Dog, puppy and dog birthday photo ideas

Great dog photos come from getting down to the dog’s eye level, a treat just above the lens and a lot of patience. Here are 21 ideas: everyday dog photos, puppy firsts and a dog birthday with a pupcake, then how to make your favorite one move.

Everyday dog photos

1. The head tilt Hold the phone at your dog’s eye level and make one squeaky noise. Shoot a burst as the head tilts.
2. Treat on the nose For dogs who know “wait”: balance a treat on the nose and burst as they flip it.
3. Ears in the wind With someone else driving, shoot from the passenger seat as your dog looks out the window.
4. Muddy paws Close-up of muddy paws on the doormat after a walk, with the guilty face out of focus behind.
5. Strange sleeping spots Shoot from above, quietly, when your dog sleeps upside down or squeezed into a too-small bed.
6. Trail view Leash in your hand at the bottom of the frame, dog ahead on the trail, shot from your own eye level.
7. Fetch in mid-air Throw across in front of you, not toward yourself, and shoot a burst as the dog leaps.
8. The shake-off After a swim or bath, stand to the side and burst as the water flies.

Puppy photo ideas

1. Same toy, every month Photograph your puppy beside the same shoe or stuffed toy each month to show how fast they grow.
2. First night home Puppy curled in a new bed with a blanket, shot by lamplight without the flash.
3. Puppy in cupped hands If your puppy is small enough, hold them in both hands against your sweater and shoot close.
4. Meeting the kids Kids lie on the floor and let the puppy come to them. Get down on the floor too.
5. First bath Wrapped in a towel with just the face out.
6. Caught with the evidence The chewed slipper on the floor and the puppy sitting next to it.

Dog birthday photo ideas

1. The pupcake A small dog-safe cake or cupcake on the floor. Shoot as your dog stares at it, before the first bite.
2. Birthday bandana A soft bandana or party collar is easier than a hat for most dogs; a few seconds of wearing it is enough.
3. Number balloon Tie a number balloon to a chair behind your dog, and put it away after the photo so it doesn’t get chewed.
4. Unwrapping a toy Wrap a new toy loosely in paper and burst as your dog rips it open.
5. Party guests Your dog’s friends sitting around a treat on a mat, with someone holding treats above your phone.
6. Puppy photo, grown dog Hold up a printed puppy photo next to your grown dog’s face.
7. Birthday walk Your dog leading the way to their favorite park, shot from behind at their height.

Make it move

Open a dog photo in Tada and try these:

• Natural in Make it Live: pets blink, sniff and twitch their ears, and the camera stays still. For more energy, Lively makes pets look around, wag and pant.
• Puff is free and made on your phone in about a second. Tap your dog’s head, a paw or the pupcake to puff that spot up; it bounces back and shrinks again, in a loop.
• Draw a party hat over your dog’s head with your finger and choose My lines: it stays exactly as you drew it and wiggles like a cartoon (free). Sticker packs are placed on people, so for a dog on its own, drawing the hat is the way to go.

Natural and Lively use 1 AI tada each (3 are free); Tada asks before your first one and makes it with OpenAI and xAI (privacy). Cat at home too? See cat photo ideas.

iPhone tips for dog photos

• Get low. Shoot at your dog’s eye level, not down from standing height.
• Portrait mode works on pets as well as people: the dog stays sharp and the background blurs.
• Dogs rarely hold still, so shoot a burst: swipe the Shutter button to the left and lift your finger to stop.
• Hold a treat or a squeaky toy right above the lens to get eye contact, and give the treat after the shot.

Questions

Sources: Apple Support: Take portraits with your iPhone camera · Apple Support: Capture action shots with Burst mode on your iPhone camera

More you can do

• Instagram picture ideas
• Photo dump ideas
• Animate a photo
• Add stickers that move
• All guides