Easter Photos With Your Dog: A Practical Guide

The short answer for Easter photos with your dog is to shoot outdoors in morning light, get down to the dog's eye level, and keep a helper with a treat just behind the camera. Everything else here is detail on those three things.

We make single ingredient freeze-dried treats in Malvern, Pennsylvania, and we end up taking more dog pictures than we plan to. None of this needs a real camera. A phone and ten minutes will do it.

Start with morning light

Easter Sunday fills up fast, so the morning is the easy slot. Take the dog outside when the sun is low and the shadows are soft. Stand so the sun is to one side of the dog, not directly behind it, or you get a dark dog with a bright outline.

Turn the flash off. It bounces straight back off a dog's eyes and leaves two bright dots where the eyes should be.

Get low and keep it plain

Most dog pictures are taken from standing height, looking down, and it shows. Kneel or lie on the grass so the phone sits at the dog's eye level. The background drops away and the dog fills the frame.

A porch step, a stretch of lawn or a plain blanket is a better set than a busy yard. Tap the screen on the dog's eyes so the phone sets focus there, and hold the shutter button down for burst mode. The good frame is usually mid head turn.

The helper and the camera treat

Have a helper stand behind you and hold a treat just above or beside the phone. The dog's eyes go to the treat, and the treat is right where you want them. If you are on your own, hold it in your free hand against the side of the phone. Keep sessions to about five minutes.

For the camera treat, use something small that breaks into smaller pieces. Freeze-Dried Cheddar Cheese Dog Treats fit. The only ingredient is cheddar cheese, freeze-dried in small batches in Malvern. They come in one 8 ounce bag, the piece is small, and they are crunchy and non-greasy, so nothing smears in your pocket. They contain dairy, so they are not suited to dogs with dairy sensitivities. The label says to feed as a treat or reward and not as a complete diet.

Tear pieces down to the size of a pea so the dog is not busy chewing when you want the head up. If your dog is on a special diet, ask your veterinarian before you add treats for the shoot.

Props that work

A bandana goes on in a few seconds and stays in the picture. Our Circle-Logo Dog Bandana has a 3-inch circle logo printed on the front panel. It comes in white or black, in one size, and it ties on. The folded triangle measures roughly 21 inches across the long edge, and the cotton-blend washes cold and hangs dry. Pick the color that contrasts with the coat: white on a dark dog, black on a light one. Tie it on a few minutes before you start.

A bunny ears headband is optional. If you try one, put it on for a few seconds, take a burst, and take it off. If it does not stay on, skip it and let the bandana do the work.

For something to hold, the Lucky Dog Carrot Plushie is a long soft carrot that squeaks and crinkles. It is 10 inches by 3 inches, 15 inches in total length, with a minky fleece cover, and it floats. American Dog makes it by hand in the USA. American Dog items are sold and shipped by American Dog through Shopify Collective, not made or shipped by Sniff and Shift. Held just beside the lens, it is one more way to try for a head turn.

The basket, without the grass

A basket is a good prop, and the grass is the part to leave out. The ASPCA writes: "Plastic grass used in Easter baskets seem to be a fan favorite for pets, but unfortunately, can be very problematic for them." So we skip it.

Line the basket with a dish towel or a piece of fabric instead, and put the dog's treats and a toy in it rather than candy. On candy, the ASPCA says: "Chocolate can cause gastrointestinal upset, pancreatitis, stimulation to the nervous system (hyperactivity, tremors and seizures) and elevation in heart rate." We keep the chocolate bunnies out of the frame.

Flowers in the frame

Spring flowers make a nice background. Tulips, daffodils and lilies are the usual Easter bouquet. We keep the bouquet out of the dog's reach and out of the frame, and we take it away when the shoot is done. The ASPCA plant entry for tulips is the one to read before a bouquet goes near the dog.

Lilies are a separate case. The ASPCA's Easter page says: "Lilies (Lilium sp and Hemerocallis sp) can cause serious concerns for our feline friends."

The ASPCA plant entry for Easter lilies is the one to read if a cat lives in your house. We leave lilies out of a house with a cat.

The family shot

Set up everything else before the dog. Prop the phone on a stack of books or a chair at the dog's eye level, set a ten second timer and turn on burst mode. Get everyone into position, close together, with one hand free.

The dog goes last. Bring the dog into the frame once the people are settled, treat in a free hand and held up near the lens. Start the timer, then hold still. Take a few rounds and keep the best.

A photo in the car

If you have a car you like, use it. A dog on the passenger seat with the door open and the morning sun coming in from the side makes a good Easter picture, and we have a longer page on photographing your dog with your car. Wipe the dash and the seat first.

After the photos

Pick one or two frames, not the whole burst, and crop in so the dog's face is the biggest thing in the picture. If the day also includes a hunt, we wrote a separate page on the egg hunt for dogs, and the rest of the season is on our Easter page.

Photo questions

What time of day is best for Easter photos?

Morning outdoors, when the sun is low and the shadows are soft. On a cloudy day, any time works, because the light is even.

How do I get my dog to look at the camera?

Hold a small treat just above or beside the lens, or have a helper hold it behind you. Say the dog's name once, wait for the head to turn, and take a run of burst frames.

Should my dog wear bunny ears?

Only if you want them in the picture. Put the headband on for a few seconds, take a burst and take it off. If it does not stay on, use a bandana instead.

Can I use Easter grass in the basket?

We skip the plastic grass and line the basket with a dish towel or fabric. The ASPCA quote above is the reason.

Which color bandana shows up best?

Pick the one that contrasts with the dog's coat. Our circle-logo bandana comes in white or black, so a dark-coated dog goes in the white one and a light-coated dog goes in the black one.

Where does the dog go in the family photo?

Last. Set the phone, the timer and the people first, then bring the dog in with a treat held near the lens and hold still until the timer finishes.

Can Easter lilies be in the photo if I have a cat?

We leave lilies out of any house with a cat. The ASPCA plant entry linked above is the one to read.