# Signature Pictures



## ama0722 (Nov 28, 2006)

Thanks everyone for the nice comments and pm's. I am more than willing to share my tricks! As to the posing, they all know sit, down, and stand so that is easy. I have to say my trick is I train my dogs to look at me from a young age. Not really for cute pictures but for obedience training. What I start with is my dog on the heel side and I have a cookie at the side of my face and I give the command "watch me". Then "yes" and treat. I eventually remove the cookie from my face but have in pocket, etc. To this day, you say watch me and Dora gets excited.

Unfortunately when I add a camera into the mix, Isabelle HATES having her picture taken. She always has. I have tons of Belle pictures with her throwing a fit turning around, laying down, or running out of the picture area. This is with no flash as well. She just doesn't like to have her picture taken. Dora makes up for her as she wants front and center cause she knows camera means cookies. So I usually take a bunch of pictures and post the one that Belle looks the best in! 

Another thing, tired dogs sit longer. Hence most of my pictures they are messy mops- cause they have been out and about running around for an hour and are now tired enough to stay put. This is very hard for Belle when we are out hiking but this is when I usually get the best Belle pictures


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## trueblue (Jan 22, 2008)

I need to try the watch me thing. And I'm dying to meet Belle.


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## ama0722 (Nov 28, 2006)

Just an example I took the first one posted as my current signature and this is what it looked like from there on out. Like I beat the maltese into taking her picture. I know she has been at playdates with forum members who saw her react very negative to the camera. Even video cameras, she only likes to be a star in person.


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## Kathy (Nov 9, 2006)

All of mine will "sit" for about a nano second when I am trying to take a picture. Queenie loves to have her picture taken, her mother however, typically looks so pitiful, you would think I was torturing her!!


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## Havtahava (Aug 20, 2006)

Great topic with gorgeous samples, Amanda!

Belle is definitely funny when it comes to the camera. She reminds me of those humans that think the camera will steal their soul. She has a totally adverse reaction to that thing pointing at her.


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## Maxmom (Jul 22, 2008)

Amanda, I've always adored your babies and your photos. You make it sound easy, but it's quite a feat to get all three to "watch". Max hates his picture taken, too, and turns his head to the side or squints his eyes (until I learned to turn off flash).

I love those three tongues hanging out! lol


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## Me+Sydney (Mar 5, 2010)

All of those pictures are fantastic! 

I must say, I think Sydney has the exact opposite camera reaction to Belle's. Sydney cannot pose enough. Every time she hears or sees the camera, she poses and looks at me. Don't get me wrong, it works to my advantage most of the time, but it makes it completely IMPOSSIBLE to take a candid shot! Every time she is doing something cute and I attempt to capture it, she stops and sits and looks at me. :doh:


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## Scooter's Family (May 23, 2008)

I'm working on the "watch me" command too, not very well though. With nice weather now I hope to work with each dog individually more and have better behaved pups! 

Belle is a sweetie, Amanda tells lies!


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## Mom2Izzo (Jul 1, 2009)

LOVE LOVE LOVE your pictures!!!!!


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## Poornima (Jun 29, 2007)

Amanda, I love your furballs. Lovely pictures! I wish I had met Belle. She is quite a character.


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## motherslittlehelper (Mar 18, 2010)

Allison - you are describing the Augie acts...exactly. Camera comes out, he sits and looks at me - and no treats are involved. It is impossible to get one of him when he isn't 'posing'. 

Amanda, I have always (since I found the forum) been impressed with the way you capture your three in photos. Geez, I had three boys and could never get a decent photo of all three of them, in the same photo! Individually, sure, but in the same photo - hardly ever. Good Job!


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## irnfit (Nov 21, 2006)

Amanda, I love that first picture. Belle's attitude is really showing. They are all so adorable. Kodi doesn't mind having his picture taken, but Shelby will always put her head down.


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## Lina (Apr 26, 2007)

Great tips, Amanda! 

I just want to add that when taking pictures of more than one pup, persistence and PATIENCE really pay off. Just keep snapping that camera and I promise you something will turn out in the end!

