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How to Choose a Pet Photographer

Monday, August 15th, 2016

So you’re looking for a pet photographer! That’s fantastic! I’m so glad you’ve chosen to document the relationship you have with your 4-legged best friend(s)… and I hope you choose the PERFECT photographer to make that happen!

 

choose best pet photographer

 

I know, I know, you probably think I’m biased. After all, I must want to work with everybody, right? I’m a professional pet photographer, so I probably want everyone with a pet to choose me as their photographer, no matter what their situation/needs/preferences/vision/personality, right?

Wrong.

 

pet_photography_studio_location

 

I love my clients. I adore them! And I think I get along with them so well because I was truly the right photographer for them, and that’s the reason they were drawn to working with me. I don’t think I’m the right pet photographer for everyone. I really don’t. That may seem weird, and maybe a bit counterintuitive, but the fact is, I have a unique set of strengths and weaknesses as a photographer and a business owner. Other photographers have other strengths & weaknesses – and the trick is finding the photographer who’s especially strong at what’s important to you! I’d love to give you a few tips on how to choose a pet photographer – and whether this leads you to me or someone else, I think you’ll be much happier in the end!

So let’s look at a few aspects of any photographer’s business, and hopefully it gives you clarity on what truly matters to you!

 

1. Photographic Style

There are soooooo many different styles out there – and you get to choose what really resonates with YOU! Do you like a posed, formal look? Something totally casual & candid? How about editorial, like it came right off the page of a fashion magazine? Okay, what about colors? Do you prefer natural, vibrant colors? Or a super-saturated, surreal world of fantasy colors? What about an entirely black-and-white photo session? And you should also consider light: do you like bright, blown-out whites, or moody grays and blacks? And how about the feel of the images? The tone can range anywhere from melancholy & poignant, to natural and even-keeled, to zestful and cheery!

pet photographer cat picture

The best advice I can give you is to look through multiple photographers’ portfolios. There will probably be 1 or 2 photographers whose work you connect with on an emotional level… and it’s okay if you can’t put the reason why into words. It likely has a lot to do with their style. And that’s different for EVERY photographer – each of us includes our own unique perspective in our images – so whose point of view do you resonate with?

 

2. Personality

The personality of your photographer is more important than you think! This is a person you’re trusting to bring out the best in you & your family, the person who needs to connect with you and your pets in a way that evokes true happiness. That’s actually why I love working with pets: they’re honest! They’re not going to put on a fake smile for the camera; any joy you see is always 100% genuine. So your photographer has to A) get along with you & your pet(s), B) be someone you feel comfortable smiling and laughing with, and C) be someone who can put you at ease if everything else that day has gone wrong and you’re not exactly feeling camera-ready when you arrive at your photo session. (Because although we definitely try to avoid that situation, trust me, it can happen.)

choose a pet photographer

Think about it: are you more willing to smile and be natural with your best friend, or with someone you don’t like? I really believe that the more your photographer feels like a friend, to both you & your pets, the better your images will be.

 

3. Products & Offerings

So you’d like to work with a pet photographer! Great! What are your plans for the images he/she will create?

pet photography product   pet photography products

It’s okay if you don’t start this process with a vision… after all, the photos haven’t even been captured yet! But your pet photographer should offer the products that are important to you, and this is definitely something you’ll thank yourself for double-checking before making a commitment. Envisioning a canvas over the couch? Make sure you haven’t chosen a digital-images-only photographer! Hoping to add a few pages to your handmade scrapbook, or contribute a family photo to Grandma’s yearly Christmas card? Make sure you can purchase the digital copies of your photos! What about photos of your dog to advertise your business? Make sure your photographer is able to accommodate that, too!

 

4. Prices

What, you thought pricing should have been criteria #1? I disagree. Investing in pet portraiture is not something you do every day, so I personally don’t think it makes sense to look for coupons and penny-pinching deals. I use coupons for groceries and milk at Vons, but that’s because they’re everyday items, and I’ll need more groceries again next week. Plus, using a coupon doesn’t affect the quality or freshness of the milk, either. On the other hand, pet photography is probably a once-yearly or even a once-in-a-lifetime event, so wouldn’t you want to invest an amount of money that reflects the rarity & special-ness of the moment?

cute dog picture

I’m a big believer in understanding that “you get what you pay for” – so if all your budget can accommodate is a quickie shoot with a newbie photographer for a hundred bucks or so, then go for it! But you should expect a vastly different result (and price point) if you work with an established business that values customer service, runs a real business & takes your satisfaction seriously. Either way, pick what’s right for you – whether it’s the Tesla or the Toyota – the quarter pounder or the Kobe beef burger – the Louis Vuitton handbag or the purse from H&M – I can keep going with these analogies!! – and be excited about the results!

This also applies to products, by the way – not just the session fee! I hope you never do a photo session without seeing the prices for everything you could possibly buy. You probably won’t purchase everything on the price list, but knowing those prices – and working with a photographer that’s completely transparent – is incredibly important.

