Paws For The Camera

Make your pooch portraits pop with this fun flash-filled approach. Jordan Butters and pro Beagle Modelarchie show how it’s done…

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If you’re a dog person then you’ll know that your dog can quickly become your favourite photographic subject – willing or not! Nothing brings a smile to your face like the weird and wacky nature of man’s best friend. while more flattering, traditional images of man and pooch alike are often best shot with a longer lens – somewhere in the region of 50-135mm – for these fun canine portraits I’ve decided to shoot with an ultra wide-angle lens. something in the region of 14-20mm works well, and allows you to get really close while fitting the whole scene in the frame. Plus, the natural distortion of wide-angle lenses tends to distort features and proportions out of shape, giving the images a light-hearted and almost cartoon-like quality. 

We’re going to use flash too – of course natural light has its place, but adding flash into the mix allows you to create bold images that really pop, full of vibrant colour and contrast. If you’re shooting at sunset, as I was, then a flashgun is fine, and will have more than enough power. however if you’re capturing these images in the middle of a sunny day, then you may find that you need the extra punch of a location flash outfit to overpower the bright midday sun.

1.SET THE AMBIENT