5 Tips for Taking a Great Halloween Photo With Your Dog

When the temperatures slightly drop and the fall colors come out, it’s the perfect time to take some photos of your family. If you’ve got a furry family member, be sure you include him in your pictures this year. When your pictures are close to Halloween, it could be fun to take some shots while everyone’s in costume. The following are five tips to get a great Halloween photo with your dog.

Get Matching Outfits

Nothing shows your dog is part of the family more than having matching outfits. For your regular family photo, you can choose a color scheme and put little Fluffy in a coordinating polo shirt . There are also shirts that match your pooch exactly, like the Tiki Time BBQ shirts for dogs and humans.

For the Halloween-themed photo, you can get really creative. Everyone in the family could have any old costume for an eclectic look, or you could coordinate and have one general theme. For example, Mom could dress up as Batgirl, Dad could be Batman and Fido could be Robin . You could put Fluffy in an Ewok costume , and the rest of the family could be their favorite characters from the Star Wars movies.

Find or Create the Right Lighting

It’ll take some planning to ensure you have the right lighting for your photos. Most photographers have got this down to a science, but you should be in the know as well. The best time for natural light is in the first couple hours after the sun has risen and the last couple hours before the sun sets. This will give your photos a natural glow. If it’s too close to sunrise or sunset and there’s not enough light shining directly, your photographer might use lamps or a reflector to get the light where it needs to be.

If your only option is to do photos in the middle of the day, a shady location might be your best bet. Using a reflector, the photographer’s assistant can artificially shine some of the sunlight onto your faces to give the appearance of that natural glow.

Find a Good Location

The right location is essential to getting a great Halloween photo with a dog. Depending on your pup’s personality, he could get distracted in a location that has a lot going on. Try to find a location at which it will only be your family and your photographer. While the city might be a great backdrop for your superhero-themed photo, everything happening in town, especially around the holidays, is going to distract your dog and he may not sit still for the photo.

If you’ve got a specific theme for your photo, you might choose a location that plays to that theme. For example, if everyone is dressed up in cowboy costumes , you might consider a ranch for your photo location. If your family members are all dressed up as different critters, with your pup in a caterpillar hoodie costume , a colorful garden might be your perfect location.

Practice Patience

Taking photos with a dog is going to require a lot of patience. You may want to practice some obedience techniques beforehand so your dog knows what to expect. If you’re telling old Fido to “sit” over and over again for the photo and he isn’t getting rewarded for it the same way he’s rewarded at home for completing the same command, it may get chaotic and he may lose interest.

It may benefit you to hire a photographer who already has experience working with pets. Not every professional is going to have the same experience or the same level of patience. If you absolutely cannot find someone who has experience with pets, at least try to find someone with experience with children, as that could indicate a higher level of patience.

Sometimes the best photos are those that show your dog’s personality. If you’re getting frustrated because your furry family member won’t sit up straight for the photo, consider whether that’s really his personality. For example, bulldogs may seem like big, strong dogs that would sit up at attention, but they’d really rather just lay around. Having your bulldog lay across the front of the photo might perfectly catch his personality and be just what you need hanging on the wall.

Bring Along Some Toys and Treats

Patience is only going to get you so far. You’ll need to take a few timeouts while you’re doing pictures. As you’re putting together outfits and costumes, be sure you throw some toys, treats and water into your bag. Toys can be used to get your dog to fulfill a certain command, but they can also be used when you take one of those timeouts.

If your pooch is particularly restless, get some of that energy out with a quick game of fetch , then get back to picture taking before he can’t handle it anymore. You can also utilize some of the commands your dog knows if he’s going to get a treat. Bring along some of his favorites so he’s more inclined to stay in the photo. You should also bring a portable water bowl so he can stay properly hydrated.

As you can see, it’s not hard to get some good photos with your dog, but it does take some preparation. For that perfect Halloween photo, invest in matching outfits, make sure you’ve got the right lighting, find the perfect location, be patient, be prepared with toys and treats, and have fun!