5 Helpful Tips When Incorporating Pets in Pictures
“Can we bring our dog with us?” is one of the most popular questions my clients ask. My response is, “YES.” Being a dog mom, I understand the importance of including pet in portraits. Our dogs, Rex and Pearl, are part of our family unit.
1) Make sure your pet is freshly groomed. You want to look your best, and so should your pet!
2) Exercise them before your session, if applicable. I know exercising a cat seems silly, but your dog will love it. Take your dog on a good 20 minute walk before your portrait session. This will use up some of their energy and help them be relaxed for our time together.
3) Treats and Toys! If your pet has a favorite treat and/or toy, bring them along. These work great for encouraging good behavior and help keep your pet’s attention.
4) Bring a pet sitter. I like to include pets in the first part of our time together. For the safety of your animals I would not recommend putting them in your vehicle alone. Ask a friend or family member to arrive 15 minutes into your photographic experience. They can return your pet home while we finish our time together.
5) Only bring your pet if they are able to be in public and work well with other people. This is for your safety and the safety of your photographer.
Over the years, I have had zero problems with photographic experiences involving pets. Having great communication, up front, is the key to this success.
The last piece of advice I will leave for photographs is that if you are not comfortable, say no. If you are uncomfortable with the pet, or type of pet, you will not be able to provide your clients with the photographic experience they deserve.
Paris (My Big Fat Happy Life) says
Thank you for the tips! I love including our dog in our photos since he is such a part of our family!
Kristen Poynton Chidsey says
I am giggling at the thought of getting our puppy into pictures. With your tips, it may just be doable–but she is worse than my 10 year old son who hates pictures at the moment!
Heather Shirley Heinlein says
Oh family photos with pets…We have a few with our dog that turned out pretty good (as long as you can get her looking at the camera 🙂 )…our cats – not so much. Thanks for these tips!
Erica @ The Crumby Cupcake says
My pup is such a spaz – he has a hard time holding still for anything, much less pictures! I cherish the ones I’ve captured, though. Thanks for the tips!