Dog Photo Guide: Which Photo Works Best

The photo you upload is what becomes the finished product, so a clear, well-lit photo makes the biggest difference in how the result looks.

Dog photo guide comparing good vs bad dog photos for custom prints — MyDogPics

Dog Photo Guide: What Makes a Good Photo

  • Good, even lighting — natural daylight works best, avoid harsh shadows or backlighting.
  • Sharp focus — the dog’s face and fur detail should be clearly visible, not blurry.
  • Full head visible — ears, top of the head and chin all in frame, nothing cropped off.
  • The dog facing the camera, or at an angle where the face reads clearly.
  • The largest resolution photo you have — avoid heavily compressed or resized-down images.
  • One dog in the frame per selection, unless the product’s multi-dog option is used.
  • You should own the photo, or have permission to use it.

What to avoid

  • Dark, backlit or blurry photos.
  • The dog partly out of frame or blocked by another person, object or another dog.
  • Screenshots or heavily filtered images, which lose detail needed for printing.

Real examples

Four real dog photo examples: one sharp well-lit photo, one blurry, one backlit, one with the dog too far away — MyDogPics photo guide
Top left: sharp and well-lit — this is what works best. The other three (backlit, blurry, dog too far away) are what to avoid.

Photo questions

Can I use a phone photo?

Yes — a clear, well-lit phone photo at full resolution works well.

What if my dog is looking away from the camera?

A three-quarter angle where the face is still clearly visible can work; a photo taken directly from behind generally will not.

Can I upload more than one photo?

Some products support more than one dog; upload one clear photo per dog you want included.

What file types can I upload?

Common photo formats such as JPG, PNG, HEIC and WEBP.

See the full process in How It Works.