Being a pet photographer everyone always says that it must be always fun as you get to play with dogs and other pets. This is true in most cases and yes, it's awesome being a pet photographer, however there are tough times too, especially when it comes to photographing elderly dogs and dogs who are unwell.
Our dogs don't live as long as we do, it's a sad fact. And some go earlier than they should. Whether it's a sudden departure or even if you know it was coming, saying goodbye to our pets is really hard as they are a big part of our lives, they are our family too.
I started my pet photography business because of my dog Mac. Mac was my heart dog, and always will be. Mac had such a big personality for such a small dog. Unfortunately he passed away in 2019 at only 9 years old due to heart failure. Mac was diagnosed with heart failure in 2017 and the vet told me I may only have 6 months left with him or 1 year max. However he was a fighter and fought on for 2 years until his heart couldn't take it anymore. It was so painful losing him.
Thankfully being a photographer, I was able to capture lots of photos of Mac. I was also able to get a friend to take photos of Mac and me. I also got some studio photos taken of Mac less than 24 hours before he passed. Although I got some beautiful memories, Mac and my other dog James weren't very fond of the studio lights and was very nervous and scared and it showed in the images. Back then I couldn't find any photographer specialising in outdoor pet photography in Canberra.
After Mac passed away, I realised how important memories are of him and I want to do the same for others. This is why I started my business to focus on pet photography. I want to be able to provide memories of dogs and their owners out in the nature where they love going for walks or running around. I also want to create forever memories and keepsakes to memorialise your pets as I consider them family and a big part of our lives.
Photos of our dogs are important to have. It's a way to remember them forever, to remind us the good times we have with them, how precious our time with them was and the love they gave us.
Because of this I always have time in my calendar for emergency session. Whether it's for an elderly dog or sick dog, I will always find a time to make sure we can capture memories of your dogs and create beautiful keepsakes to remember them by.
In memory of Bailey
Bailey's owner is a good friend of mine. I got a call one afternoon from Bailey's owner. I could hear it in his voice that something was wrong. He told me that Bailey is not well and he's not going to make it much longer and if I could fit in a session to take some photos of Bailey.
We chose a quiet location to take the photos. Since Bailey had bad arthritis he couldn't walk that far so I made sure to take that in mind. I made sure during this session I captured beautiful memories of Bailey for my friend and also the connection that he has with Bailey.
Although I do have these emergency sessions available, don't wait until it's too late to photograph your pets. You want to keep memories of them while they're still well and young and playful. Many of my clients know it's important to capture memories of their pets throughout different stages of their lives, including towards the end. I love being able to capture photos of my clients dogs from the puppy stage to when they're older. You can see through these photos how they grow and change and how some of their unique characteristics stay the same.
If you want to create forever memories of your pets, let's have a chat.
Thanks for reading my blog! This post is a part of the Pet Photographers blog circle I am in. Make sure to follow along and click the link at the end of each post in the blog circle until you eventually find your way back here. The next one in the circle is Atlanta dog photographer Courtney of CM Bryson Photography shares coping strategies for carrying the weight of loss and death as a pet photographer.
6 Comments
Jan 31, 2022, 6:55:11 AM
Tracy Allard - Ok, so the video (and gorgeous pictures, the one with the floating leaves - gah) gave me a good drizzle. You're so right, what we do IS important. After we said goodbye to Dingo last year, my husband and I kept looking at pictures of him for the next month- it brought us a lot of comfort.
Oct 8, 2021, 4:51:25 PM
Ina Jalil - Thanks Terri! I bought the licence to the music and it's called once in a lifetime by Landon Astin
Oct 8, 2021, 4:50:02 PM
Ina Jalil - Thanks Kim!
Oct 8, 2021, 3:09:01 PM
Angela Schneider - Oh, Ina, what an incredible gift you've given Bailey's human. Much love to you.
Oct 8, 2021, 11:03:44 AM
Terri Jankelow - I love the video. What is the name of the music you used and where did you get it?
Oct 8, 2021, 5:11:21 AM
Kim Hollis - So many of us got into pet photography because of our own experiences. I'm sure Bailey's family is so happy to have these photos.