It took me years to learn how to get my dogs to look into the lens while trying to get their photos. It is not easy, as most photo-loving dog and animal people have known. Lots of people ask me how I do it.
It takes a long time and a lot of patience, two things I usually lack.
But I’ve learned a lot. Here are some of the things I’ve learned:
At first, I put a camera down next to their dog food fowls so they associate the camera with food and other good things.
Then, I take photos while tossing treats around on the ground. The idea is to get the dogs (or donkeys) to get the dogs associate cameras with anything positive. Toys work as well.
(Note: The last three photos in this post were taken by Maria.)
Sometimes, I put a small treat on the top of my head. Most dogs will stare at it, hopefully, and if I’m ready, I can get them to look almost into my eyes.I do this five or six times while saying “photo.” That has worked well for me, and after a while, I don’t need the treat, just the word “photo.” Dogs are predictable if they do something two or three times, they most often will do it forever.
Dog, cat, and animal photographers must understand that starting dogs or people in the eye is a sign of aggression in dogs. You may notice that your dogs rarely stare at you or look at other dogs in the eye unless they feel challenged. To them, eye-to-eye is often a warning.
It’s all about getting close and focusing on the eyes. Those are the best animal photographs for me.
I’ve also learned to make clucking or bird-like signs, which will get a curious dog to look at you briefly. But you have to be quick and camera-ready because if they do look at you, it won’t be long.
Trust is almost everything with dogs, so ensure the photo taking is fun, not work – no stress or yelling. It’s fun and rewarding, either with verbal or food praise; the dog will get used to it.
Photographing Zip is another story. He is restless and alert. It’s impossible to get him to hold still, so I just put the camera on an automatic fast shoot or take my time and take 50 photos, usually one or two of them (above) works. But cats are a whole different story.
Fate is incredibly photogenic because she has a haunted beauty about her, and she is so relentlessly intelligent and curious. With dogs like you, you need to be patient, and now, when I want to take her photo, I whisper, “Hey Fate, you want to see the sheep?” and she locks onto me. But I only do that when we are going to see sheep, so she learns to trust me and associates looking straight at me with something she loves to do.
That works with Zinnia when I say, “Let’s chase the ball,” otherwise, she is a gentle and peaceful dog and doesn’t ever look me in the eye. A dog’s eyes reveal its soul, and I always look for the eyes when I can.
Bud is tough. He doesn’t get the look-in-the-eye, but if I surprise him with a treat taped to my forehead, he looks right at me. But only for a second or two. The breed is not patient. Zinnia is always close but never likes to stare into my eyes. So I don’t push her. Once in a while, I get lucky.
Maria sent the three dogs up to wake me yesterday; all three landed on me at once, showering me with kisses and waking me up quickly. The Treat Committee committee (Bud is chairman) gives me a chance to get the three of them together, and so does the wake-up patrol, which is quite effective. Notice Zinnia looking away when I point the camera at her. She’s got the best manners of all three.
Sheep are skittish about looking into a camera lens; I get them to do it by holding alfalfa cubes in one hand and the camera in the other. Over time, it works. Maria took this photo of Biddy. She feeds Biddy, one of our oldest sheep, grain every morning. Biddy looks at her all the time.
Lulu is an independent creature who does nothing on command. But when I show up with carrots in my hand or an apple, she has learned to look me in the eye and lead with her soft nose.
Hens, like almost all animals, are food-centered; that’s how they survive. When you point a camera at a hen, you have about three seconds to get the shot. Their eyes are always moving.
