If you have a dog, chances are you have more than a few photos of him. Taking good pet photographs takes practice. Here are a few suggestions to help you snap great pictures of your best pal.
— Shoot photos in bright daylight or in sports mode. Flash photography can bother dogs. It doesn’t make their eyes look so great, either.
— Wanna get a picture of your dog smiling? Take her out to fetch, or for a brisk run. Once your dog is panting, have her look directly at you, aim and click! Smiling dog.
— Capture your dog’s personality. Get sneaky and take a photograph of the quirky stuff they do when they think you’re not looking.
— Use treats as a way to get your high-energy dog to stay still long enough to snap a photo. You can even stick a treat on top of the camera to keep his attention focused on the lens.
Photo Prompt:
Using some of the tips provided, take a photograph that captures the expressive eyes of your dog.
***
Thanks to everyone who participated in last week’s poetry prompt. Here is a poem by James we enjoyed:
I thumb inside his big loose ears,
his eyelids descend to half mast.
a gentle paw rises to rest on my arm while
his breath, a sweet warmth, respires
from the deep hollow of divine conspiracy. our history is
natural… my ancestors, and his, ran parallel lines
along game trails lacing
pyrenean peaks,
paddling nova scotia’s icy waters, searching
through the pass at saint bernard… his specieshood
distinct, dependence shared, such witness of
evolution, the wellspring of
creation. my dog, my God, my soul confer each day
we three walk the way of work and friendship forged
through need and care. I laugh when
he dances with simple joy, bucking bronco rearing,
twisting, rolling his exultant head in circles to say
“come play! come live!”. of all the creatures come to
bless my kind, this
one
is my heart.
NOTE TO POETS: Looking for your Monday poetry prompt? On Photo Play weeks, it’s right here. Choose a photo from the post and respond with a poem. Leave your poem in the comment box. We’ll be reading. 
Photo by Nick Harris. Creative Commons license via Flickr. Post by Heather Eure.
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Sometimes we feature your poems in Every Day Poems, with your permission of course. Thanks for writing with us!
Browse more photography prompts
Browse more dog poems
Browse more poetry teaching resources
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- Animate: Lions & Lambs Poetry Prompt - March 12, 2018
- Poetry Prompt: Behind the Velvet Rope - February 26, 2018
HisFireFly says
perhaps you’ll enjoy this —
http://hisfirefly.blogspot.ca/2014/04/aging-faith.html
Heather Eure says
What a dear photo. A beautiful dog. Your poem… I understand well. Thanks for sharing.
Richard Maxson says
Beautiful photo and poem. So true.
James Scott Smith says
A collection of dog images… just a small sample of the canine companions I have known over the years.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1269855584411&set=a.1040330286422.2008187.1170495858&type=3&theater
Heather Eure says
Such great photos!! You capture the souls of dogs.
Richard Maxson says
I agree, this is pure essence of dog. Love the smile. I had a shepherd named Gracie who would wrinkle her nose in a grin.
Rosanne Osborne says
http://poetryhawk.blogspot.com/2014/06/westie-lament.html
Heather Eure says
A Westie! They have such cheerful faces. A sweet poem from the Westie perspective.
Karen King says
Devotion
Wafts of white fur wrap me warm
Burnished brown eyes bury every torment
Black button nose sniffs a scent of perfume or cancer
Relaxing against me in rest or sitting silent as I sicken,
Never leaving, never needing
Tongue washing me clean of chemo and
kissing me at the same time
My shadow that signals sunlight,
The whisper that wakes my soul
Heather Eure says
Oh, my goodness Karen. Devotion, indeed. May the faithful love of your dog, heal you inside and out. <3
Karen King says
Thank you! It’s been a long road, but my two darling dogs, family, faith and imagination are seeing me through. For me, writing is the escape hatch, and my imagination the submarine that carries me away when I’m drowning mentally or physically or both. In an odd way, getting sick reconnected me to a more creative, more in-the-moment self. When you can’t be “busy” anymore, your mind opens wide to so many other possibilities. Thank you so much for your kind wishes.
SimplyDarlene says
http://simplydarlene.com/2014/06/11/eating-dog-daze-of-june/
Here’s one. (poem & photo)
I might have more since I’m joining miss Megan W. on the month of all things dog — inspired by the TweetSpeakers among us. 😉
Heather Eure says
Just darling! Bet it’s hard to stay mad at that face.
Richard Maxson says
You can’t stay mad at a dog. From the minute they find us, they’ve got our number (or finger).
SimplyDarlene says
http://simplydarlene.com/2014/06/13/stoic-dog-daze-of-june/
Here’s another one. (poem & photo)
My site has gone to the dogs this month. 🙂