Dog photography is not all about the face - think about the other possibilities for sharing beautiful photographs that will make wonderful memories of your pet. Let's think about some of the possible photographic opportunities in this area of pet photography (as it will apply to other animals as well in most, if not all, cases).

Dogs facing away from the camera

Beautiful portraits can be created as your pet enjoys looking away from the camera - capture your pet as they admire something in our wonderful world. This blue nose pit bull wasn't crazy about any of our 'flashing lights' and decided to look away - something over that fence sounds more interesting!  If I hadn't taken this photograph I would not have noticed the usual markings on the back of her head.  Look at those little mountain peaks along with the big spot and a few small freckle spots - all things that make this girl, Sadie, unique in this world of dogs.

Back of blue nose pit bull on benchBlue nose pit bull facing away

This rescue dog, Bonnie, is thought to be a black lab mix but no one is certain.  She is very timid as she is meeting new people and they have big black things covering a good portion of their faces.  In addition, a new park with all kinds of things going on - birds, ducks, a few people all wandering around.  She took a few minutes away from the camera to see who was walking by on the nearby boardwalk at Riverhills Park in Temple Terrace, Florida.  For those not familiar, a dog that has it's tail down is usually scared or uncertain about their environment.  Bonnie is super friendly, just a bit shy with new things.

Timid black lab mix dogBlack lab mix dog standing at park

How about those beautiful ears? 

Often times when we are looking at a dog from the front, we focus on the nose or maybe the eyes - but the ears only standout when they are big or unusual.  This dog took a moment to see what was going on behind him in the middle of our photography session - the portrait is simple - just showing the shape of his head and the beautiful pointed ears.  The park environment shows a beautiful bokeh (blur) in the background.

Back of dog head with straight earsBack of reddish brown dog head with straight ears

I always laugh when people tell me about the big white spot that Abby (our beagle/coon hound mix dog) has on the back of her head.  When they comment, I say "It's so I can pick my girl out from all the rest of the mostly black dogs!".

White spot on black dog headBack of dog head showing white spot

Dog boating down the Suwannee River

Early morning we took the boat out and floated up the Suwannee river towards the Santa Fe river.  The water was smooth as glass and it's the start of a beautiful day.  Since it was smooth, quiet and we were the only ones on the river, Jimbo was allowed to stand up in the bow of our little bow rider (never allowed when going fast or other traffic is around).
 

How about Dog Tails?

Have you ever thought about all the different types of tails dogs have?  Long tails, short tails, cropped tails, long fur tails, short fur tails, solid color tails, there are a lot of possibilities here. A number of years ago I decided to take photographs of different 'pieces/parts' and it's nice to go back and see that wonderful curly tail of Jimbo's since the photographs my memories of this wonderful boy.

Curled brown dog tailJimbo's brown dog tail curling

How about those dog feet?

Big feet, little feet, extra dew claws, freckles, solid color, there are many different looking feet on dogs.  Abby has a small black freckle on her toe of her front foot.

White dog paw with freckleAbby's white dog paw

Or Dog Legs?

The soft curl of a dog's leg laying down.  The various scars where fur doesn't grow come from a lifetime that began with hardships before he came into our lives and learned love and compassion and the comforts of a soft bed.

This list could probably go on for several more different 'none face' dog photographs, but that will have to wait for some future blog post!

That's it for this week's pet photography blog.  For more pet photographers sharing their take on this theme, head over to visit Pawtraits by Nicole, photographing pets for their people in and around Las Vegas, Nevada

If you would like to discuss or book a custom pet portrait session, send an email to [email protected] or give us a call/text Linda at 813-610-2671 in the Tampa Bay area (Hillsborough/Pinellas/Pasco/Polk counties in Florida).  We have flexible rates and packages to fit most everyone’s budget as we believe that having wonderful photographs of your pet is important to so many people.