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Tag : photo tips

19 Aug 2019

What is the best camera for a snowy photoshoot?

Your dog is never more fun than when it’s a play and this is especially true on snow days. Snow is a new and exciting experience for most dogs. And, when a serious blizzard rolls through the area odds are you’re taking off from work — which our dogs are understandably pretty jazzed about.

18 Apr 2019
Photo of a cute and smiley English Golden Retriever wearing a colorful top hat made from newspaper clippings.

How to motivate dogs during photoshoots

Written by J.B. Shepard, a professional pet photographer and founder of the Puptrait Studio. Handling a dog during a photoshoot presents some fairly unique requirements. It differs from most approaches to training and behavioral modification in that a photographer is less concerned with compliance and more focused on engagement. More often than not, professional pet photographers seek to trigger facial expressions and moods, rather than encourage any specific behavior, trick or action. Consent is the key to great dog portraiture […]

13 Apr 2019
Action shot photo of a cute American Bulldog Terrier running along the Baltimore Inner Harbor at the Canton Waterfront Park. This photo was captured by the professional dog photographers at the Puptrait Studio in Hampden and is featured in a tutorial teaching aspiring pet photographers how to photograph running dogs like a pro.

How to Photograph a Running Dog

Written by J.B. Shepard, a professional pet photographer and founder of the Puptrait Studio. Photographing a running dog isn’t a simple task. In fact, taking great pictures of running dogs consistently can be down right difficult — as it requires a photographer to understand dog behaviors, how to use artificial light sources / light modifiers, how their camera functions in extreme conditions, and how to frame less than optimal scenes. But with proper understanding of the hurdles specific to these […]

07 Apr 2019
A black staff wearing a golden crown. He is lit with specular highlights in a studio against a clean white background.

How to Photograph Black Dogs

Written by J.B. Shepard, a professional pet photographer and founder of the Puptrait Studio. Photographing black dogs can be tricky. But it’s not as difficult as many aspiring dog photographers have been led to believe. In fact, with a better understanding of light and reflections it is possible to take great photos of black and dark furred dogs consistently. Black Dog Photography Tips & Tricks We’ve put together a collection of tips and tricks to help pet photographers create better […]

28 Jan 2019
Washington D.C. and Maryland's most creative dog friendly portrait photography studio.

What internal part of the camera allows images to be viewed prior to capture?

Written by J.B. Shepard, a professional pet photographer and founder of the Puptrait Studio. Jake is photographing his pet puppy. He wants to preview the image the camera will capture. What part of the camera that is inside the camera will allow him to do this? Aperture Sensor Eyepiece Internal Prism The correct answer is: Internal Prism. The only reason I’m answering this here is because we noticed that people were hitting our website looking for it and the answers […]

22 Jan 2019
Funny dog picture of a pup popping its head into the frame. The white staffy is wearing a blue and red paper crown made from upcycled newspaper.

Best Cameras for Pet Photography | For All Skill Levels (Updated 2020)

Pet photography gear guide from the pet portrait pros. Discussing basic camera bodies and lenses (and when to use them), and specific gear recommendations from master pet photographer and Puptrait Studio founder, J.B. Shepard. It has never been easier or more affordable to get serious about learning pet photography. But choosing what gear to get started with can be quite daunting. To help we’ve put together a quick walkthrough equipment guide for aspiring pet photographers. In this article we will […]

01 May 2017

Flash Photography: is it safe to use flash when photographing my dog?

Written by J.B. Shepard, a professional pet photographer and founder of the Puptrait Studio. It is safe to use a flash when photographing a dog. The vast majority of dogs are not reactive at all to flash photography. They might be surprised by the sound or sudden brightness, but if introduced properly, dogs tend to ignore flashes. And, if they don’t ignore the flash completely, they treat it as a minor annoyance or a point of confusion. Which is why […]