You probably love taking photos and videos of your siblings and children. Yet you cannot forget about your dog when creating adorable content. After all, your pet is part of your family, too.
Of course, getting your dog to cooperate for the camera can be difficult. Shooting an animal also requires some extra skills and strategies that you would not necessarily need when filming or photographing humans. Here are a few tips that should help you create great content for your pet.
Learn the Basics
Before you get your dog ready for his close-up, you should at least have some understanding of what makes good pictures and videos. This means learning a bit about photography and cinematography. Study how changing the background or lighting can alter the story you are trying to tell.
Knowing how to properly edit the footage is important, as well. There are several free editing applications that you can download. If you want to create really high-quality videos, consider purchasing Adobe Premiere Pro. You can then research how to crop a video in Premiere and how to use the program’s other tools.
Get the Right Equipment
To truly put your newly earned skills to use, you will need the proper camera. If you plan to capture your dog at agility events, invest in a zoom lens. If you want to include the surrounding audio as part of your footage, you should get a microphone attachment, as well.
A digital single-lens reflex camera, also known as a DSLR, can give your home movies a true Hollywood. Keep in mind, however, that these cameras can be difficult to focus when making videos. The large camera could also spook your pet.
A smartphone may thus be a better option, particularly if your dog gets scared easily. Your pet is probably used to your cell. Most cell phones also include an auto-focus feature that is particularly helpful when shooting a moving animal. If you do opt for your smartphone, be sure to hold the camera horizontally rather than vertically. For a truly unique look at what your dog sees every day, you could also purchase a GoPro and place it on your pet’s head.
Train and Practice
Unlike humans, a dog will not automatically obey your commands. You will first have to train your pet to sit and stay on command. You can also teach your dog some cool tricks that he can show off in front of the cameras.
Before you turn on the camera, practice the skills or movements that you want your dog to perform. After all, pets need rehearsal, too.
As part of your preparation, you should figure out exactly what motivates your dog to perform on cue. If your dog is camera shy, you can bribe him with treats. However, you should start with a fairly low-value treat. Otherwise, your whole video will just be your pet begging you for food.
