck photography, I like to use colors. So for this shoot, I'll take a blue blanket and set up a bed for him by the window. I want to have as much natural light as possible, especially on his face. I tried to calm him down. He's really easygoing and relaxed the doc, so I think we will nail this pose. I calm him down by rubbing his neck or belly, which makes him even more relaxed and he starts to fall asleep. That's why I have decided to include it in this shoot. Letting him settle and be himself is the best option. When he starts to bite and play, I do a few more scratches and problem-solved. You know, best, what works for your dog? When I see he's very relaxed and doesn't pay much attention to me. I can add prompts or do a dress up again. If you shooting for a client with a dog that you meet for the first time, it's important to learn as much as you can about the dog's behavior and habits. Spend some time with them before you start snapping and ask the owner withdrew dog likes and dislikes, try to include it in your shoot. After I get to know the dog, I start with the challenging poses like the dress ups or catching the food. And I started shooting the length poses when the dog starts to be tired. So usually towards the end of the shoot. 6. Tongue Out : This is the favorite part of the shoot for all the docs. It is time for yogurt. Some dogs prefer yogurt, others peanut butter. It doesn't really matter what you use. As you see, yogurt doesn't come off in one go. It's texture forces your dog to keep licking. And you will have plenty of time to capture some funny expressions. When it comes to this part of the shoot, all the ducks forget about the camera and focus on the best treat in the world, yogurt or peanut butter. And you have one their full attention. This is best to do at the very end of the shoot because these messy eaters will have it all over the face. I like to shoot from different angles and use various focal length. We can either go really close with a wide angle lens and shoot from different perspectives. Or go a little bit farther away to have some space around in case you decide to use some props or graphics for the final photo. These photographers sessions have a similar intensity to a dog training session and require the same sort of mental focus from a dog. You will see that after a few shots your dog gets tired. So make sure that your photo shoot is fun and entertaining for the dock. It shouldn't be too long. If it is, the dog will lose interest and we'll look tired, making it clear to everyone that you forced it to let you take it's pictures. I think we have some really fun photos. This is one of the easiest tricks on how to do creative pet photos. I didn't meet a dog who wouldn't enjoy this part of the shoot. And it's a great way how to make friends with them. I include this post and every of my shoots, and it doesn't matter if the dog is big or small, crazy or calm. Day. All I love it. 7. Catch the Food: Our next shoot involves food. So get your dog's excited. Throwing streets in the year to capture their expression is always hilarious. It sounds easy, but capturing the perfect split second for the opportunity requires anticipation and timing. First, you need to find the perfect tree, something that your dog loves, and it's easy to split into small pieces of the same size to make it easier for the dog. Were most likely not going to take the perfect showed on the first goal, but rather needs tens of tries. The streets should be small enough so the dog doesn't get full and also taste enough. I have tried to teach week to catch the foot in the air with normal dog food, but he didn't even bother to try to catch it. Heated weight when it fell underground. I know he loves cucumber and he will do everything he can to catch it in the air. Most of my images are captured in a fraction of a second. To think in burst mode will make things way easier. And this abate movements before they happen and you're ready when they do. Once you see the short grab it as quickly as you can. For these quick movements, you'll need to set a faster shutter speed. I would recommend one thousandth of a second. This will also give you the possibility to use a narrow aperture, which will make it easier to get the face in focus. During a photo session, I take hundreds of images of which I chose above ten to give my clients. I like to capture more than I need to ensure I haven't missed any of the pulses I'm after. It's always better to shoot in burst mode and overshoot than to miss that one millisecond, that one. Perfect moment. Any dog photographer should, I do takes longer than a family shoot because as much as we love our dogs, they aren't easy to photograph. The photograph or dark. We have to enter their world and play by the rules, be patient, the right shot will come. Eventually. You need to have constant interaction to maintain the ducks attention. I sit very close to them to keep them engaged. You have to work fast and capture the images you need Wycliffe. By doing so, your dog doesn't have time to get bored. Eats my bank. And you make some hilarious moments. 8. Dog or Human?: For our next shot, our joint feet in front of the camera. What I want to achieve is a photo of a dog acting like a human. So I will use fixed dog face with my human arms. If you have someone to help you, it would make things so much easier. If not, you may need to rely on a self timer on your camera and you will need a lot of patients. I believe it will be tricky to do everything by myself to set up the camera and focus properly. And at the same time, act in front of the camera without seeing what you're actually shooting or what's your dog's facial expression? It's gonna be a challenge, but that's why we're here. So let's get into it. For this photo, I wanted to show fig behaving like a human using his head and hopefully some nice expression and human arms. It needs to look like my arms are growing from figs body, so I will use this shirt to camouflage it. At first I have to set my camera for interval shooting. I will use four seconds so that every four seconds the camera will take a shot. And I will set a start in one minute. I have some time to get us ready. It will keep shooting until I turn it off. The first shot I wants to try is 50k reading a book, looking smart, thinking or acting like he's giving a lecture. It goes to think about what you want to achieve beforehand and activate your hands accordingly. I'm trying to keep both arms engaged, but I also have to direct fixed head and keep