Dog Days of Summer

Want to shoot a dog? Try these tips from canine specialist Jeff Moore:

Make 'em comfortable.

"I let them know I'm not the vet." Avoid reaching and grabbing.

Smell and lick.

Let them do it to the camera, that is.

Connect.

Make eye contact. Play. Talk.

Have no shame.

Make kissing sounds, baby talk, funny sounds.

Get close.

"Most of my shots are done with a short, 24-70mm lens," says Moore. "A wide-angle shot isn't always flattering, but dogs don't care if you make them look bad."

No surprises.

Moore uses flash, but he doesn't spring it on his subjects. "I pop the lights again and again before I even start shooting. You can get to the point where the dog doesn't even notice it."

Focus on the eyes.

Keep them sharp. It's essential.

Shoot blind.

Some dogs freak when you put the camera to your face. Moore's technique? He turns the camera for a vertical shot, moves the AF point to three-quarters up the screen, and fires from the hip. With the AF point in that position, the dog's eyes will be in focus.

Take breaks.

"Dogs, like kids, don't have much of an attention span," Moore says.