Summer pet photography in Toronto - tips for photos of dogs in flowers
/With summer in full swing in Toronto I thought it an appropriate time to pass on some tips that you can use to get great photos of your dog in the flowers.
Including flowers is the perfect way to showcase spring and summer through photography with your dog. Whether your dog is in a field of flowers, stopping to sniff the roses, or wearing a flower crown you can capture the beauty of summer blooms.
Here are 4 tips for a successful photo session with your dog in the flowers
Whether you use a DSLR, Mirrorless camera, point and shoot, or phone camera these tips will improve your dog photography this summer.
1. Get down low
This means sitting or lying on the ground so you are at the level of the dog and the flowers. It makes the dog the main focus of the image and creates a deeper connection between the dog and the viewer as you appear to view the world from the dog’s perspective.
Get down low to the same level as the dog and flowers
Here is Harper peeking through the flowers
2. Shoot through the flowers to add more depth to your image
By getting low and shooting through the flowers or grasses you can create lovely blurry and out of focus flowers that surround your dog in softness! The flowers closer to the camera will be soft and out of focus while the ones around your dog will be sharper. This is easier to achieve if you are using a DSLR or mirrorless camera but even the latest phone cameras can capture these shots.
If you have the ability to control the aperture with your camera, using the widest aperture (lowest number) your lens can achieve, will help to create that effect.
Using a wide aperture allowed the front flowers to be softly out of focus
Miley in the yellow flowers of summer in Toronto
Shooting through the grass and flowers created soft out of focus areas in front of the dog
Coco photographed in the wild flowers
3. Use the flowers as a frame
Framing is a technique used in photography to draw attention to your subject. By placing your dog in the middle of the flowers, the flowers will create a colourful a frame around him/her.
Use the flowers as a frame
Oreo pops out of the colourful frame of flowers that surround him
4. Think about Flower Crowns
Photograph your dog wearing a flower crown or daisy chain collar to celebrate the season. You’ll need to prepare in advance because there are a few supplies you will have to get. Here is a great lesson on making flower crowns. It’s really easy. Or do some research - you’ll find so many great videos.
Celebrate summer blooms with a lovely flower crown
This decorative flower crown perfectly matches Sheba’s collar
5. Respect nature
While this isn’t actually a tip, remember to respect nature! Don’t let your dog trample on the flowers. If you are in a garden, look for pathways or grassy areas behind the flowers where you can place the dog. Look for paths running through fields and keep your dog on the paths.
So make your way to your favourite garden or find an open space full of wild flowers and let your dog explore. Try making a floral collar or a daisy chain headband for them to wear in a photo.
For more on dog photography in flowers check out this post from Angela Schneider of Big White Dog Photography in Spokane, WA, and North Idaho, finding epic adventures in the Inland Northwest.
Terri is a pet photographer specializing in dog photography in the Greater Toronto area including Markham, Scarborough, Richmond Hill, York Region, Thornhill, Etobicoke, Vaughan.
