Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, pretty please, yes and yes! I love dogs, well actually I love all animals. I’m the one who screams “Oonnnnnhhhh!” the loudest in my family. (I’ve got the face that goes with the sound too!) I’m also the one who says hi to the baby cows on my way to work. And the weirdo who won’t leave the pet shop in a decent time frame. So, yes, you can bring your pet to your photoshoot. It will be my pleasure to include them in your session. Here are a couple of things to keep in mind before your session.

They are also members of your family.

I think that everyone can agree that our pets are like our babies. We love them just as much and want to include them in our family life. So it’s pretty obvious that they should be included in a family photoshoot. You will be the judge if it’s a right fit for them. They might be nervous around strangers (me) or run away when they are off leash. Whatever personality your pet has you will know what to do during your session. I definitely recommend letting me know before that you will be bringing your dog and what I can expect when I meet your furry friend.

What location is best.

Thinking about what location to choose will be an important part of planning your session and it depends on what pet you will be including. If you want to take portraits with your cat, maybe a home session would be more appropriate (Unless he/she is super cool and likes to go outside on walks.). If you want to take portraits with your dog, a quiet location with room to run will be better. I really like going to hiking trails with dogs! There aren't too many distractions and we can do some off leash photos without worrying about people around us.

What will I need.

Basically anything you would normally bring when you go out with your pet. For example, a leash, treats, water and bowl and poopy bags. If you don’t think your pet will behave off leash, don’t worry about that little detail. Once we set up a family pose we can place the leash where we won’t see it and I can photoshop parts of it out. If you want to bring a ball or toy so we can play catch, I can capture some fun ON THE MOVE shots of your pet. We can have beautiful portraits of your family playing with your companion.

Pets have a short life span.

I recently posted a photograph of my dog Diesel on Facebook. Diesel is the oldest of my babies. He is now 12 years old and he is a cherished family member. As he gets older, I’ve been taking more and more portraits of him (professional ones), because I don’t know how long we have left with him. These portraits will be special moments frozen in time of our pet and will help us remember him when he is gone (I’m literally crying while I type this.). I’ve had a couple of end of life sessions with families to capture the last family moments. They are very emotional for me and the family to do, but are worth so much when pictures are all that’s left. So yes, bring your dog, cat, bird, guinea pig, fish, etc. and let me capture a beautiful photo of your 0, 2 or 4 legged friend!

CL