Dog owners love to take photos of their dogs. Many of us have dozens or hundreds of photos of our dogs on our smartphones. And we all love to show off our cute dog photos to friends, family, and colleagues. Below are my top three tips for taking better photos of your dog with your smartphone.

Tip #1: Get Low

If you ever see a professional dog photographer in action, you’ll notice that 90% of the time they shoot, they are crouching, kneeling, or laying on the ground. As a broad rule of thumb, it’s best to take portraits of your subject at or near their eye level. This is a much more flattering angle and gives the viewer the perspective of being on their level. Most people snap photos with their phone at chest height; by getting low, you’ll immediately set your photos apart.

Getting low has other benefits. You’ll have greater separation between your subject and their background, helping them to stand out in the photo. You may also find that your dog gets more interested in you when you get down on their level, providing a more engaging look. Being down on their level also has the effect of making your dog look larger and dominating more of the frame.

Tip #2: Use Portrait Mode

Most modern smartphones have a portrait mode in your camera app. This mode mimics the shallow depth of field that professional photographers achieve with fast aperture prime lenses. A shallow depth of field means that only your subject is in focus, and the area behind them has a nice soft blur. This effect is excellent for helping to isolate your dog in the frame, drawing the viewer’s attention to them and not a distracting background. It will make it feel like your dog is popping out of the image.

Smartphones achieve this effect by detecting the subject in the frame and then using image processing to blur the area behind the subject. Achieving this look with a smartphone is one of the significant advancements in photography in the last few decades. If your phone has portrait mode, you should be using it!

Tip #3: Edit Your Photos

I’ll let you in on a little secret: editing, or “post-processing,” as we photography gurus call it, is the secret to stand-out images. During film days, professional photographers would spend hours in the darkroom perfecting their pictures. Now, we have powerful editing tools available in the palm of our hands. Most people aren’t interested in spending a lot of time editing their photos, but your photos app or social media platforms have built-in filters that can make this a breeze. Editing allows you to create the exact look you want with your image. It also helps your photos pop and stand out from the rest.

Our dogs bring so much joy and happiness to our lives. When they are gone, the photos on our smartphones will be one way we remember them. Taking photos of your dog is a lot of fun and you’ll be creating memories you’ll cherish for the rest of your life. Here is my challenge to you, grab your phone and your dog and give these three tips a try, then post your photos in the comments section below. I’d love to see the images you capture of your dog!