Pictures of black dogs

Okay, this came up in another topic ("Fritz") so I thought I'd open it as its own topic and see if anyone can help.
I have a black dog with a matte coat. I hardly have any good pictures of her, because every one that I take shows her as a black outline with eyes. Her features disappear! It helps to take photos outside, but I don't have the chance for cute poses out there, since she is very active in the yard.
We have so many cute pictures of our greyhounds, inside and out, but poor Pup could never get a modeling career with her sparse portfolio!
Does anyone have advice for photographing a black dog in the house?

Maybe turn lots of lights on so her fur shines a little? and maybe you could run her out a little bit like take her for a lice long walk befor picture takeing or throw her frisbee, ball, stuffed toy, or her fav toy a few times just to ger her a little tired so shes not so active.

Lots of lights, and a long exposure time, if you can, though that requires both camera nd pup to hold still!

I can certainly sympathize with you. I love to take pics of animals but I found out that it is generally more difficult to take good photographs of black ones. I have 3 cats and 2 of them are black and a lot of the times I'm disappointed with the photographs I take. Outside pics can also be problematic, direct sunlight has the habit of turning them into black blobs.

I agree that is quite frustrating, I have lovely photos of the other ones, of strays etc. What I tend to do is to take more than I planned, one of them is bound to turn out decent.

I'm sorry that I can't be of more help I just wanted to let you know that you are not the only one with this problem...
Perhaps someone with more technical knowledge can give more advice?

Hi,

I found that you really have to pay close attention to the background first.. make sure it doesn't drownd out the dogs. Outside pics tend to work best for my dogs. I get good pics of them in the grass and other lighter colored backgrounds. Make sure the light source is not in front of you. Get the sunlight or lamps behind you so the dogs are lit up well. I also found that profile shots and full body shots tend to turn out really well. When you just get their head or straight-on facial shots, in certain poses, you just see eyes and a big tounge :rolleyes: . I know most of this advice is just basic knowledge but it might help. Good luck.

BTW, the pic in your signature is great... it turned out really well :)

Well, try taking pictures during the day so as much light will come in through the windows as possible. Also, turn on all the lights. Sometimes the flash doesn't help at all because it makes their eyes yellow in the picture. :)

This was one of the reasons I chose a white dog after having two black ones. I always did what Gio does, take more than you need hoping one will turn out good.

It is very hard to take a black dog, I have problems with Daisy, Perry will show up great and all you can see of her is a black blob. The one place that she comes out pretty good is on our white sofa with the light at our back and towards her. Some of them outside, close up come out pretty good too, I agree trying to take a black dog is looking at a big nose and yellow eyes most of the time. :)
Jackie

The background is just as important as the pose of the dog. Try getting light background colors and not to much else in the pic like furniture and things.

Standing and sitting poses would be better then laying, side shots are also great, for realy nice pics try and get her focused on something other then strait into the camera.

Outside shots are great, try taking her out alone and if she won't stay still get a thin black rope and it shouldn't show to much in the pic.

My best advice take shots where she is not standing and looking strait at the camera.

Something like this

http://wsphotofews.excite.com/011/YL/jr/AX/Zi10056.jpg
you get to see her hole body not just her head and chest.

and for a sitting pic on an angle like this
http://wsphotofews.excite.com/003/mt/Oc/SX/tL37245.jpg
you still get to see some of the body

it looks better then strait on like this
http://wsphotofews.excite.com/014/XA/ra/Ul/4J44175.jpg

Sorry if Im blabbing :) I want to become a pet photographer so I have been studing and taking pics like crazy to test poses and lighting.

They are worth a try, remember the background is just as important as the pose of the dog. Oh and light, light, light for a dark dog its best to have alot of light.

Good Luck and happy snapping :D

[ August 01, 2001: Message edited by: ilovehounds ]

For about every 10-15 pics of Shiloh or Lolly, at least one will usually turn out okay. Reece is a LOT easier to take a picture of.

I know what you mean. And god forbid if you use a flash!!! You either get horrible red-eye or their eyes look like they're glowing.... almost scary!!! :rolleyes:

This is my favorite pic of Cora. We were sitting inside one winter day, after playing outside. My husband & I were on the couch, and Cora was laying on the floor. We had no lights on, and it was an overcast day. The light made it easy to snap a pic with my digital camera, without using a flash:

http://www.fototime.com/7B8568D1B38FD51/standard.jpg

I got this picture outside. We were at our friends house, on a summer day. Their yard has tons of trees. I have different effects I can use on my camera. This is the sepia effect:

http://www.fototime.com/114485EE10B75A7/orig.jpg

One good thing about black dogs... they take wonderful silhouettes:

http://www.fototime.com/278F1E79E92DDD2/orig.jpg

Annie! Those are gorgeous pics!!! Cora looks sooooo beautiful! WOW :D! I never even thought of doing sillouettes... I don't have that beautiful backdrop either though :(

Thanks for sharing them.... :)

Pet Photographer sounds like a wonderful job, Ilovehounds! I hope you have much success!

Another tip, but not for photographs... If you have a black dog and a black chair, always locate the dog BEFORE sitting down! :D

Annie, those pictures are just beautiful, I love those of Cora, she looks like a big teddy bear you could just hug and hug and hug. She looks so sweet. I have a heck of a time trying to get Daisy's picture.
Jackie

Oh, I don't know... your picture of Daisy the naughty dog was awfully good!!!!!!!!!

I think most of it is just luck.. being in the right place at the right time, with a camera in your hand!

Wow Annie, you're good! Cora is a beautiful dog, and your pictures truly show that! Great job.

