I’ll be honest about why I added dog photography to the studio in 2022. I really just wanted to meet as many dogs as possible.
That plan has worked out wonderfully. I’ve had a lot of sneaky cuddles between shots at some really great sessions. It’s a different discipline to newborn photography, but there are more similarities than you might expect.
Dogs and babies are both energetic and unpredictable, and capturing their real personality takes patience and good timing. I always spend a little time letting a dog settle and get comfortable in the studio before we really get going. At the same time, I keep things moving. A session that drags on too long stops being fun for the dog, and that shows in the images.
The other thing dogs and babies have in common is that they each have their own personality, and that’s what I’m here to capture. Letting your dog relax and just be themselves always gives us the best results. We do need to direct them a little on where to do that, but that’s half the fun.
On expressions: some photographers will tell you the only correct dog portrait has the mouth closed, tongue in. That works for a classic portrait, and we’ll get those shots. But if your dog has a winning smile, that deserves to be in the gallery too. Same goes for ears. Every position tells you something about the dog, and we’ll work to capture all of it.
