Dog Portrait From a Photo
The general photo advice in what photo works best applies to every pet. Dogs come with a few problems of their own — here is what to watch for.
Dark and black coats need more light than you think
Cameras, phones especially, tend to underexpose dark fur, guessing it is correctly dark rather than compensating for it, which can leave a black dog as a near-featureless silhouette with no visible detail in the coat or face. Photograph a dark-coated dog in bright, even daylight, ideally outdoors on an overcast day, and check the photo at full size afterwards to make sure you can actually see the shape of the face and not just a dark shape.
Long-nosed breeds and flat-faced breeds need different angles
A long-nosed dog such as a collie, greyhound or most spaniels photographed side-on can lose the eyes to the angle of the muzzle — a very slight turn toward the camera, rather than a full profile, usually reads better. A flat-faced breed such as a pug, French bulldog or boxer is more forgiving of a straight-on shot, since there is less muzzle to distort the angle, but watch for shadows falling into the folds around the nose in strong side light.
Dogs that will not look at the camera
A treat or a squeaky toy held directly above or beside the lens usually gets a dog's eyes up and toward the camera for a second, and that is usually all you need. Calling their name works for some dogs, but tends to tip their head to one side rather than square on.
Wet or scruffy fur and freshly groomed coats
Wet fur clumps and darkens, which can hide the natural shape of the face — if you can, photograph after the coat has dried and fluffed back up. A freshly groomed dog with very short or clipped fur photographs cleanly in most light; a longer or scruffier coat benefits from slightly brighter, more even light so the texture does not turn into a dark mass.