6 Tips To Prepare Your Pet For Family Photos
/Meet Charlie.
Charlie is about as well behaved as they come. If I had the choice to photograph one pup for the rest of my career as a photographer, he would be my first choice. He also has a baby sister named cricket, and she’s pretty amazing, too! First off, look at how cute he is! The only “flaw” he has is that he’s incredibly awkward when asked to “smile” for the camera. He is trained well, but we have found that his best photos are during play. I guess the same could be said for the majority of people who are not used to being photographed professionally.
working with pets during your family photos is similar to working with infants and toddlers; they have the attention span of an ant and a mind of their own and it’s up to us to rein them in. there are a few things we can do to prepare them to be their best during your family photo session. Below are just a few tips on how to ready your pet.
Pamper them: You get your hair, nails, and make-up done for your photos. Why not do the same for your pet. Give them a little spa day so they look their best on photo day. You can do this with a professional or do it yourself.
Include them in the questionnaire: I send a questionnaire over to my clients to let me know who is being photographed and tell me a little bit about each person. If your pet is being photographed, please don’t exclude them from this questionnaire.
Feed them: Again, your pets are just like children. You don’t want them to show up to a session with an empty belly.
Walk them: Dogs can get pretty excited when meeting new people. This is normal, but it’s important that you expend a little energy before your session. I wouldn’t tire them out completely, but by giving them a 15 minute walk prior to your session time will allow them to be more calm at the start of your session. Plan to arrive to your session about 20 minutes early so that you can let them do this.
Treats & toys: Reward your pet when they’ve done a job well done, but try to not overuse these; we don’t want sick animals. Toys can be used by the photographer to catch the attention of the pet.
Be patient and have fun! Remember that we also want to capture playful moments and the genuine personality of your pet, so don’t be afraid to love on them just like your kiddos.