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Tips from John at Two Front Teeth Photography, Cheltenham
Worried your dog won’t sit still for a photoshoot? Don’t be!
One of the things I love most about photographing dogs is that every single one has a completely different personality. Some dogs are incredibly chilled out. Others are completely bonkers, charging around the studio, jumping in the air and generally having the time of their lives! And that’s absolutely fine.
In fact, that’s exactly what I love capturing. Your dog’s personality is what makes them special, and that’s what I want to bring out in their photographs.
I’ve been photographing dogs and families for over 25 years, and I still get excited about every single photoshoot. Part of the fun is the challenge: capturing that split-second moment when a dog is flying through the air, shaking its head or doing something completely unexpected. When you get that perfect shot, it’s one of the best feelings in the world.
So please don’t worry if your dog isn’t particularly well-behaved. We’re not expecting perfect obedience, and we certainly don’t expect every dog to sit beautifully and pose for the camera. We’re here to photograph your dog being your dog!
First, make sure your dog is looking their best. If your dog normally visits a groomer, it’s worth arranging an appointment before your photoshoot. Give them a good brush, make sure they’re nice and clean, and pay particular attention to the area around their eyes.
And here’s one important piece of advice: probably don’t take them for a lovely muddy walk an hour before their photoshoot! As much as dogs love finding the biggest, muddiest puddle possible, we’d rather photograph them looking their best!!
Give Them a Little Walk Before You Arrive
If you’re travelling to us from a little further away, I’d recommend arriving about five or ten minutes early. This gives your dog a chance to stretch their legs, have a little sniff around and, most importantly, have a wee before coming into the studio.
You don’t need to take them for a massive walk or tire them out completely. We still want them to have plenty of energy for their photographs, particularly if we’re planning some action shots.
Their Favourite Treats
If your dog is food-motivated, bring along some treats they absolutely love. Treats can be fantastic for getting their attention, encouraging them to sit in a particular position or persuading them to look towards the camera. Sometimes that split second when they’re concentrating on a treat gives us a lovely expression.
Favourite Toys and Balls
This is where we can have some real fun! If your dog has a favourite ball or toy, bring it along. We can use toys to encourage natural expressions and movement, but sometimes it’s great to include them in the pictures themselves.
• Leaping into the air to catch their favourite ball.
• Giving a fluffy toy a really good shake.
• Running towards the camera at full speed.
• Playing with something they absolutely love.
These can make fantastic action photographs that really show off their personality.
Bandanas, Hats and Fun Accessories
If you’ve got any fun accessories for your dog, feel free to bring those too. Bandanas, little hats, bow ties and other accessories can make brilliant photographs. You might even want to bring something seasonal, such as a Christmas jumper or a Halloween outfit.
My advice with seasonal photographs is not to go overboard. It’s lovely having a couple of fun Christmas or Halloween pictures, but you probably don’t want a massive photograph of your dog dressed as Father Christmas hanging on your wall all year! I always like to make sure we get plenty of timeless photographs alongside anything a little unusual.
And, of course, we’ll only use accessories your dog is happy and comfortable wearing.
When you first arrive, there’s absolutely no need to rush. I like to let your dog take the lead — no pun intended! We’ll give them a chance to have a little wander around the studio, sniff everything and get used to their new surroundings.
Some dogs walk through the door as if they own the place. Others are a little more cautious and need some time to work out what’s going on. Either way is absolutely fine. We’ve allowed plenty of time for your photoshoot, so there’s no pressure.
While your dog is getting comfortable, we’ll have a chat about the sort of photographs you’d like.
We’ve got a lovely selection of studio backgrounds, ranging from clean whites and blacks to different colours and textured backgrounds. We’ll discuss which ones will work best with your dog, their colouring and personality.
If you’re planning to be in some of the photographs yourself, we’ll also look at what you’re wearing so everything works nicely together. You don’t need to make all these decisions before you arrive. We’ll help you choose.
This is probably one of the biggest worries people have before booking a dog photoshoot. And I really don’t want you to worry about it.
Some dogs are naturally calm, while others never seem to stop moving. That’s what makes photographing dogs so interesting. We’re not trying to change your dog’s personality. We’re trying to capture it.
If your dog loves charging around, jumping and playing, that’s fantastic. Those are often the very moments that make the best photographs. If your dog is quieter and prefers to take things slowly, that’s equally lovely.
And if they’re a little nervous, we won’t force them into anything. We’ll give them the time and space they need. The important thing is that your dog feels comfortable and enjoys their visit.
There are some big advantages to photographing dogs in a professional studio. Firstly, they can’t disappear down the bottom of the garden just as you’re about to take the perfect picture! But there are a few other important advantages.
