Having a photo session done with your pets can be nerve racking. Is he going to be a good boy? Will she cooperate?
Well I’m here to tell you – don’t worry about a thing. There are only two things you can control about the session. One is the tidying beforehand. I’ll talk about the other in a moment.
So will your pet cooperate? I’ll be surprised if they do, to be honest! There is something about working with animals where they can sense that this is important and they need to be on their best behaviour – and for that reason, they won’t! Suddenly they’ll forget most of what you have taught them. Their sit/stay will be embarrassing. They don’t seem to remember what “come” means.
And that is perfectly ok!
I don’t say all of this because I want to scare you. I say this because I want you to lower your expectations for the session and your pet.
Because when we have lower expectations, we can go with the flow. We can laugh at how ridiculous your pet is being. We can take breaks every so often, especially if they seem stressed or need to burn off some energy with some zoomies. I am in no rush and I have endless patience.
The other thing you can control? This is going to sound crazy and maybe cliche.
The expression on your face.
What?? Well, you will all be hanging out on the couch/bed, etc. and your pet may well be acting like a stinker, and here’s the secret. I’m going to be snapping away while you guys are cuddling, giving belly rubs and kisses, and if I get a great photo of him with a big grin on his face, and you look royally irritated at him, the photo will be toast – ya?
So the only thing you need to think about is laughing and smiling at your goofball. Don’t worry about me – I have no judgement about pets’ behaviour or owners’ training, etc. Inside I’m pinching myself that I get to do this!
So what will the humans be doing? Well, I can’t pose you even if I wanted to, because seriously, if I ask you to put your pet on your lap, they’ll probably want otherwise (but we will try!) So if we’re shooting in the living room and your pet agrees to join you on the couch, get close in whatever way works, all of ya! Look at them and talk to them. Tell them they’re being a good girl. Laugh at them. Pets, scratches, kisses on the head or cheek. Maybe give your pet a hug if they’re big enough. If you have a partner who is joining, I may ask you to look at each other or me occasionally with a nice warm smile (I will make it a quick shot so it’s not super awkward!). Hubby/bf, put your arm around your lady if you can. When in doubt, look down at your baby and give him your best ‘I love you soooooo much’ smile.
Don’t worry – I will be guiding you the whole way. But if for a second you’re feeling unsure, I am so happy if you tell me or ask for clarity.
Oh and one other thing. I will do my best to get your pets attention to look at me and a lot of times it won’t work. But they can’t ignore me forever – they know the weird lady with the camera is still there. So while it may be tempting for you to point at me to get them to look at me, don’t 🙂 Keep on loving on your babe(s) and when they inevitably turn to look at me, I’ll get that photo!
I hope this eases some anxiety you may have about how the session will go. Just love on your pets and trust me, and I promise it will all be perfect in the end 🙂
Read on to learn more about how to prep for your session!
What to wear
Wear what you feel absolutely incredible in. These are your images and I want you to love how you look. Choose something that is beautiful AND comfortable.
It’s best to avoid branding or pictures on your clothes, as I feel it’s important to have timeless images. Also, avoid fluorescent colours.
If you’re a pattern lover, and if it’s a couples session, one person should wear solid colours to avoid competing patterns.
Keep in mind you will likely get pet hair on your clothes so it may not be a good idea to wear completely opposite coloured clothes as your pet ie. wearing black if your pet is white. Of course, there are exceptions to this if you have more than one pet or your pet has multicoloured hair. It’s not a hard and fast rule, just something to consider.
Jeans and barefeet are always a classic look. The great thing about jeans is you can rarely see pet hair on them. And don’t worry, your feet will not be the center of the photograph! They’ll usually be off the the edge and blurry.
Watches tend to distract the viewer’s eye away from the face so unless it’s sentimental, I recommend leaving them out. Have a quick look at nail polish to make sure it’s not chipped, as this is another thing the eye may be drawn to.
If you so choose, consider wearing your hair down. The movement is such a beautiful part of a photographs flow.
How to prepare
Firstly, we’ll likely only use a few rooms of your house, ideally ones with good light. Sessions typically take place in the living room, bedroom, and sometimes hallways/staircases.
Simply tidy up what you don’t want in your images and pass the vacuum/broom. Dark surfaces can show dust so give those a quick dusting. Do your best to remove very obvious pet hair from furniture. If you have time, consider giving your pet a good brush to hopefully cut down on shedding during the shoot.
I’ll be following your pet around like the paparazzi so any place they tend to find comfy should ideally be tidy (eg. around their bed, at the foot/top of the couch/bed, etc.)
Depending on the weather, we could head to the backyard (if that interests you, of course,) so have a look around for any poop, hoses, tools, etc. that you personally wouldn’t want in your images. If you have cushions for your furniture, pull those out.
This all ensures that the background is somewhat aesthetically pleasing and you love even more of your images!
Reach out anytime if you have questions or concerns about your upcoming session. I can’t wait to meet you and your pet(s) and create some magical memories!
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