There seems little in life than can't be made more amazing by the addition of a dog's love and companionship.

Snuggling on a cold winter’s night with a dog curled at your side just makes the world a better place. Hiking the woodland trails, strolling the beach, or cresting a hilltop and taking in the view together at Virginia State Parks are those special moments that bond us tightly to our furry family members.

Capturing the joy your dog experiences spending quality time with you makes for wonderful photography. It's also easy.

Camera angle is everything! 

The first thing to remember when attempting to flatter your dog's natural beauty is that they are far shorter than you. Crouch down and get on their level, or even lower.

Shooting level with their head makes for a great shot. Going even lower gives a grandeur to the shot. Shooting downward robs you of any regal quality you might have achieved for your pooch.

Secret hint

If, like me, sometimes your joints won't allow for crouching low, use a selfie stick. It’s really just a tool for making your arms longer.

If you are with your dog and want to take a portrait, tie their leash to something like a railing or tree, and then then start shooting.

Since dogs move around a lot, I often take up to a hundred shots to get one iconic keeper. It makes for a relaxing evening later going through all the photos and looking for those true gems.

Rule of thirds

Also, keep in mind how pleasing compositions become if you know the rule of thirds. Something of your main subject should fall on an intersection, or follow a line if you were to divide your view screen with a tic-tac-toe grid. You can shoot with this in mind, or try to crop for it later. I usually follow this rule, unless I'm going for some form of perfect symmetry for the final result.

I often do this in architectural photography, but rarely when nature, people, or landscapes are my subject.

This poem by an anonymous Australian poet sums up nicely how much dogs adore us. They deserve our best efforts to record that mutual joy we bring each other. Alas, their precious friendship leaves too soon, to await us somewhere beyond.

Dear Master

I explained to Saint Peter

I 'd rather stay here

Outside the pearly gates

I won’t be a nuisance,

I won't even bark,

I'll be very patient and wait.

I'll be here, chewing on a celestial bone,

No matter how long you may be

I'd miss you so much

If I went in alone

It wouldn't be heaven for me.

In closing, the quirky wisdom of a man who lavishes love on his dogs, and children with equal abundance:  “The only creatures that are evolved enough to convey pure love are dogs and infants.” —Johnny Depp

Visit our Facebook page "Virginia Through Our Eyes," and we will give some photo by photo commentary on how we got a few of the more spectacular shots.

Stay tuned to Bob and Kevin's series on Virginia State Parks to learn more cell phone photography tips, these images were all taken with a cell phone camera, and we are excited to have them get to know Virginia one park at a time.

Editor's Note: If you would like to see more from Bob and Kevin, follow their fun series "Getting to know Virginia" here. Please note that dogs need to be on a leash no more than 6 feet in length and attached to a human, or tethered to a solid object. Please remember this when you post a photo on our Facebook page or enter into a contest a photo with a violation of that policy.

If you want to learn more about pets in Virginia State Parks you can click here.