PETS

WHAT'S THE BEST WAY TO PREPARE MY ANIMAL FOR THE SHOOT?

Of course, you will want to groom your pet to make them look their very best.  I photograph all pets, but mostly dogs, and I find that the best dogs to shoot are happy, exhausted dogs.  An hour before the shoot take your dog for a good, long walk.  This will help them calm down during our shoot.

No matter what, have plenty of treats handy to reward your animal for sitting, laying down and being patient.  It’s best if you don’t feed them a full meal until after the shoot, so that the treats provide that much more incentive.

The only exception to this rule, I have found, is cats.  They are more content when their belly is full.  Cats will do what they want when they want no matter what…and that’s to be expected.

HOW LONG WILL THE SHOOT TAKE?

The shoot will take up to 2 hours.  Sometimes it’s important to stop shooting and just spend some time with the animal in order to gain his/her trust.  

HOW MANY SHOTS CAN I EXPECT TO WALK AWAY WITH?

I don’t charge per print and within 3-5 days after your shoot I will send you a CD with all of your best pictures, which normally contains 20-30 images.

YOUR PET PHOTOS VARY FROM VIBRANT COLOR TO BLACK & WHITE.  IS IT POSSIBLE TO REQUEST ONE OR THE OTHER?

Yes!  If you don’t have a request, I will leave it up to my best judgment.

ARE YOUR PET SHOOTS INDOOR OR OUTDOOR?

Either or both.  It will be important for us to talk ahead of time to determine your expectations.

SHOULD I DRESS UP MY PET?

If you like!  It’s up to you.

CAN OUR PET PORTRAIT INCLUDE...PEOPLE?

Absolutely.  But please establish this ahead of time.

WHAT LIGHTING DO YOU USE?

I only use natural light.  I generally bring a dark backdrop for the animal to pose against for indoor shots.  You may be asked to move furniture in order to achieve the best lit area in the room.

ANYTHING ELSE IMPORTANT TO KEEP IN MIND?

The most important element of photographing pets is patience.  In the end, pets will do what they will want to do.  Sometimes their ideas turn out better than ours, so we need to keep an open mind every step of the way.