Wouldn't you love to have a picture of your Poodle on a sweatshirt or tee shirt, a screensaver, a mouse pad or a coffee mug? By following a few simple suggestions for taking professional looking Poodle pictures, you'll be able to take great pictures of your Poodle with an affordable digital camera, an inexpensive, disposable 35 mm camera, or even a digital camera phone.

Your pictures will turn out better if you plan your photo session, plan your composition and use the right photo editing software. Using a digital camera can save you quite a bit of money over using an analog camera. What's more, digital photography is better for the environment, because processing analog film, even the pictures you don't want, consumes water and uses harmful chemicals. With digital photography, you only pay for the pictures that you want to keep. Blurry shots, bad shots, red eyes and other rejects all go straight into the digital trash can with a single click.

We all know that taking pictures of a pet can be problematic. You have to get your Poodle to sit still and pose for you. You have to take care of lighting and backdrops. These tips and tricks will help you solve these problems and get you started taking fabulous pictures of your Poodle.

Get everything you need ready before you involve your Poodle in the process. Load a fresh memory card in your digital camera, replace the batteries in your camera and carry an extra set of fresh batteries with you. Choose a setting for your pictures. For an indoor setting, be sure the light is adequate. If you are working in an outdoor area, secure the area for your Poodle's safety. A fenced back yard makes a great outdoor setting because you won't need to worry about your dog getting away and being hit by a car or attacked by a loose dog.

Choose someone who gets along with your dog, and whom your dog likes, to be your assistant. This is a fun task for an older child who likes to work with the Poodle. Taking pictures together can be a fun adventure for the three of you. Thank your assistant after the session is over by sending a thank you gift personalized with one of the Poodle pictures you took together. A coffee mug or mouse pad makes a great gift.

There's nothing worse than taking a great Poodle pictures that have a cluttered background that detracts from the photos. If you use a chromatic green backdrop, your background will disappear, and you can insert virtually any backdrop you can find into your pictures. You can add ocean, mountains or any other scene to your picture without leaving your home. Chromatic green backdrops are available at any photography supply store.

Toys and props add interest to your photos, and they keep your dog engaged during the photo session. If you have a Miniature or Toy Poodle, using props will help emphasize the diminutive size of your dog. You should always take pictures of your dog from your dog's eye level, not your eye level.

If you're photographing a Standard Poodle, kneel or seat yourself so you can get down to the dog's eye level. The Poodle's eyes are one of its most photogenic features, and you don't want to miss them. With these great tips, soon you'll be taking amazing candid shots or portrait style pictures of your Poodle.