GET CREATIVE
Use gear, settings and poses to make your portraits stand out
The general advice for striking pet portraits is to get down to their eye level and keep a sharp focus on the eyes. You can always take a more creative approach, however, by working with props, fun compositions, and focal lengths. We’re not talking dog selfie kits, here…
Start off by reviewing your settings. “I always keep my aperture as low as possible,” says Alicja. “When I’m doing my classic dog portraits I never close it more than around
1.8, as this helps me isolate the dog from the background and create depth in the picture. The blurred background with colourful bokeh gives images a dreamy feeling.”
Another way to generate a more artistic image is to come up with a theme or concept, whether this is a colour scheme or set of similar props. For example, in an autumn scene at the park, you could ask a dog to roll around in the rusty leaves, or throw them in the air for them to catch. Then, at the editing stage, you might warm the red tones further.
“I keep my aperture as low as possible”
Fun poses and expressions can yield unique photos. “If I want dynamic shots I try to encourage the dog and keep them excited,” says Alicja. “Throwing treats or toys in the air to capture their expression is always interesting.” Some of her subjects like to catch fallen leaves during autumn or water droplets when playing in a lake. Try to find novel ways to get your subject to interact with the environment you’re in – this is easier if you know the animal well, so don’t be afraid to ask pet owners for advice on their personality.
Some of Alicja’s dog poses are tricks that they were taught before the shoot, like hugging each other, hugging a tree, or jumping up in the air and waving their paws. “It is good to teach your subject different tricks or to look for models that already know them.”
Other creative approaches include photographing subjects from behind, high or underneath, zooming in for a tight composition that includes only their paws or tail, or crafting your own colourful backgrounds. Be imaginative.