There are a few things pet owners tell me all the time when they’re thinking about booking a photoshoot.
“My dog won’t sit still.”
“They’ll never look at the camera.”
“They’re too excitable.”
“They have absolutely no recall.”
And my personal favourite:
“You won’t get a single decent photo of them.”
Oh, ye of little faith.
Because here’s the thing…
Your dog doesn’t have to perform for me. I photograph the dog you’ve actually got.
They don’t need to sit perfectly on command. They don’t need to stare lovingly down my lens. And they definitely don’t need to suddenly develop the obedience skills of a Crufts champion the moment they arrive for their photoshoot.
I photograph dogs. I know what they’re like.
And quite frankly, half the fun is that they haven’t read the brief.
“But my dog genuinely won’t sit still…”
Good.
Okay, perhaps good isn’t the word you’re expecting from your photographer, but movement isn’t a problem.
If your dog wants to run, we can photograph them running.
If they want to explore, we’ll let them explore.
If they’re happiest standing beside you, they can stand beside you.
A pet photography session doesn’t have to involve repeatedly shouting “SIT! STAY! LOOK!” while everyone gradually loses the will to live.
Sometimes the photographs that show your dog’s personality best happen when we stop trying to make them behave like somebody else’s dog.
They don’t even have to look at the camera
This is another big one.
People often assume the “perfect” pet portrait means their dog sitting neatly and looking directly at the camera.
And yes, I absolutely photograph those.
But look at these two.
Two dogs. Two completely different directions. Approximately zero interest in synchronising their efforts.
And I love it.
Because sometimes the glance to the side, the ridiculous expression, the ear doing something peculiar or the moment your dog becomes intensely interested in something behind me is far more them than a perfectly posed photograph.
I’m not trying to create photographs of a generic well-behaved dog.
I’m trying to photograph yours.
We work with your dog, not against them
Some dogs are confident little supermodels from the second they arrive.
Others need a minute.
Or ten.
Some want to investigate everything. Some would rather stay close to their person. Some will do almost anything for a bit of chicken.
And that’s fine.
My pet sessions aren’t built around forcing every dog through exactly the same set of poses.
If your dog feels more comfortable beside you, we’ll use that.
If they need a break, they get one.
If they need to sniff every square inch of the studio before deciding I am acceptable, that’s fine too.
There isn’t a stopwatch running while I desperately try to make your dog comply.
We work at their pace.
“But my dog can’t be off lead”
They don’t need to be.
If your dog needs to stay on a lead for safety, that’s exactly where they stay.
Maybe their recall is more of a vague suggestion than a reliable command. Maybe they’re nervous, reactive or easily distracted. Or perhaps you’d simply feel more comfortable knowing they’re safely attached to you.
None of that stops us getting beautiful photographs.
In fact, several of the dogs you can see in this blog were photographed while wearing a lead.
You just can’t see it.
Where possible, I can remove leads during editing, so there’s absolutely no need to let your dog off lead just for the sake of a photograph.
Their safety will always come before getting the shot.
So please don’t practise letting them off lead for their photoshoot or worry that keeping them attached will somehow spoil the finished photographs.
Keep the lead on. I’ll deal with the Photoshop magic afterwards.
You should be in some of the photographs too
I know.
You booked a photoshoot for the dog.
But hear me out.
Your camera roll is probably absolutely stuffed with photographs of them.
Sleeping.
Walking.
Looking cute.
Looking ridiculous.
Possibly sitting beside something they’ve just destroyed while maintaining complete innocence.
But how many good photographs do you have with them?
Because the relationship between you and your dog matters just as much as what they look like.
They are part of your family.
And photographs like this don’t depend on your dog looking at my camera at all. In fact, I’d much rather photograph the way you naturally interact with each other.
The cuddles. The looks. The kisses.
That’s the good stuff.
Perfect behaviour is wildly overrated
This is where pet photography gets really fun.
Because yes, I want the beautiful portraits.
But I also want this.
The tongue.
The head tilt.
The wonky ear.
The side-eye.
The “what on earth is that woman doing?” expression.
Those tiny characteristics are the things you recognise instantly as your dog.
So while I’ll absolutely work towards those gorgeous portraits you’ll want to put on the wall, I’m also watching for all the other little moments happening in between.
Which brings me neatly to Ellie…
What you see versus what was actually happening
Lovely, isn’t she?
Beautiful expression.
Looking towards the camera.
Gorgeous background.
You might look at this photograph and assume Ellie spent the entire session sitting beautifully while I casually clicked away.
Erm…
…no. 😂
This was also Ellie.
And THIS is exactly why I don’t need your dog to be perfectly behaved.
A fraction of a second is sometimes all I need.
Your dog can be bouncing around, sniffing things, wandering off and generally making you wonder why on earth you thought booking a professional photoshoot was a sensible idea…
…and somewhere amongst all of that, there are photographs.
That’s my job.
You don’t need to worry about what they’re doing every second because I’m watching for the seconds that matter.
The photograph doesn’t have to be perfect to mean everything
Ultimately, this is why I photograph pets.
It’s not really about getting them to sit.
It’s not about getting both ears pointing in the same direction.
And it definitely isn’t about convincing anyone that your dog is considerably better behaved than they actually are.
It’s about them.
Their expressions. Their personality. Their ridiculous habits.
And the relationship you have with them.
One day, the photographs that matter most might not be the ones where they sat beautifully and looked straight at my camera.
They might be the photograph where they’re looking at you.
The one where you’re cuddling them.
The one that captures the expression you’ve seen thousands of times.
The one that feels like them.
That’s what I’m looking for.
So… can I photograph your badly behaved dog?
Firstly, we’re going to stop calling them badly behaved. 😉
Excitable? Fine.
Distracted? Absolutely.
Nervous? We can take our time.
More interested in sniffing than modelling? Standard.
Would sell you to a stranger for a piece of chicken? I’ve met their type before.
Your dog doesn’t need any special training before their photoshoot and you don’t need to practise sitting, staying, looking at the camera or being off lead.
Bring treats they love, bring their favourite toy if they have one and, if they need to stay safely on their lead, keep it on.
Just bring them exactly as they are.
I’ll take it from there.
Thinking about booking a pet photoshoot?
My studio is in Auchterarder, Perthshire, and I photograph dogs both in the studio and outdoors.
Whether you’ve got a tiny puppy, a golden oldie, a professional poser or a furry tornado with absolutely no intention of cooperating, they’re welcome.
Because…
Your dog doesn’t have to perform for me. I photograph the dog you’ve actually got.
