Tips for including your family pet in your photography session

Often times fur-babies are the FIRST babies and including them in pictures is a must for lots of family’s. These furry friends often bring us comfort, extra smiles and can do some downright funny things in photos. For these reasons (and more) including your pup or other pets in your photos can be really special. The following tips will hopefully make including them less stressful.

1. Bring a leash

   This is ESPECIALLY important if we are doing your session at an outdoor location and there may be other people passing by, other pets or lots of distractions (birds, squirrels, water, etc). Having the security of a leash so you have control of your pets location while we are shooting while help you feel a bit more relaxed.

2. Bring Treats

   Treats can be a wonderful reinforcement to encourage your pup to sit, look at the camera, lay down, follow you, etc. They are also a really helpful way to reward them for their cooperation.

3. Pick a location that won’t introduce a lot of stress.

   If you worry about other animals being around your pup then a popular park or walking trail may not be the best location. If your pup gets incredibly excited around water and will not stay out of it, then doing a session by a creek or lake may not be the most helpful. If they tend to get distracted by food, having them tag along at a picnic or an ice cream shop might be a bit of a disaster. Biggest takeaway, set your pet up for success by choosing a location that works well for everyone.

4. Make sure to let them use the bathroom prior to the start of the session.

   To avoid a mid picture bathroom disaster, walk your pet around a bit before we start. This way if they need to use the bathroom they are able to, prior to pictures.

5. Keep your expectations realistic

Animals are like toddlers (in a way). Short attention spans, unpredictable and easily excitable. Unless you have an incredibly docile dog, just know that they will likely have a bit more energy during the session because of everything going on. That’s also OK! The beauty of photography vs film is that a beautiful photo is typically made in a 1/200th of a second. You will be shocked at what we are able to get even if your dog seems to have difficulty responding to your prompts. Stay calm, keep smiling and we will get the shot!

6. Interact with your pet

If sitting and facing camera is just not happening, then love on your pet. Let them cuddle with you, pet them, etc like you normally would. This makes for sweet photos of your relationship with your pet, it also may be the type of energy they need to settle down.

7. Include their lovey’s

If you are doing a session at home, feel free to let them include THEIR lovey’s. Especially if they have a favorite that they love to cuddle with. It’s a sweet reminder of their personality and the things in the house that they hold dear.

So if you were wondering if you should include your pet in your photos, I always vote yes. They are a special part of our family’s and hold a sacred place in our hearts. Bring ‘em along and we will figure out how to best incorporate them into your photos!