Preparing for your Pet Photography Session.

Ok, you’ve booked your pet photography session. To make sure we get the best images possible here are a few things that you may want to consider in preparing for your dog's photo shoot.

Exercise

Please exercise your dog prior to the session, when possible. It’s exciting to be in a new place so this will help us get down to business faster. 

Grooming and Outfits

If you were going to a photoshoot, you would want to look your best. Well, your dog feels the same way! If your dog has a certain haircut that you prefer, I recommend visiting the groomer at least a few days prior. It can be overwhelming to go from the groomer straight to our session.

Consider what collar or harness your dog normally wears. If possible, bring a regular flat collar for their portraits. If you need the harness for walking we can always change into the flat collar once we are at each shooting location. I can't guarantee that I will be able to remove harnesses or gentle leaders from the final images.

Treats & Toys

No treats or toys before the session! I want them to be bored going into the session, so that when we do start using toys and treats to get their focus they aren’t over-stimulated. But please bring treats with you so that we can use them during the session.

Water

It can get hot outside! We don't want them panting all of the time during their photoshoot, so please be sure to bring a bowl and a bottle of water so that they can get a drink and cool off. That being said, if they have a lot of hair sometimes water can darken the fur around their mouths and we also don't want that, so we will take a scheduled break instead of just leaving the water out for them.

Location

If you have a location in mind please let me know, otherwise I will make a choice based on locations I've worked in before. I do welcome any suggestions because if we work in a spot that your pet loves that will make the images even more special and unique!

Don’t Worry, Don’t Stress

Your dog probably won’t behave the way you want them to. The odds are that they're not used to being professionally photographed and there may be a lot of things going on that could distract them. That's alright! I know that even in the best circumstances dog don't take photography direction well.  Don’t worry if your dog is not acting like they normally do or like you want them to; it only takes me a fraction of a second to get THE shot.

And with that in mind, try not to stress. We all know how intuitive animals can be, so if they sense that you're freaking out, they are also going to freak out. So as much as possible, let's relax.