5 poses and tricks that photograph really well
 

Simple dog photography poses, how I choose them and what I do when a dog won’t stay.

Not every dog needs to know dozens of tricks to photograph well, in fact, some of my favorite poses are the simplest ones... here are 5 of them:
 

1. Just standing

A dog standing alert, straight and looking good, head up and showing off that broad chest, like he just saw a herd of squeaky balls stuffed with sausages walking on the other side of the street... sometimes that’s all you need. A good standing pose simply photographs really well, especially with dogs whose body structure is a big part of their beauty.

A dog with an impressive build, the kind that would score well at dog shows, is one I’ll usually really want to photograph standing. Just as I noticed how impressive he was from the first moment, the owner probably knows that’s his model’s “thing” too, and will be happy to see plenty of it in the photo. An older dog, or one with a slightly less impressive build, can still look good standing, but I’ll also try more down positions and lying variations to put more emphasis on that cute face and a little less on the body.
 

2. Down

There are a few variations of the down position. A regular down, where the dog simply lies down, and even then I prefer the front legs to be close together, otherwise the dog can look very “thrown down” and sloppy. You can also have the front legs crossed, what some call X, Cross or Lady, and of course, the photographers’ favorite - head down.

Very relaxed, cute and calm, and most importantly, it reduces the dog’s height and allows me to get closer, which can help me get a blurrier background.
 

3. Waving hello

Not every dog knows this trick, but a lot of dogs do know how to give a paw. A dog that knows how to lift the paw even when it won’t actually meet the owner’s hand at the end looks like it’s waving hello, and a photographer who knows how to catch the right moment can get a really cute photo from it.

A photographer who also knows how to position the dog so it waves toward the light and not away from it will already get a great photo!
 

4. Sit

Just sit. Like with the down position, here too, keeping the front legs as close together as possible will make the dog look better and more elegant. You can use a sit in many different variations, and it’s also a good solution for a dog that doesn’t know many other commands.
 

5. For the advanced ones - “shy”

A dog that knows how to touch its nose with its paw, and sometimes even leave the paw there, gives you a really cute look that makes it seem like the dog is shy.

Want to know how to teach your dog the trick? It’s pretty easy... put a small piece of tape on the dog’s nose, and when they lift their paw to remove it, reward them immediately. Once they start repeating the movement, add the cue “shy”, and of course, you can use a clicker if you work with one. Doesn’t work with tape? Try a loose hair tie around the muzzle, in any case, if the dog gets stressed or uncomfortable, stop.
 

What if the dog doesn’t know how to stay?

When I photograph a dog without a solid “stay”, I usually switch to a telephoto lens. These lenses make it easier for me to get only the dog in the frame, even when the owner is standing really close. Sometimes the owner only needs to be half a meter away and they’re already almost completely out of the photo, at worst there’s still a shoe in the frame... I can remove it in editing, that’s not a problem.
 

Once the dog is positioned well and the camera is ready, I use one of my louder or more dramatic sounds and immediately press the shutter. That split second when the dog stares at me will probably already be caught on camera. I don’t always need the dog to stay there for half a minute, sometimes one moment is enough.
 

The position is right, but how does the dog look?

One of the most common mistakes is thinking that having the dog exactly where you wanted is enough. The dog can be in the perfect spot in terms of composition, light and background, everything is spot on... but if the legs aren’t positioned well and the pose doesn’t flatter the dog, to me, the photo simply isn’t worth anything.
 

A good-looking background won’t make a dog that looks bad look good, a dog that looks good can make even a less-than-perfect background look good.
 

Before pressing the shutter, you need to look at the dog too, how it’s standing, where its legs are and what it’s doing with its head. The position is only part of the photo.
 

Your dog doesn’t need to know all five poses, a simple stand, sit or down can already give you plenty to work with. Pay attention to the light, your angle and the dog’s expression, and choose a pose the dog is comfortable with... sometimes the simplest one is the one that works best.