When we brought home our new puppy, Duke, in January I knew that I wanted to take photos of him as a puppy and as he grew. Since dogs (like children) grow so fast, I wanted a record of him especially with my daughter.
Duke came home with us when he was 6 week old and he was so small. My daughter carried him everywhere! She loved that she could pick him up, however at about 2.5 months old S could no longer carry him. It was a very sad day in our house.
Tips for Posed Photos:
- Have everything set up and test shots done before bringing your puppy into the shot
- I really loved using the small suitcase to hold Duke; you could also use a wood crate or basket
- I recommend placing your camera on a tripod. That way you do not have to worry about getting lined up every time, especially since you may only have a few seconds to snap the photo.
- Have treats handy to reward your puppy
- Bring lots of patience – puppies are not going to listen well
- Have a helper (like your child) to hold your puppy and they make a great addition to the photos
- Get down on your dog’s level – this makes a big difference
Be sure to also record those everyday moments with your new puppy! S dragged Duke everywhere those first couple weeks. He rode in her electric car and on her bike, she would carry him out to go to the bathroom every 15-30 minutes and hold him while he slept.
I also really like to have comparison photos like the ones below. They let you see how much your puppy has grown and changed, so when thinking about posed photos be sure to use a prop that you can continue to use as your puppy grows.
I’m going to leave you with one last photo. I call this Duke’s crazy eyes because he looks like he is about to cause major trouble.
Do you have a dog? Did you take lots of photos of them?
Oh my goodness! Your puppy is so cute! We take pictures of our dogs all the time, but I like your idea of documenting how much they grow. We have two puppies, but they are probably already as big as they are going to get. We have pictures on our blog if you want to take a look! I love your pictures and your great tips! Thanks!
Your pictures are beautiful! So simple and totally attainable. Thanks for sharing your tips. Pinning and stumbling this post. Happy Friday <3
Thank you so much Lindsey!
What a cute puppy and beautiful daughter! Our dog is a collie and we love him very much. We’ve got lots of pictures!
Awesome Teresa! Thanks so much
We recently got a puppy with some similar markings. We named him Kylo. What cute, thought out photos. Our puppy is 12 weeks, and I’ll have to think of some cute pics to take this week. 🙂 Thanks for sharing.
How cool Brandi! It’s crazy how fast they grow!
So cute! I love the before and after pics. I wish we did these with Dusty 9 years ago. It’s so neat to see how much growth and change has happened.
Thank you Erlene! I wish I would have done the photos with my older dog too!
Thanks for the tips!
We enjoy having you at the #MMBH party 🙂
XOXO
Thank you!
I have to admit, I was drawn in because the puppy is just so darned cute!!! However, you’re photography ideas are great as well so I’ve chosen this post to feature at next weeks Share The Wealth Sunday! Thanks for linking up such a great post (and now I want a puppy)!!!
Thanks so much Lisa!