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Bowie in his Valentine’s sweater

Ever since the introduction of smartphone cameras and Instagram pages, many of us are addicted to taking cute photos of our deaf and hearing dogs on a daily basis.  I am no exception because I love taking photos of my dogs every afternoon and sharing them on our Deaf Dogs Rock Instagram page. When I saw these adorable DIY Valentine’s Photo Ideas on Bryn Nowell’s  new blog called A Dog Walks into A Bar, I knew I had to share them with all of you. Fellow blogger Bryn has two beautiful little boston terriers named Bean and Yoda. You can check out more of Bryn’s adorable dog photos on her Instagram page beanparty.yodabash

There is no need to spend a lot of money on props when taking cute Valentine’s photos. You can walk into any Dollar store and spend $5 and get 5 different Valentine’s items to use for your photo session. Just today I saw Michael’s has 50% off of all of their Valentine’s themed items. Get inspired, have some fun, and make memories with your dogs you can cherish for years to come.

I think you will adore Bryn’s ideas and her photos of her two dogs Bean and Yoda. She will inspire you to think outside the box and be more creative with your own photography. I once read a book that had tips on how to improve pet photography. Some of the best tips given by the author was how an amateur photographer can improve pet photos by 100% just by putting a little extra effort into planning, staging, fun props, good lighting, and having yummy treats for the dogs (to get their full attention).

Have fun and be sure to share your Valentine’s photos of your doggies on our Deaf Dogs Rock Facebook Wall this weekend.

Welcome Bryn to Deaf Dogs Rock and thanks so much for sharing all these great tips with us!

~ Christina Lee – Deaf Dogs Rock

DIY Valentine’s Day Photo Ideas for your Dog – by Bryn Nowell

If you’re like me, you like to take photos of your dogs that connect to the holidays or season.  We try to take fun photos to share with our followers on Instagram.  We’ve had a chance to take some pictures in honor of Valentine’s Day and wanted to share some ideas with you!  If you decide to use any of our ideas, we’d love to see your photos!  Tag us on Instagram on @beanparty.yodabash or @a.dog.walks.into.a.bar.

A Sweet Treat

 A little aluminum foil, some felt, and a sharpie are all it took to make a hat that resembles a Hershey Kiss.  Simply mold the foil into the shape of a kiss, cut a thin strip of fabric, paper, or felt and write either Hershey’s or Kisses with sharpie.  Tuck the piece into the seam of the foil and you’re ready to take some photos!

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Say it with Flowers

 Flowers can be amazing when it comes to taking photos.  Sometimes you can rest them on your pup’s head (providing they feel comfortable with you doing so).  Other times, simply laying one in front of your pup will help set the mood.  Here are a few examples:

Yoda

Pucker up

 Some bright red or pink lipstick, a white part of a pup (for Yoda, it was his forehead but it can also be paws, even a butt), and a smooch and you’ve got a great Valentine’s photo!

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Got Accessories?

 Use of a pink or red scarf can enhance a Valentine’s Day photo.  You can also use a simple piece of ribbon or tulle to make a pretty bow.

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Make some hearts!

 We’ve used the dog’s rope leashes to make a heart that encased Yoda.  We’ve also used some pipe cleaners to make a heart that Bean can hold in her paw.

Buy some VDay Accessories! 

 We didn’t spend any extra money on the photos above, but still had a lot of fun.  You can always use accessories that are formally intended for Valentine’s photos.  We got some at Target in previous years.