Worried Your Pet Won't Behave in a Session? | Pawtastic Pet Photography
This post is for anyone who wants to hire a pet photographer but don't believe they can due to their dog's "behaviour".
A lot of the time I hear: my dog will never sit still long enough to get their photo taken,my dog goes a bit crazy in new locations or with new people or I can never get him to behave when I try to take his photo. First of all, I want to let you know that this is not just you. I've heard this from many different dog owners in various situations, so you are not alone!
That being said, I am going to tell you that despite this you can and you should get their photo's taken and here's why:
The photo's that show your pet's personality are the one's you'll fall in love with, regardless of whether they are sitting perfectly.
This means that if your dog's a lazy mooch who's favourite time is hanging on the couch and rolling over for belly rubs then those are the photo's I want to capture for you. Alternatively, if your dog loves to race in the park and bound around madly then that's what your photo's should show.
You want your photo's to speak toyourpet's personality and show them as they really are. I've found over time that these are the photo's that really stand out to their owners and have them exclaiming at their ordering session.
Of course, you want some photo's of them sitting still as well as some action scenes and there are a few tricks to help me to capture them for you. Before your pet has their session I ask you to fill out a questionnaire about them and their behaviour. This questionnaire helps me to understand your pet and their quirks, habits and personality. This lets me get to know each dog individually and allows me to tailor your pets session to them.
Got a dog with a high amount of energy? Wont sit still for photos? Then usually I'll ask you to take them for a long walk before their session. This helps to bring their energy down to a more manageable level for their session and makes it easier to get some shots where they are "sitting still".
Got a dog who runs around in new locations sniffing everything in sight? Come to the new location a little early and let them sniff to their hearts content before their session. Your dog is more likely to listen to you once they've explored and satisfied their curiosity.
Your dog doesn't like strange places or people? Maybe a session in your home or where they get walked everyday would better suit your pet. This will be where they feel most comfortable and relaxed and where you'll get the best photos.
Is your dog a complete love bug and is friendly to everyone and everything? Great, we can do a quick get to know each other and then dive right into the session :)
In all of these scenarios I also take time at the beginning of the session to let your dog get to know me, check me out and feel comfortable with myself and my camera. A lot of pet photography comes down to time, patience, trust and the skill to capture the moment when it does happen.
So don't worry about your dog "behaving properly" and instead embrace your pet's personality in a session designed especially for them. I also have two different session types so that you can choose which is better suited for you and your pet. They are the Classic Session and the Digital Session and you can check them out here.
To book your pet's unique session, use the button below to contact me.
[maxbutton id="1"]
And if you have any questions regarding which session is better suited for your particular pet feel free to get in touch as well.