Getting to know

Is your dog shy and nervous or outgoing and playful? What excites your dog - food, balls, toys? What is your dog’s obedience level? Everyone tells me their dog can sit and stay, but that’s usually one of the biggest challenges because a photoshoot is such a new environment for a dog!

Expectations

Depending on the dog’s comfort level, we usually spend about 15 minutes chatting while they become familiar with my studio, my camera,... As the dog is curiously sniffing around I randomly pop the strobe lights and reward them to see if your dog has any adverse reaction to the sound. We then start our shoot calmly, and give the dog a lot of praise and some well earned breaks. 

The secret to getting great shots is being patient, keeping the dog as comfortable as possible while working fast - I often get some of the best images in the first 10-15 shots. The dogs are most alert at the beginning and react well to the noisemakers, then they catch on to my trickery and let me know they are ‘done’.

We all have a really good workout during our session, although I’m certain the dog thinks we are absolutely crazy. It may be your dog (and yourself) will have a good nap afterwards but you will end up with a beautiful portrait (or a few) of your dog that you will cherish forever.

Preparation

If you like your dog to have the ‘groomed look’ in their portrait, then certainly book an appointment with your groomer a few weeks prior to the shoot so they can grow into it a little. A bath is always a great idea before the session so they do look their best, even if that’s looking fun and scruffy! The most important part of grooming is that I can see your dog’s eyes, so often a trim of the brows or snout is really helpful right before our shoot. It’s all in the eyes, right?

Don’t feed your dog as much on the day of our shoot, since treats will be key to our success. Also very important please take the time to potty your dog before arriving to the studio.

Don’t forget to bring along your dog’s favourite squeaker toys, balls, treats and eventually collar.