People often ask me what the trick is to getting a dog’s eyes in a photo. Dogs don’t like to look people or lenses in the eye, it is a sign of aggression to them. I’ve spent a lot of hours figuring out how to get a dog’s eyes close in an image.

The infrared camera helps, as dogs have a much higher range of vision that people (people’s are spooky and jet black) and their eyes show up clearly in an infrared image.

How do I get a distractable dog like Bud to stare at the camera long enough for a shot? Here’s my secret. I tape a biscuit to the top of the camera or tape one to the top of my head. This gets Bud’s full attention for at least two seconds. I love this portrait of him, his soul is looking back at me.