Quote:

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One good thing about black dogs... they take wonderful silhouettes:

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Oh, trust me, I know about the black dog silhouette! That's about all I have of Pup! She's such a cute little dog, and in her pictures, she's just a black blob with dots for eyes!
http://wsphotofews.excite.com/026/Wa/ze/dC/Ag59828.jpg

Thanks to everyone who responded! It seems like everyone with black dogs has the same problem - we have to shoot off a whole roll of film just to get a couple of quality pics! I'll try some of the suggestions, like about playing with the lighting in the house, and different stances (though, I've noticed that, when we take outside pics, it's not so much how she's standing but how the sun hits her). She's really a cutie-pie, and I wish I had more good adult pics of her to show all of you! (The pic in my signature is from the day we found her, when she was about 5 months old - needless to say, there's been many changes since then!)

[ August 03, 2001: Message edited by: 3-greys-and-a-mutt ]

[ August 03, 2001: Message edited by: 3-greys-and-a-mutt ]

This is my Whitney (now at the Rainbow Bridge). Sadly we have no good pictures that show her pretty face. This was taken outside and you can't even see her eyes. If I ever have another black dog I will try some of the tips you have mentioned.

http://wsphotofews.excite.com/011/4a/4c/b5/8X69585.jpg

OMG! I love that picture of all 4 of them at the gate!! They look so beautiful and yet it is so funny because it is a perfect example of why you started this topic :D!

Your babies are gorgeous :D!

Oh Pam - I am sorry that you have no good pictures of Whitney! When I lost my Freckles (cocker) I looked at her photo album every day! Seeing pics of her helped me to remember every expression, every mood, etc.
You've emphasized how important it is to get good pics of our pets. I will have 20 rolls of film developed if it means only one good picture of Pup! (Of course, my hubby thinks I'm nutty, outside with the camera all the time, but oh well, it's worth it :D :rolleyes: )

Angel - thanks for the compliments! I hope you got my e-mails with their pics for your webpage? I sent them a few days ago, but I do see that it's been a few days since you've updated the page(s). If you didn't get my e-mails, would you let me know at [email protected]? Thanks! :D

Pam,

I know how you feel about not having a good face shot of Whitney. I never got any really good ones of Sadie. Cora was always easier to photograph, and our first "baby".

So, I took tones of pics of her when we first got her. I have a few of Sadie, but no-where near the amount I have of Cora. It makes me sad now that she's gone. I found some snapshots in my desk the other night. There were a couple that were fairly good, they captured her essence. I sat and looked at them for a long time crying happy and sad tears... she was such a joy.

I won't make that mistake again... I now get pics of Kira whenever I can, as well as the rescues that we foster from time to time. They are all precious....

The picture you posted of Whitney is wonderful... it may not capture her face, but it's a wonderful picture anyway. Cherish it! :)

Another thought....

We had had Cora for about a 9 months, when our Newf Club had a fun day. There was a professional photographer there, taking portraits.

Russell choked at the price.... :D but I insisted. It's a wonderful picture, and you can see Cora's face clearly, and her eyes don't glow in the dark, or aren't bright red!

Food for thought!

Annie

three greys and a mutt
That photo of Pup in your signature is so cute, she looks like "who me?" Your other three are just beautiful dogs too.
Jackie

Had to update: I took some pics of Pup in the yard, and a couple came out fairly well...
http://wsphotofews.excite.com/031/cZ/Wq/tu/Yz71418.jpg
http://wsphotofews.excite.com/027/oB/kA/Mj/Xl92011.jpg
I'm still working on it, though! These were taken with a zoom lens. Pup is so active in the yard that I can't get her to pose for more than a second or two! But at least these pictures show what she really looks like now, at about 1 1/2 years old (compared to her six month picture that appears in my signature!)

[ August 08, 2001: Message edited by: 3-greys-and-a-mutt ]

Pup is beautiful, I think the signature photo don't do her justice, what a beauty she is, but it really is hard to take a black dog, I have so much trouble trying to take Daisy, but these photos of Pup came out great. Whatever you are doing it's right! :)
Jackie

Well, it's official... I am hopelessly and completely in love with Pup! She has amazing poise and stature for a mutt. My Sasha is like that too. I love the new pics you took. She is amazing! I cannot get over how in love with her I am! I will be changing your pics on the webpage... I will add one of the two of these of Pup and use another one of Buddy, Paula & Boo at their gate. This way Pup can be displayed in a proper way!! Buddy, Paula and Boo are simply gorgeous - You have a great great fur-family :D!

Pup is adorable!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Great shots!!! :D

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Well, it's official... I am hopelessly and completely in love with Pup! She has amazing poise and stature for a mutt. My Sasha is like that too. I love the new pics you took. She is amazing! I cannot get over how in love with her I am! I will be changing your pics on the webpage... I will add one of the two of these of Pup and use another one of Buddy, Paula & Boo at their gate. This way Pup can be displayed in a proper way!! Buddy, Paula and Boo are simply gorgeous - You have a great great fur-family !

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Yeah... I like them too...LOL :p !
Pup is my little 20 pound baby and loves to cuddle. She is a sweetheart who wins everyone over with those giant ears and an adorable mewling whine she does to get attention - like "pet me, pet me, pet me!!!!!!!" She likes every person she meets, but has an aggressive, dominant streak towards other dogs, which we are trying to curb. It's hard to blame her for being short-tempered, though, since she has hip dysplasia and gets sore and grouchy sometimes :( .
P.S. When her hair is au natural, she looks like a black American Eskimo Dog (with bigger ears :p) or a long-legged Schipperke (with bigger ears :p) ! We keep her sheared short because it's cooler, and that way, we can watch her weight more closely (essential with her hip problems).
Thanks for updating her picture (The "four at the gate" pic is a favorite of mine, but it doesn't do Pup justice!)

Pup is such a cutie pie! What a sweet little face. And, being the mommy of a Basset Hound, I LOVE big ears! :)