Hints and Tips for Successful Hound Dog Photography

The Hound Dog Breeds are a very diverse group ranging from the tall elegant Afghan Hound to the short legged Miniature Dachshund with many more shapes and sizes in between.

Hound Dogs usually make reliable pets but were originally hunting dogs so may show instinctual hunting behaviour. Scent Hounds such as the Bloodhound and Foxhound have a keen sense of smell and are study and tough. Sight Hounds like the Whippet and Greyhound have incredibly sharp sight and are sleek and speedy, whilst the Spitz Hounds including the Basenji and Finnish Spitz have a strong combination of both scent and sight.

All hounds enjoy outdoor activity and natural light creates the best light for dog photography so choose a fine day to take your hound dog into a garden, local park or countryside and try out these ideas to take some great pet photographs of your dog(s):

1. Always groom your Hound dog(s) to make sure they are looking their best before you take their photo
2. Switch of your flash – make sure your dog is positioned in good natural light
3. Kneel down to a position whereby you are level with your dog’s eye line
4. If possible gain direct eye contact with your dog whilst you take their picture
5. Take photos of your dog in different positions – sitting, standing, lying down

The sleek long nose of a Whippet or Greyhound makes a particularly good profile shot. To capture an interesting profile head shot of your Hound Dog:

1. Position your dog looking to one side
2. Zoom in with your lens
3. Fill the viewfinder with your dogs head (be careful not to cut off tips of ears)
4. Use a wide aperture such as f 5.6 (or portrait mode on your camera)
5. Make sure your dog’s eyes are in focus

Hound Dogs are usually very active and capable of running at rocket speed with outstanding stamina so are good at agility, racing and hunting. To capture creative pet photographs of your Hound dog in action:

1. Try to anticipate your dogs movement and where to point your camera
2. Position yourself safely with your camera pointing in the right direction
3. Use a fast shutter speed of at least 1/500th second (or sports mode) to freeze action
4. Use continuous shooting mode to capture a sequence of action photographs

I hope you enjoy trying out these Dog Photography Hints and Tips with Your Hound Dogs – this is the 2nd Blog in my Series of Dog Photography Hints and Tips, Click Here to read about Gundog Photography Ideas and Watch This Space in the Next Few Weeks for the Pastoral, Terriers, Toy, Utility and Working Dog Groups!

Click Here to receive a Free Printable PDF Pocket Guide which accompanies this article – including an Equipment Checklist, Shot List and Checklist for Preparing for Your Hound Dog Photo Shoot!

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Hints & Tips for Successful Gundog Photography

Retrievers, Spaniels, Hunt/Point/Retrieve, Pointers and Setters are the four recognised categories of Gundog Breeds. As the Labrador Retriever is the most popular pet dog in the UK the majority of companion dogs in the country are Gundogs. With a wide variety of all shapes and sizes throughout the different breeds the one thing all Gundogs have in common is the need for regular outdoor activity. This creates a perfect scenario for capturing stunning outdoor pet portraits surrounded by the natural environment.

There are a variety of stunning outdoor locations to be considered when planning to capture Gundog pet portraits. Depending on the time of year seasonal scenery can range from lovely lilac heather moorlands, blankets of orange leaves in Autumn, snow covered patchwork fields in Winter or a sheltered sandy beach in summer. Seasonal landscapes such as these can set the scene to create stunning backdrops for your pet photographs. To successfully incorporate seasonal landscapes into your pet photography:

1. Positioning your Gundog in a suitable location
2. Use a wide angle lens
3. Choose  a narrow aperture such as f16 – f22 (or landscape mode)
4. Capture an expansive background behind your dog

Rolling countryside, waves lapping a sweeping shoreline or a majestic mountain range are ideal settings for your dog photographs however, If you are unable to access the countryside for any reason summer blooms or flowering spring bulbs in your garden or local park can also create an eye catching backdrop for your Gundog photography.

To capture attractive close ups photographs of your gundogs:

1. Positions your dog in front of evergreen foliage, flowering shrubs or summer blooms
2. Kneel down to a position where you are level with your Gundog’s eye line
3. Zoom in with your lens to fill the frame with your dogs head (be careful not to crop out the tips of the ears)
4. Select a wide aperture such as f 5.6 (or portrait mode on your camera)
5. Create shallow depth of field to blur the background slightly

Capture creative images of working Gundogs showing natural behaviour traits of hunting and retrieving by using a fast shutter speed of least 1/500 of a second to freeze their actions – be prepared to hit the shutter button quickly as capturing unexpected behaviour often creates unusual and amusing pet photographs.

Part of the reason Gundogs are very popular pet dogs is that they are usually very loyal and affectionate to their owners. Pet photographs showing dog and owner together can be a powerful way to show this strong bond. To capture photographs of pets and owners together:

• Try setting the timer on your camera to allow yourself time to move into position beside your dog(s)
• Ask a friend to oblige by taking the picture
• Commission a professional pet photographer to capture such a special moment www.debsdogphotos.wordpress.com

 Always avoid using flash when capturing dog photographs as firing a flash not only creates the potential problem of startling your dog but also forms a strange green glow in their eyes (the equivalent to red eye in humans).

I hope you enjoy trying out some of these pet photography ideas with your Gundogs whether they are Retrievers, Spaniels, Hunt/Point/Retrieve, Pointers and Setters and ultimately capture keepsakes of your special pet to treasure forever. If you found this article useful please feel free to share it and leave a comment below. Click Here to receive a FREE Printable PDF Pocket Guide which accompanies this article – including an Equipment Checklist, Shot List, and Checklist for Preparing Yourself and Your Gundog for a Photo Shoot!