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Category : Advanced Dog Photo Tips

18 Sep 2019
Portrait of an English Bulldog wearing an oversized ruff collar photographed at Puptrait, a dog friendly photography studio located in Baltimore, Maryland

What is the Best Camera Lens for Dog Photography? (Updated 2024)

For this lens guide our focus is singularly on the best lens for shooting dog portraits — the one specific type of mirrorless and DSLR lens that I and so many other pet photography professionals use in the overwhelming majority of their shoots.

That’s not to say that this is the only lens you can use or that you can’t take great photos of pets with a different lens. But with that said, this is the only lens that I personally use for my paid pet photography assignments.

03 May 2019

Should Photographers Watermark Photos in 2020?

Is watermarking your photos the best way to protect your photos? While it might seem like every photographer is watermarking their photos, there is serious debate as to whether the practice is helpful.

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 […]

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 […]