Photographing Black Dogs

The most common thing I hear from black dog owners is how hard it is to photograph them. IT IS! It’s not just you, I struggle too! So when someone with a black dog contacts me and expresses how much a good photo of their dog would mean to them, I completely understand the struggle.

So here are some tips for photographing your black pup.

Lighting - on a sunny day, find shade. You might think direct sunlight on your pup would be ideal but the dark shadows and the harsh highlights on their fur from sunlight, are two extremes. Find a shaded spot with your back to the sun and your pup facing you. Entice them to look at you by holding a treat or a toy.

Shooting an hour before sunset will provide ideal light, referred to by photographers as “golden hour”.

Cloudy days are my favorite because the clouds help even the lighting and block those harsh rays so time of day doesn’t matter too much when the clouds are filtering the sun light.

Using a wet towel around the eyes to separate the fur from the eyes or photographing your pup while swimming/wet, will help with the contrast between their fur and their eyes…because the eyes are the most important and you want to be able to see them!

If you’re indoors, stand with your back to wherever the light is coming from, whether it’s a window or lamp. That way when your pup is looking at you, the light will be directly on them (just be careful your body doesn’t create a shadow and block the light).