Also, it's not just about training either. I've taken pictures of dogs that people can't believe because the dog just won't sit/down/stay for THEM to take a picture of. I think often times when people take pictures their voice isn't as serious, because they're already lighthearted and happy. When you say "stay" but don't mean it, a lot of dogs won't listen to you, no matter how well behaved they usually are (of course there are always exceptions!). As long as you're firm - but kind - most dogs know what you mean when you say down and stay.

In addition, you need to get your dog acclimated to having a camera in its face quite often. What I mean by that is, if you don't usually bring a camera out to take pictures and all of a sudden one day you do, your dog won't know what in the world that thing in front of your face is and he'll be so curious, he won't listen to you as well. My dogs have seen me with a camera in front of my face more often than not so they don't even blink when the camera comes out.

That being said, I do find it hard to take pictures of three dogs at once, but not impossible. These are two of my favorite pictures of Kubrick, Hitchcock and Guapo:



















Also wanted to add that Kubrick is notoriously shy/hates the camera and you would *never* know it from all the pictures I have of him! The only reason I have so many great pictures of him is because I am constantly taking so many pictures of him. I know that ~25% of them will turn out so when I take 20 pictures I only have maybe 5 left. But if I take 100 I have a much wider range!


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## Lilly'sMom (Jan 28, 2010)

Those pictures are so cute it almost hurts!! I think Isabelle has the prettiest face I've ever seen.


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## mintchip (Apr 19, 2007)

irnfit said:


> Amanda, I love that first picture. Belle's attitude is really showing. They are all so adorable. Kodi doesn't mind having his picture taken, but Shelby will always put her head down.


Sounds like my 2--I now have one special treat/bribe that they only get when the camera comes out :biggrin1:


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## ama0722 (Nov 28, 2006)

What I have in Belle, I make up for with Dora. Dora hardly ever takes a bad picture and it is more like what Lina says using a harsh voice cause Dora will go nose to camera no hesitation. I have to get Belle quick otherwise she shuts down. It is usually the first 2-3 pics that there is a good Belle one otherwise, I take pics of Dash and Dora. The best pics are Belle being outdoors as that is where she will put up with a camera the longest. In the house, she is okay with blowing me off and hiding!


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## kelrobin (Jan 21, 2008)

Amanda, this is a great thread and wonderful photos. Belle could get away with anything she wanted to at my house! Even the one where she isn't cooperating is cute. Lina, yours are darling too. I'm like you . . . take a 100 and you will have some good ones. 

Our lab, Barrett, used to literally turn around and start walking away when he saw the camera. I can't tell you how many shots of him I tried to take where there is a blur as he whirled around to escape. I think sometimes it's from the memory of a flash in their face.


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## Flynn Gentry-Taylor (Jan 17, 2008)

Amanda, your photographs are amazing. I eed to get a list of training to start with Sir Winston. He is very cuddly and loving. He is responsive and for sure ready to start. I think I will go get some treats and start the watch me commands! I have hinted I would send Sir Winston over. I made a mistake I should have asked you to pick him up for me, then left him with you for about 6 weeks, then he would have been trained :amen:


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## gelbergirl (Jun 9, 2007)

that Bella is so funny.
always a stand-out in the pics!
kisses to all 3 from me!


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## SMARTY (Apr 19, 2007)

Thanks for the tips, I always enjoy your pictures. Smarty looks like I beat her in photos and now Galen is about the same, I know it is the flash on my little cheapie camera. I wanted a new one for Christmas that didn't have a glaring flash and “got” :frusty: a JVC Everio video camera. I need to read the novel that came with it to find out what kind of photos it makes.


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## clare (Feb 6, 2010)

I just love all those photos brilliant!


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## marjrc (Jan 13, 2007)

Great tips, Amanda and Carolina! I have found that taking pictures after mine have played a while usually result in more "smiling" faces. Ricky and Sammy will sit and stay for me, so I get quite a few of them posed like that, but I also have the camera around all the time. I pull it out quite often and they are used to it and don't even bat an eyelash. 

Amanda, your 3 are absolutely beautiful. I have loved Dora from the first time I 'met' her on here. Lina, those are some of my fave pics too, the 3 Havs on the couch. Beautiful shots!

The "look at me" or "watch me" command is such an important one, for so much more than photo taking, that it's a great one to teach.


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