Our dog is spoiled. These are facts. She’s not the only dog on the block that is spoiled. CoCo, our 15 month old Beagle is a #CovidPuppy. We (my husband would argue not him) got her during the early weeks of lockdown in 2020 after our 10-year-old beloved MaltiPoo Aria passed away suddenly. (She had an underlying heart condition and we were fortunate to get nearly two more years with her than expected.)
Grieving our dog, plus the pandemic, and other personal challenges, meant in my humble opinion, we needed another dog to bring some life back to our house. Well, we got that and more in a super energetic and social pup. And I love taking photos of this beautiful girl!
With All American Pet Photo Day coming up on July 11th, I thought I’d give some tips on how to get great photos of your furbaby even when they’re not in a posing mood.
#1 – Work around their schedule and in their element
Taking photos of our pampered pet CoCo can be challenging as she rarely sits still. But when she does, the girl know her angles. So instead of trying to take photos of her that accommodate my schedule or how I want her to pose, I photograph her in her element, on her time, like the pampered pet she is.
Since I now work primarily from home this is easier. I know her patterns, as she knows mine.
If you can, observe your pet’s natural progression through his or her day. Do they have a favorite sun spot to plop down in during the morning hours? CoCo does. She has one in the room I work and one in our family room. I can usually catch her there for a photo op between the hours of 8:00 and 11:00 a.m.
Here is a photo I captured months ago as an example:
#2 – Photograph your pampered pet when they’re happy and relaxed
CoCo also thinks when my car door opens that she is on her way to some off-site adventure every time and hops into the car—usually the passenger seat. This is another pattern that I use to capture photos of her when I’m not running late for something or carousing her out of the car and back into the house.
The car is also where she shows me her “good side” as displayed proudly in this photo:
#3 – Photograph the fur baby with people they love and feel safe with
If you have children at home of any age, likely your pet can be found crowding their space at some point during the day. Perfect chance for a two for one photo of your child and pet that will certainly bring back some memories one day.
Plus, it can serve as a stress reliever on your phone or computer background or maybe you even need to get a print and carry it in your bag. No judgment here Mamas!
#4 – Capture the moment with your pet in nature and being spontaneous!
Curiosity is a pet parents’ best friend when it comes to photos. CoCo believes her mission in life is to sniff out every bunny and squirrel in our neighborhood when on walks. Or anything that has any scent. It’s real fun during Spring mating season….
However, it also provides a final photo taking tip and photographic evidence that I do walk her, plus I love taking photos of nature anyway so another two for one opportunity!
So with All American Pet Photo Day coming up on July 11, try these approaches to taking photos of your beloved (and likely spoiled) pet to share with friends and family, or to just cherish personally in the years to come. Don’t have a dog yet but thinking about adopting one? Check out this fantastic post with links to a ton of great local animal rescues.
Share your pet photos on social media and tag @ocmomcollective so we can see the pix you come up with! Happy photo snapping of your pampered pet!
