I'm Paul Sauders, a wedding and portrait photographer based in Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park. I spend a lot of my time photographing people, families and weddings, but over the years i've also photographed plenty of dogs. Some have been racing around lochside path, some playing a star role in their owners' wedding ( a growing trend in my experience!) others simply being their brilliant, characturful selves. What i've learned is this: the best dog photos are rarely about fancy kit. They are about connection, light and timing.
Prize Paws is built on exactly that same spirit. It's about celebrating dogs as they really are and sharing moments that make people smile. With that in mind here are some simple, practical tips to help you take better photos of your dog just using your phone and, hopefully, give you the confidence to share even more brilliant images with the Prize Paws community.
One of the easiest improvements you can make starts before you even take a photo. Give your phone lens a quick clean. It sounds obvious, but it makes a huge difference to sharpness and contrast. Next, turn the flash off. Phone flash tends to flatten fur, wash out colour and can make dogs uneasy. Natural light is always kinder and more flattering.
When you're shooting get down to your dogs level. Standing above them always makes photos feel distant and less engaging. Kneeling, sitting or lying down brings you in to their world and instantly makes the image feel more personal. It's a small change that has a big impact.
Light matters more than any setting. Indoors, try positioning your dog near a window and let the light fall across their face rather than straigh on, ensuring its a nice soft even light. Outdoors early morning and early evening are ideal. The lights is softer, warmer and really brings our the texture in fur and sparkle in their eyes. If you're out in the middle of the day, look for open shade under trees or beside buildings to avoid harch shadows.
Most dogs don't love sitting still for long, and that's fine. Some of the best photos happen when your dogs are doing someting they enjoy. Walking towards you, waiting for a ball, rolling in the grass, watching the world go by. These moments feel real, and that authenticity always shines through in photos. Using your phone's burst mode can really help here. Hold the shutter down and let the phone take a sequence of images. You can pick the best expression afterwards.
For expression, try sound rather than treats. A quiet call of their name, a gentle whistle or a soft 'What's that" can trigger head tilts and alert looks without over excitement. If you do use treats, keep things relaxed and avoid pushing for too long. Short, enjoyable work far better than long photo sessions.
Pay a little attention to what's behind your dog. Busy backgrounds can distract from them. Often, simply moving a stpe or two to one side gives you a cleaner backdrop of grass, sky or water. Indoors, shifting clutter out of the frame can instantly lift an image.
When it comes to editing, less really is more. A small lift in brightness , a touch of contrast and maybe a little warmth is usually enough. Avoid heavy filters. The goal is for your dog to look like your dog, not a version smothered in effects.
Above all, don't put pressure on yourself or your dog. Dogs are brilliant at sensing when things are meant to be fun and when they're not. Some of my favourite images can come from moments I almost missed, a look, a pause, a bit of personaltiy shining through.
Prize Paws is all about celebrating those moments. The more relaxed and confident you feel behind your phone, the more likely you are to capture photos that others connect with. So, keep experimenting. Keep enjoying it and keep sharing. Your dog already has the star quality. You're just learning how to catch it.
