Introduction to Dog Photography
A course by Santos RománPet Photographer
A course by Santos Román, Pet Photographer
Learn all the basic tricks to take pictures of pets like a professional
From serious and noble to cute and playful, these are the models that pet photographer Santos Román has been photographing every day for more than 10 years. Throughout his professional career, he has worked with dogs, cats, rabbits, horses, chickens, cows, and even fish, and collaborated with major brands such as Affinity, Purina, Cotécnica, Nature's Variety, Visán, and Brottdog. He puts his love and respect for animals into each portrait, and in this course, he shows you how to run a studio photoshoot with a dog, from start to finish.
Join Santos and learn the ins and outs of dog photography, an increasingly popular trend among animal lovers in recent years. He teaches you the technical aspects for quality work, as well as tricks and techniques for a successful shoot with animals. Discover the secrets to gaining their trust and capture memorable pet portraits.
What will you learn in this online course?
16 lessons & 17 downloads
Different styles of pet photography
9 minutes, 22 seconds
The job and first contact
3 minutes, 56 seconds
Prepare the studio
3 minutes, 55 seconds
Prepare the client
2 minutes, 10 seconds
Pet and companion
3 minutes, 38 seconds
Photoshop
13 minutes, 10 seconds
What's included in this course?
Get to know Santos Román as he tells you about his professional career as a pet photographer, how he got started, and where the idea came from. He also shares his biggest influences and how they've shaped his style.
Begin with an introduction to dog photography, the distinct styles, and the challenges they can present. Learn how to approach a real project and the best practices for interacting with clients to make the whole process as smooth as possible.
Next, Santos shows you all the essentials for a studio session, from camera gear and set materials to everything needed to make your four-legged model look their best.
See how to set up your studio to accommodate the dog's needs, how to welcome your client and make them feel comfortable, and, last but not least, how to gain the trust of your special model, their pet.
Now it's time for the photoshoot! Santos walks you through the process step by step, from the moment you greet the client to when they walk out the door. Take a look at backgrounds and what different colors convey, find out how to capture the best side of each pet, and learn to read the signs from your model to know when to end the shoot.
Once you've finished, select the best photos, reveal them in Capture One, and do some retouching in Photoshop until you have perfect portraits.
You now have all the knowledge you need to become a professional dog photographer.
What is this course's project?
Direct a studio photoshoot with a dog and create an album with five photographs.
Projects by course students
Who is this online course for?
Animal lovers with basic notions of photography and photographers who want to learn the fundamentals to get started in dog photography.
Requirements and materials
A basic understanding of how to use a reflex camera in manual mode and flash lighting are necessary for this course, as well as a working knowledge of photo-editing programs like Adobe Photoshop and Capture One.
In terms of materials, you need a reflex camera, a computer, two flashes, different colored backgrounds, and a table for your pet models.
Reviews
- ivohidalgo_2089PLUS2 days ago
aprendi mucho de este curso, lo recomiendo totalmente
- 2 months ago
Curso muy interesante , fácil de seguir y didactico. Paso a paso con explicaciones didacticas y concretas. Vale la pena hacerlo
- fuentesmonicagPLUS2 months ago
Me encantó el curso. Aprendí lo que necesitaba
- 5 months ago
muy interesante. merece la pena. me hubiera gustado que hubiera profundizado más en aspecto más técnicos pero entiendo que es nivel iniciacion.
- 5 months ago
Excelente curso, aprendí mucho y me encanto que diera consejos para atender a nuestros clientes
In addition to his commercial work, he pursues personal projects that dip farther into the art world. He has displayed his photographs in galleries across Spain, like Standarte in Madrid, Setba in Barcelona, and Mediadvanced in Gijón, as well as in the United States, including Rollup in San Francisco and Affordable Art Fair in New York. The aim of his artistic work is to make us reflect on our relationship with animals by giving us a glimpse of their personality through the concept of psychological portraits.
Content
- U1
Introduction
- Who I am
- Influences
- What we will do in the course
- U2
The job
- Different styles of pet photography
- The job and first contact
- Materials
- U3
Preparing everything, the day of the session has arrived!
- Prepare the studio
- Prepare the client
- Prepare the pet
- U4
A wild photo shoot!
- White background / black background
- Pet and companion
- How to end the session
- U5
Retouching the portraits
- Image selection
- Capture One
- Photoshop
- Different export formats
- FP
Final project
- Introduction to Dog Photography
What to expect from a Domestika course
Learn at your own pace
Enjoy learning from home without a set schedule and with an easy-to-follow method. You set your own pace.
Learn from the best professionals
Learn valuable methods and techniques explained by top experts in the creative sector.
Meet expert teachers
Each expert teaches what they do best, with clear guidelines, true passion, and professional insight in every lesson.
Certificates
PLUSIf you're a Plus member, get a custom certificate signed by your teacher for every course. Share it on your portfolio, social media, or wherever you like.
Get front-row seats
Videos of the highest quality, so you don't miss a single detail. With unlimited access, you can watch them as many times as you need to perfect your technique.
Share knowledge and ideas
Ask questions, request feedback, or offer solutions. Share your learning experience with other students in the community who are as passionate about creativity as you are.
Connect with a global creative community
The community is home to millions of people from around the world who are curious and passionate about exploring and expressing their creativity.
Watch professionally produced courses
Domestika curates its teacher roster and produces every course in-house to ensure a high-quality online learning experience.
FAQs
You’ll learn lighting techniques, animal handling, composition, applied psychology, and digital retouching to create professional pet portraits both in studio and outdoors.
The course is aimed at people with basic photography knowledge and is intermediate level—perfect for those wanting to specialize in animal portraiture and improve their professional skills.
You’ll need a DSLR or mirrorless camera, portrait lenses, flashes, diffusers, neutral backdrops, and some basic accessories like clips, non-slip mats, and pet toys.
The course teaches how to use studio lighting with flashes, diffusers, and techniques like the Jill Greenberg effect to highlight pets’ expressions and details in portraits.
Yes, you’ll learn how to adjust exposure, shutter speed, and aperture to freeze pets’ movement outdoors, as well as how to use natural light to capture expressive portraits.
Yes, it covers strategies for adaptation, positive reinforcement, and communication to ensure pets’ comfort and cooperation during photo sessions.
The course includes modules on editing and retouching using Photoshop and Capture One, covering digital development, blemish correction, and optimization for print or social media.