When you photograph your dog at home or in the garden, there’s often a lot going on in the background. Furniture, plants, fences and other distractions can make it difficult for your dog to stand out. In the studio, we’ve got beautiful, clean backgrounds that allow us to concentrate entirely on your dog. Nothing distracting. Just your dog looking fantastic.
Also, of course, we don’t need to worry about the weather here at the studio!
Lighting makes an enormous difference to the quality of a photograph. We’ve invested heavily in our studio lighting, including some incredibly fast, professional flash equipment.
Imagine your dog jumping into the air to catch a ball, or shaking their head with their ears flying in every direction. Our specialist lighting can freeze those split-second moments, capturing details that would normally be blurred. The results can be absolutely incredible.
We’ve also invested in professional camera equipment that can automatically recognise and track a dog’s eyes. The eyes are one of the most important parts of any portrait, whether I’m photographing a person or a dog. They need to be lovely and sharp.
Our cameras can follow your dog’s eyes as they move, even when they’re running towards the camera. Combined with our high-speed studio lighting, this gives us a fantastic opportunity to capture incredibly sharp action photographs.
Of course, no camera can guarantee every single picture will be perfect, but the technology we use gives us a huge advantage when photographing fast-moving dogs. We can capture moments that their owners might never have seen properly before.
Absolutely! If you’ve got two or more dogs, you’re very welcome to bring them along. We can photograph each dog individually, which is lovely because they often have completely different personalities. We can also photograph them together.
Sometimes the interaction between two dogs makes for some fantastic pictures. Whether they’re best friends, complete opposites or a couple of cheeky characters, we’ll work around their personalities.
If you’re planning to bring several dogs, it’s worth letting us know beforehand so we can make sure the session is suitable and properly planned.
Yes! I really would recommend it. So many customers come into the studio and say something like, “Oh, I don’t really want to be in the pictures. I’m just here for the dog!” And that’s absolutely fine. But I nearly always suggest we take a few photographs of them together anyway.
Even if you’re not sure, just come prepared, and we can see how you feel on the day. I often say, “Tell you what, let’s just do a couple at the end.”
And do you know what? People are nearly always so pleased they did. When they see their photographs afterwards, I regularly hear things like, “Oh my gosh, that’s actually really nice!” or “I’m so glad you persuaded me to do that.”
I think people often forget how different a professionally taken studio portrait can look compared with a quick picture taken on their phone. And having a beautiful photograph of yourself with your dog is something you’ll be able to look back on and enjoy for years to come. So even if you’re a little hesitant, I’d really encourage you to give it a go. I’m pretty confident you’ll be pleasantly surprised.
Definitely bring them into some of the photographs too. We can photograph your dog with the children, with you, or with everyone. Sometimes those lovely, natural photographs of the whole family together turn out to be people’s favourites. They’re wonderful memories to have.
Even if you’re not planning to be in the photographs, I’d recommend coming prepared just in case you change your mind. There’s nothing worse than deciding you’d love a picture with your dog and then wishing you’d worn something different!
I’d recommend keeping busy patterns to a minimum. Large patterns can sometimes distract from the people and dogs in the photographs.
If several family members are going to be photographed together, try to choose colours that work nicely alongside each other. You don’t all need to wear matching clothes, but it’s worth avoiding colours that clash too much.
This is probably the most important thing. If you’ve got a black dog, I’d avoid wearing black yourself. If you’re holding your dog or sitting alongside them, we want to make sure they stand out rather than disappearing into your clothing. The same goes for lighter-coloured dogs. A little contrast can make an enormous difference.
And don’t worry if you’re not sure what would work best. We can help you decide.
I think the biggest piece of advice I can give anyone coming in for a dog photoshoot is simply not to worry too much. Your dog doesn’t need to be perfectly trained. They don’t need to sit still for an hour. And they certainly don’t need to behave like a professional dog model!
I’ve been doing this for over 25 years, and I still love the challenge of capturing that perfect moment. Sometimes it’s a beautiful, calm expression. Sometimes it’s a dog flying through the air with its ears going everywhere. And sometimes it’s something completely unexpected that has everyone laughing.
That’s the wonderful thing about dogs. They’ve all got their own personalities, and I wouldn’t want them any other way.
My aim is simple: to give you a fantastic experience and create some beautiful photographs that really capture your dog as you know and love them. So bring your dog, bring their favourite treats and toys, and let’s have some fun!
Getting your dog ready for a studio photoshoot? John shares practical tips on grooming, what to bring, what to wear and how to help your dog feel comfortable while capturing their unique personality.