How To Take Family Portraits With Your Dog

How To Take Family Portraits With Your Dog – Six Useful Tips

If you have a dog, you know that they are a big part of your family. In fact, often times people get a dog before they have a child. If you are contemplating including you dog in your next family portrait session, here are six tips on how to take family portraits with your dog.

First, Let Your Photographer Know Beforehand

If you are planning to take family portraits with your dog, make sure to let your Photographer know beforehand. Most Photographers approach sessions with pets differently than they would without pets. For example, they may have toys or gadgets that they use to grab your pets attention. And taking family portraits with dogs and young children can be one of the more difficult kind of family portraits to take. The more information your Photographer knows about your family prior to the session, the better 😉

Make Sure The Location Is Dog Friendly

Along the same lines of letting your Photographer know beforehand, you’ll also want to make sure that the location of your session is pet friendly. In my experience, the majority of locations I typically shoot at are pet friendly. However, there are at least a couple of locations that I frequently shoot at that do not allow pets. For example, Shoreline Lake Park in Mountain View.

Keep Smiling

One of the most useful tips I can recommend for taking family portraits with your dog is to keep smiling. Often times, families will have a stressed look on their face because they feel that their dog is not cooperating. In my experience, dogs will look at the camera, and give the perfect smile and quickly look away. In the split second that your dog is looking at the camera, it is important that you are also giving your best smile. As long as your Photographers camera is up, make sure you are smiling and having fun. Your Photographer will let you know if anything does not look right or needs to be changed.

Bring A Leash

The fourth tip on taking family portraits with your dog is to bring a leash. Most locations will require that your dog be on a leash. And the leash can also be used to keep your pet in place while taking pictures. Also, keep in mind that your dog may not be in every posed photo. When they are not actively taking pictures, they can be tied up nearby. If possible, I also recommend bringing along a friend who can help grab your dogs attention. When your dog is not in pictures, a friend can also help keep your dog occupied.

Don’t Forget The Treats

Another useful tip on taking family portraits with your dog is to bring treats. Most dogs will behave much better by being incentivized with treats. The treats can be given after successfully taking pictures or they can be held by your Photographer to get your dog looking towards the camera.

Let Your Photographer Know Words Or Phrases That Your Dog Loves

Along with treats, a phrase that your dog loves can also be a great way to get your dog looking at the camera. The phrase can be as simple as your dogs name, or a phrase letting your pet know that a squirrel is close by 🙂 You will know your dog much better than your Photographer – so let them know any small things that can help keep your dog engaged in the session.

If you are planning on taking family portraits with your dog, hopefully these tips have been helpful. Thanks!