 

5. Capabilities & Limitations

There are certain things I cannot do. For example, I can’t bring my studio to your house. So if you want a studio photo session for your dog that doesn’t travel, then you’ll need the photographer with a mobile studio! And that’s simply not me.

best pet photo session

I know some pet photographers who don’t work with people – and some people photographers who don’t work with pets! Some photographers don’t have their own studio, and others don’t ever leave their studio. Some photographers work at any time of day, and bring equipment/lights to create great results, whereas I’m a stickler for the best light of the day (around sunset) and only schedule my sessions then. Does your work schedule only allow for a weekend photo session? Then you need a photographer who’s willing to work on the weekends! Do you have more dogs than the average family? I hope your photographer has experience working with that many animals at the same time! If you’re limited by your situation in any way – or if you simply know exactly what you want – it’s definitely worth asking if your photographer can accommodate it! 

That being said, your photographer might surprise you: my clients have often told me that they can’t visit any public parks or beaches because their dog isn’t trustworthy off-leash, and they don’t want the leash in their images. That’s when I get to laugh and say that I can actually use Photoshop to remove leashes from images! (So their dog stays safe during the session, and still ends up looking like the best-behaved pup ever!) So ask what your photographer can & cannot do; you might be surprised.

 

6. Willingness to Work With Your Vision (if necessary)

Sometimes, my potential clients present unique ideas to me: “I have an idea for a Disney-themed shoot, and we’ll go into a forest so my dog can be the Beast and I’ll be Belle, and then in another location I’d like to dress up as Cruella and my dogs can be the 101 Dalmatians, and then…”  Honestly, I have to applaud people with such a specific vision for their photo session. I’ve heard great ideas (and some interesting ones!) and I’m sure it would have turned out nicely… but I’m not the photographer for them.

Whereas my clients – my fantastic, amazing, trusting clients – often end up giving me total freedom to direct how the photo session goes. I find that I create the best results – and the best images – when I feel comfortable to take creative risks, when my client is open to ideas they might not have come up with themselves, and when we can just let their pets be happy & comfortable. So I suppose this is one area in which I fall short – unless your specific vision is simply to have natural, playful & soulful images of your 4-legged best friend.

choose a pet photographer

My clients often say things like “I have no idea what to do or how to pose”, “I figure you can just do your thing”, “you’re the professional so I’ll leave everything up to you” and they let me worry about choreographing the photo session. And that’s my job! So I’m happy to take input, ideas & inspiration from my clients, but I also deeply appreciate their trust. But that’s just me – so I hope you’ll ask your photographer how they prefer to do things!

 

Conclusion

There you have it! Those are my top tips for how to choose a pet photographer that’s right for you. I hope this has been helpful, and you feel more confident in making your choice, knowing that you’re in the right hands (whoever’s hands they may be!). Answering these questions takes a bit more work up-front, but I think you’ll love coasting through the rest of the session experience with your photographer, because you know they’re the best fit for your family. Once you’ve made your choice, there’s only one thing left to do: have a great photo session! :)

 

Encinitas Westies picture

 

Pinky & Daisy, Two Cute Little Dogs from Fallbrook!

Wednesday, August 10th, 2016

Are you ready for your daily dose of cuteness?

Pinky & Daisy are two cute little dogs who live in Fallbrook, so they made a big trip down to San Diego for their photo session – and I’m so glad they did! They’re adorable pups and we had a great time together! Pinky is a little mutt, a mixed-breed girl with a penchant for treats of any kind. She’s happily willing to sit up on her hind legs for those treats, wave her paws at you, and flash the cutest little smile – and honestly I don’t think anyone could resist her charms! You’d practically need super-powers. Daisy, on the other hand, is a much more independent little lady, a shih tzu that only works for the best treats – she has more discerning taste. And while Pinky will dance around your feet in a frantic attempt to earn her reward, Daisy is much more content to let that treat (did someone say In-N-Out burger patty??) come to her. So it was a fun challenge to work with both of these pups’ personalities, and I think we were able to bring out the best from these ridiculously cute little dogs!

 

This is Pinky, and she always wears a bell tied with ribbon around her neck, so we kept it on for our photo session! Isn’t she sweet? Seriously, if Pinky lived with me, we’d probably go through whole bags of treats every week!

cute little dogs

 

And this is Daisy! She’s actually Pinky’s mom’s dad’s dog (wait… does that mean Daisy is Pinky’s aunt?) and from what I hear, she’s a total daddy’s girl. And with that soft fur & calm disposition, I can’t say I’m surprised!

cute little dog photo

 

Balboa Park turned out to be a fabulous location to visit – what a change of pace from the studio! And Pinky’s happy face & pastel dress goes perfectly with those soft purple flowers… gah! I love it! :)

cute little dog

 

Anda, thank you so much for introducing me to Pinky & Daisy! I’m looking forward to seeing you again soon!

 

Rottle Photo Session with Brinks & Tonka!