him nice and gone. Let's try another outfit. I will let the intellectual 50k rest and I will do a more relaxed look now with a bathrobe and a towel. Patients was the first thing I had to learn when I started photographing animals. And it's a crucial factor when taking portraits of your dog. You have to motivate the dog with brace and streets during the shoot. That way it will connect photographer with something pleasant and it will be happy to cooperate. Repeating movements and words Gormley and gently create a chart atmosphere. And again, you have to learn patients. I think we were shooting for almost an hour and it's been too long for both of us. Maybe even more for me. I'm exhausted doing this shoot by myself. It's a lot of running back and forth, trying to focus and compost properly and trying to cover yourself behind the dog, which would be much easier with a bigger dog. Beak also likes to lay down on his back all the time. So I had to hold him up with one arm and try to act with the other one. It was more difficult than I thought my first day sessions where either out-of-focus or badly compost. That's why it took me so long to take the shot. If someone offers to assist you with the shoe that and definitely pick up on that offer and have them take care of the dog. That way you can concentrate only on photography and it will make your shoot so much easier. This shoot was definitely one of the most challenging, but also the funniest one. I encourage you to give it a try. I'm super keen to see what you have created and shared a human-like photo of your dog in a project section that you will find under this video. 9. Pet and Owner: There is a general belief that animals and their owners look similar. If it's still in your case, you can take really funny photos together with your pet side-by-side. Remember to select your outfit accordingly and match the hairstyle and makeup they gave to the extreme and style yourself to look like your dog as much as you can. Take a photo of your bed with some distinct facial expression. Do they tilt their head when you make a certain sound? Do they do tricks on command? If so, take advantage of it as these are, use things to capture. I have chosen two photos from our previous shoots that I want to imitate. Let's give it a try. When you are happy with the result, let them rest and it's your turn. Try to mimic the same expression, which together with the matching outfit, hair and makeup at the dissimilarity. You can then put the photos next to each other in Photoshop and wait for everyone's reaction. I think you will get a lot of success. 10. Post Production: Photographing animals is not easy. You can't force them, are rushed him to do what you want. They keep moving and running way datum poles or stand still in order for you to get a mesmerizing shot. And you will most likely need to spend some time editing the photos to get a professional look. When I go through the photos in Lightroom, I choose the ones I like and I write the full dose with stars to make the selection process easier. It doesn't matter if the composition is not perfect. I'm looking for great facial expressions. At first, I do basic correction. I brighten up the shadows and also the eyes so that they are nice and bright. As the next step, I usually edit the colors. Sometimes I want to make the background to more saturated or change its colors a little bit. I play with the colors until I'm happy with the result. Now let's move to the most time-consuming part, editing the background. If I had a professional and backdrop, the background would be nice and smooth and I wouldn't have to edit it too much. When I took photography for my clients, I use a paper backdrop on a stand, which makes it pretty easy. But because they wanted to make this workshop for everyone, we were using fabrics that we found in the closet, like curtains and bedsheets. And I put them on a chair so it wasn't stretched properly. I can see faults and a lot of shadows on the backdrop. I have to edit all these. It's easier to do it in Photoshop where I use the patch tool for the biggest fault and clone stamp tool to smooth than the background. I basically use just these two tools. Sometimes I need just a few minutes to make the background smooth. Other times, it takes a little bit more time. I'm pretty happy with the result. Now, I think the final photo looks awesome. If you try to stretch your background properly when shooting, you will have less work with editing. But with stock photography, you will usually have to do at least some background corrections and either grab the photos or clone the background as dogs keep moving. Sometimes I captured the best expression when it moves to the edge or out of the backdrop. So I just cloned the background on the spots where it's missing. The better light we have when shooting and the smooth ER, backgrounds, the easier it will be for us to edit the photos. So think about it when you start shooting. On the other hand, if you're not quite happy with the raw photo, don't throw it in a band and give editing a try. If you have some practice in post-production, you can fix a lot and do real magic with editing software. Keep trying and stay creative. When I post on social media, I sometimes at graphics like speech bubbles or comics bubbles, if it suits the photo. Don't be scared to get creative in postproduction. It can make the photo even more eye-catching. 11. Final Thoughts: Thank you guys for staying with me until the end, and congratulations on completing the class. You are now ready to capture some unique and fun photos of your pet. If there is one thing I hope you take from this class is that you can think creatively and out of the box with any kind of photoshoot. Doesn't matter if you shoot photos of people or animals escaped the crowds. Find your unique style and have fun. Because that's what life should be all about. Share your best photo with us in the project section, and don't hesitate to get in touch if you have some questions about the class or if you want to give me a feedback, I'm always happy to hear from my students and get to know you. If you liked this class. Follow me here on Skillshare and livery view. It's really important to help me grow. Feel free to follow me on socials, on my personal Instagram or on my doc Instagram. If you're keen to get better at pet photography, you may find some inspiration there. Now grab your camera and take this as an opportunity to bond with your pet and create some beautiful memories. Have fun shooting.