Want your dog photos to be a hit on social media? Here are five tips
By Kris Rotonda
Like proud parents showing off pictures of their kids, dog owners love sharing dog photos and videos of their furry friends on social media.
A BarkBox study reflects this fun American obsession: Dog owners post a photo and/or comment about their dogs an average of six times per week on social media. Also, the survey showed dog owners view dog photos or videos three times a week and that 20 percent of the photos that dog owners keep in their phones are of their dogs.
Besides the “awww!” factor that adorable dogs attract, all the posting about your lovable four-legged animal can create more awareness of you and expand your social network.
Having a dog gives you something in common with many people, and posting pictures of them is a way to connect while breaking free from negative, often nasty discussion of the world’s problems or politics. The dog pictures, with or without you, provide a positive reflection of you and create good engagement on social media. That can start fun conversation and friendships and bring opportunities.
The trick is how to take even better photos and videos of your pets that will generate more responses on social media sites.
It’s human nature to be competitive. This is no different, but in a much friendlier and more positive, creative sense — “Look at my pup!” It can be a challenge to photograph your dog exactly at the right time in a funny or cute moment.
Here are five ways you can take better quality pictures of your dogs that will generate comments on social media.
Pay attention to background
Simple backgrounds, like a white sandy beach or green trees, make your dog stand out. Whether you’re using a phone or a point-and-shoot camera, have your dog at least a dozen feet in front of the background so he’ll be more in focus than whatever’s behind him. Pay attention to color, too: No black backgrounds for black dogs, brown backgrounds for brown dogs, and so on.
Get creative and playful
Lots of full-body shots taken from 10 feet away can get mighty dull. Get up close so your dog fills the entire frame. Get even closer so you get the full effect of that long, wet nose. Photograph your dog head on, in profile, at 45-degree angles. And don’t get hung up on perfection. The best shots are often the spontaneous ones.
Think fashion
Dressing up your dog or having him or her donning a hat often enhances the humor or visual appeal. It adds personality to your dog if you can get him or her to sit still long enough.
Use burst mode
This means putting a phone camera on “burst” to capture as many pictures sequentially as possible. You know how difficult it can be to keep your dog’s attention and pose him or her. So just start shooting while you’re trying to get his or her attention. In burst mode, you’re more likely to capture the moment you want.
Zoom in
Rather than get up close to your dog’s face — he or she will quickly get distracted — a zoom from a distance will catch expressions when your dog is always aware you’re looking.
Social media is all about connecting, and nobody really connects humans better than dogs.
Articles related to “Want your dog photos to be a hit on social media? Here are five tips”
The end of civility: Facebook and other social media bring out the worst in everyone
Should there be a dog in the White House? Six breeds that could help ensure domestic tranquility
