“She never sits still…”
“He runs away…”
“She can’t be off lead anywhere!…”
“He’s just so bold, he doesn’t listen…”
I meet frustrated pet parents on the daily who are not able to capture their pets. And the most common question I get asked is: “Is my pet suitable for a photoshoot?”
My answer is always the same: “YES!” Absolutely. Every pet is suitable for a photoshoot regardless of age, breed or background. It’s just about finding out what works for your dog before even picking up the camera.
Hiring a professional pet photographer means you’ll get exactly what you’re looking to capture without any of the stress.
Truth is, if you work with a professional you can get any portrait you imagine of your pooch with some patience, a little imagination and that wonderful thing called Photoshop!
Here are 3 reasons why…
1. It’s in the post.
With social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok, it’s easy to get frustrated when you see “picture perfect” poses from pets and you can’t even seem to get your Pack to settle long enough to unlock your phone.
Truth is, a lot of it is down to backend editing as much as capturing a great shot. And yes, there’s plenty of apps out there that let influencers edit on their phone, or alternatively, they send them off for editing before uploading.
Hiring a professional photographer means you get a professional skill set that includes editing. In an ideal world, we’d all have our pets sitting pretty off-lead and not chasing after squirrels but that’s not real life. I live with a dog that was a cat in a previous life; she has a high prey drive and it’s just not pawsible. Off-lead is never going to happen. And you know what, that’s ok.
It’s ok if your dog can’t be off the lead because the luxury is that leads, feets and whatever else crosses the lens can be can easily be removed in post-production. That means you get to relax and enjoy your experience without worrying that your pooch is going to do a legger any minute.
For example, Rebel is a sprollie (that’s a springer spaniel X Collie cross). If you’ve ever owned either of those breeds you know their excitement cannot be contained! So, for Rebel’s safety during her photoshoot, we kept her on lead.
2. Pretty colors = pretty portraiture
As best practice, I’ll aim to get what I want in-camera and use Photoshop for cleaning up and editing color. Professional photography equipment allows for files to be heavily digitally manipulated and yet remain gorgeous in large-scale printing. That’s because the digital file size is so much larger compared to phones and point-and-shoot cameras.
You can really bring out certain colors and manipulate tones and any professional photographer is going to have experience in this. Using software like Photoshop means your photographer can really highlight your pet, especially if you choose a location photoshoot. Editing can really bring out what makes your pet so special in the first place! The color of their fur, their eyes…or making a black dog stand out from the background! (I swear to Dog, black fur is my nemesis! Soaking up all that gorgeous light!)
3. Let someone else do the dirty work
So I always tell people to just not mind when they meet me that I’m going to be rolling around the ground, getting covered in all sorts. Most laugh and say “ok Audrey” with a shrug. After our photoshoot, it’s “Holy heck! I didn’t think you were actually gonna do that!”.
Hiring me means you get to hand the creative leash over and let me get dirty! And trust me, I’ve got dirty! I once waded into a waterfall’s lake in full clothes to get a shot I wanted.
Deciding to invest in a professional photoshoot, means you get to focus having fun, making gorgeous memories and that all too important one-on-one time with your pet.
You focus on your pooch, I’ll focus on the tough stuff!
So…
It’s time to throw the frustrations out the window and let your imagination run wild!
How do you want to capture your best friend so that you can cherish the memory of them forever…because let’s face it, nobody will ever love you as much as your dog does?
To them, you’re their whole world and I think it’s so impawtant to celebrate their life.
#followthepack