Friday, July 29th, 2016

This was an action-packed photo session, with plenty of “firsts” for me as a photographer, and I’m so excited to share it with you! :)

Brinks and Tonka are two Rottles – and if you’re scratching your head at what kind of breed that its, I was with you, haha! Their mom had to educate me: a Rottle is a Rottweiler & poodle mix! Did you know that poodles are generally regarded as the smartest dog breed, and Rottweilers often come in as third-ranked? So when Brinks & Tonka’s parents were looking for dogs that wouldn’t affect their mom’s allergies and would also be easily trained, Rottles soon rose to the top of their list. And these dogs need to have great training, especially their recall skills – they live on several wide-open acres in Julian! To be honest with you, Brinks & Tonka really lucked out when they scored their parents; they get to have free range of their property, with constant opportunities to hunt small animals and explore the wild terrain. Plus, their parents love to bring them on mountain biking trips – so they get plenty of exercise too! (I’m pretty sure they’re living my dog’s ideal life, haha…)

So for our photo session, we went mountain biking at Mission Trails Regional Park and explored the unique scenery of Sunset Cliffs too. These outdoorsy dogs were so much fun to work with, and they kept me laughing all afternoon!

 

Here are Brinks (left) and Tonka (right)! Aren’t they gorgeous?

Rottle dogs

 

Morning bike rides have got to be their favorite daily ritual! So fun!

Rottles in San Diego

 

This is Brinks, the happy boy with a free spirit. He was having a great time chasing his parents up & down the trails! (Even with those crazy ears & tongue, haha!)

picture of a Rottle dog

 

And this is Tonka, the princess/leader/alpha of the family – and owner of this adorable head tilt!

Rottle photo

 

Shelagh & Mark, thank you so much for treating me to a ridiculously fun afternoon! Give the dogs a hug for me in the meantime, and I can’t wait to see you both again soon! :)

 

Balboa Park Pet Photography Session with Titus & Xena!

Wednesday, July 27th, 2016

Sometimes, I work with dogs who are two peas in a pod; they’re similar in their personalities, looks, and pretty much everything else! I suppose living together can have that effect… but that’s not the case with Titus & Xena!

I had a wonderful Balboa Park pet photography session with these two dogs, and they couldn’t be more different! Titus is the old man of the house; he’s a 16-year-old dachshund mix who moves pretty slowly these days. He’s also deaf – or maybe I should say he has very selective hearing? :)  Regardless, he’s a good boy who’s spent his entire life with his mama, and they have a beautiful bond together. He literally wants nothing more than to be right next to her, looking up at her, at all times. It’s incredible.

Xena, on the other hand, lives up to her name pretty well, haha! She’s an energetic ball of cuteness and is completely obsessed with her ball! It’s kinda funny to watch – as you hold the ball in your hand and get ready to throw it, she barks at you impatiently… as if the 3 seconds you’re taking to complete the task are 3 seconds too many! She has a hilarious personality, and seems to be up for adventure any day of the week. Plus, she’s gorgeous – I love her coloring and sweet little face!

 

This is Xena – and she can RUN! This girl absolutely flies across the grass, it’s so cute (and pretty impressive) to see!

balboa park pet photography

 

Her ball is her trophy. Don’t you love that satisfied look of accomplishment on her face?

balboa park pet photo

 

And this handsome boy is Titus! Isn’t he a cutie in this flower bed?

balboa park pet photography example

 

I just love the way he stands, so tall & proud… Titus, you deserve to be proud of yourself. You’re such a good boy!

happy dog in Balboa Park

 

Emi & David, thank you so much for introducing me to your adorable dogs! I can’t wait to get together with you both again soon! :)

 

Encinitas Westies Tuppence & McTavish! (Photos)

Monday, July 25th, 2016

“Aye, fight and you may die. Run, and you’ll live… at least a while. And dying in your beds, many years from now, would you be willin’ to trade ALL the days, from this day to that, for one chance, just one chance, to come back here and tell our enemies that they may take our lives, but they’ll never take… OUR FREEDOM!”

Can you recognize that quote? I hope so! I wanted to start my blog post about Tuppence & McTavish, two Encinitas Westies with thoroughly Scottish names, with a quote from one of the most famously Scottish movies of all time, Braveheart! And these dogs have just as much passion as William Wallace! … although, I should probably mention that it’s not so much passion for freedom and for Scotland… but for treats, fetch & butterflies! Haha! These dogs live with their mom & their grandma, and they’re definitely enjoying the good life in Encinitas. Tuppence can play fetch all day the in backyard, while McTavish prefers to keep a lookout for butterflies and chase them anytime he sees one. And they both go crazy over Dentastix (especially Tuppence)! I just loved working with them & learning to navigate their independent personalities… we had such a fun afternoon together!

 

This is McTavish, on butterfly patrol. Don’t they have a gorgeous backyard to watch over?

encinitas westie

 

 

And this is Tuppence, the snuggly little girl, enjoying a belly rub! Yep, it’s a hard life for these pups. :)

Encinitas Westies picture

 

Cuties!

Encinitas Westies

 

And I just have to include one photo from Tuppence’s hose frenzy at the end of our session… this girl LOVES the hose, haha!

encinitas westies photo

 

Jeanette, thank you for a lovely afternoon, two adorable dogs, and a gorgeous backyard to work in! :)  I’m excited to show you the rest of our images soon!

 

 

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