How to prepare for your pet photoshoot session
A lot of the time people think they need to most trained dog; a dog that will keep still; a dog that will listen. This is not the case what-so-ever on shoots. I usually like to go for a more platonic approach with photoshoots, meaning I like to capture those moments where your pet isn’t posing or looking at me, and capture their curiosity and their behaviour. They could be jumping for treats, they could be running around going crazy, they could be slumped and lying down, it doesn’t really matter. I want to get a more in-depth feel of your dogs behaviour and capture moments where they are at their most natural and curious.
Is there anything I need to remember to bring along with me on a photoshoot?
Even though I try my best to bring along treats and dog toys, not all dogs are a fan of them as like humans, dogs have their own taste. For example, my own dog is a foodie, all you need is a treat or some food and he will do anything for you, which, admittedly on most walks I fail to bring with me, so the images you see on my portfolio were not actually food driven and actually required a lot more patience than usual! I am more than happy with you bringing your dogs favourite food, treat or toy on walks, but if your dog is overly curious and isn’t bothered by material items when on walks I seriously wouldn’t worry too much as there is always a way to capture them in the moment. However, you will need to bring your dog with a lead and a harness/collar just in case, although I may have a spare on me in my car that can be used. If your dog is like my dog and has any medical needs then please bring any required medication if required! Dogs also need to stay hydrated, even though the locations I tend to use have water ready and already down for dogs, sometimes some places or areas do not, so it’s always handy to have a little bottle of water with you as this is something I generally don’t carry alongside my camera gear!
My dog is no good off his lead… what do I do?
That’s okay. Keep your dog on their lead. That is not a problem at all. My main request would be to have a comfortable but thin Harness Ideally unless your dog is used to collars. Thin harnesses are easy to edit out should they need doing, although if you want to, I can keep collars and harnesses in images! But the lead I will edit out naturally. Most of my clients have their dogs on the lead. Safety is my number one priority on shoots so I most certainly would not ask you to ‘try him off the lead for 5 minutes’ if you aren’t sure how they will react. Leads can be edited out, you can’t replace a dog. Below are images all taken of dogs who were on their lead. Collars left in because sometimes collars actually look great!
Travelling to the location
Locations will always be agreed to prior to going and it’s always important to know how you will get there. I strongly suggest getting there early to avoid any potential delays caused by traffic etc. My shoots only last 60-90 minutes with not much time to go over so to be fair to everyone who gets a photoshoot done with me and generally photoshoots are done in the evening as that is the best time for temperature and lighting generally, except in the winter, as days are shorter and darker.
What if the weather is predicted to be rubbish?
As per my contract, if the weather is going to get in the way of the shoot - i.e Raining, snowing, or inhumanely hot, then we will look at rescheduling the shoot for no cost to yourself. Unfortunately weather is one factor no one can control, so I will keep a close eye on the weather for several days leading up to the shoot and keep in touch with you especially if it may be a cause of concern.
What if my dog is difficult throughout the shoot and misbehaves throughout?
I’ve had dogs that bark at anything, I’ve had some that wont keep still, I’ve had others that run wild, and some who are very very nervous. Thankfully I am very patient and have grew up around loads and loads of dogs in my life to identify their behaviours. Obviously no one knows a dog better than their owner, so I will liaise with you to see if there is anything that could help. This may mean going to a place more quiet, or somewhere more open, or just keep the dog moving if we have to then having a ‘bench’ rest and catching the dog off guard; This usually works and are generally the best time to get images of the dogs resting are near the end of the session as they are usually more tired out, although some dogs can definitely go for hours! I have enough Patience in the world for dogs so it shouldn’t be a problem!
After your session
Once the session has come to a close, you will be given a gift box full of treats and other things for your fur baby to indulge on when they get home. I will then go home and aim to have at least one image with you by the end of the evening! I will communicate with you fully and send you a link of where you can get access to the images. If you have a package that involves prints and a memory stick ETC that will all be sent to you individually through the post once you have got all images. I then may use some images on my social media(s). Turn around time is generally 2 weeks!
