I’m not referring to Mad Uncle Mick who lives in a cabin and hasn’t seen a razor or scissors in 20 years, I’m talking about the 4 legged ones who we love as much as our kids (sometimes even more)
It is a question I get a heap, can we bring our pet to the shoot and my answer is always YES! Recently we have had some pet health issues (Cat’s going blind quickly, our first dog who lives in Tasmania just lost an eye and another client lost their dog) So I thought why not share some ideas and tips for including your pet in your portrait session. Most of these relate to dogs, but the final tip is all about cats!
1: Get the runs on the board
Dogs love to get out and about, it’s pretty exciting to head out with the family and have some photos. The overexcitement can hamper a session a little, to get a little bit of that out of the way make sure before the session you have given your pooch a bit of a walk.
2: Treats!
Bringing some treats are always fantastic, I love them. Oh and bring some for the dog too. One of the tricks with the treats is that I’ll be the one who will be using them most of the time. Keeping them in your pocket can distract the pup a bit too much and they tend to face you rather than where we want them to, so unless you love pics of your dog’s butt, keep them out of your pocket!
3: Playtime
I’m not sure if you have noticed, but dogs love toys. Bringing their fave, or even just a ball can be great to get some action shots. Having kids who know how to throw the ball can give some really great shots of the dog waiting for the throw.
5: Just get in there
So many of my family portraits are of families being really close to each other, and with your dog, cow, horse is no exception. Get down low for those cuddles!
6: Cats
Yeah, I got nothing. They will do what they do!
That’s is it! Make sure you let me know if you are bringing your furry friend with you.
If you are keen for a portrait shoot with your family and pets, head over here to see what the latest special offer is.
