I love being a pet photographer and throughout the last 3 years I have photographed over 300 pets and 95% of these are mostly dogs. Throughout this time I have had a lot of questions asked and I wanted to address some of the most common questions asked by prospective clients in this blog.
Why should I have my pet professionally photographed?
These days many people have pets and they are considered an integral part of the family. There are over 29 million pets in Australia and 69% of Australian households has pets, so these statistics show that pets are a big part of our life and in some cases, like me, my dogs are my family, my children as I have no kids of my own.
Getting a professional pet photography isn't just merely getting happy snaps of your pet but you will get beautiful professional photographs, printed in high quality archival prints and artwork that will last for generations. I try to capture their personality and unique character as well as the bond between you and your pet.
In addition, your final photographs that you get go through meticulous editing processes including removing any leashes, distracting objects (sometimes body parts too!). Some dogs also have some tendency to have eye boogers around their eyes or heavy tear stains - these can be removed (or reduced) with post -processing. Wth this additional (and sometimes time-consuming) step, your photo will become a beautiful emory
Do I get the digital files?
I do provide the matching digital files with your artworks order over $1000. I specialise in creating custom photographic artworks from your images and my aim is that my clients have beautiful printed images that they proudly display in their home whether it will be wall arts, prints or albums.
I find that when I give clients just digital files and nothing printed, these images usually just sit in the USB in a desk drawer, in a folder in your computer somewhere or deep in your photo library on your phone. Usually you'll have to trawl through lots of other photos you've taken just to find the photos from your session. Even when you have found it, can you really enjoy it from a small screen on your phone, iPad or laptop? I truly believe in the value of printed artwork and having a beautiful piece of art on your wall. Not only you'll have a custom artwork to make your home more beautiful but you can see and enjoy your photos every day. You can see in the video below the prints that my clients have displayed in her home. It just livens up your home and brings a smile to you face!
In saying that you will still be able to purchase digital files - you can get them in packages of 5, 10 or 20 or you can get the matching digital files with portrait boxes of 10, 15 or 20 prints. There are also digital files included in our set collections.
My pet won't stay still long enough or they're not well-behaved
This is a common concern that comes up again and again with prospective clients when thinking about getting a professional pet photography session. While it would be great if your dog or pet have some basic training, it's not required at all. I've photographed different types of pets with different training levels, different personalities and behaviour throughout the years and you know what? I always get great images. I won't require your pet to stay still the whole time, I'll let them do their thing and while I try to get some posed photos I love capturing the candid photos too.
My dog is not great off-leash and doesn't have great recall
Again, this is another common concern that comes up. I've got a secret... more than 90% of the dogs I photograph are just like yours in that most of them are on a lead the whole time during our session. I also work with reactive and anxious dogs. Plus your dog's safety is my number one priority during our pet photography session. You can read more about this on my recent blog post of keeping your dog safe during your photography session.
Do you photograph all pets?
Yes I certainly do. Although most of my clients have dogs I also photograph other pets including, but not limited to, cats, bunnies, and even bearded dragons.
Do you only do outdoor pet photography sessions?
No, Although my specialisation is outdoor pet photography sessions, I also do studio sessions which is held in my home studio in Jerrabomberra.
Can I and/or my family be in the photos too?
Yes, of course! You and your family are an important part of your pet's life. Your pet(s)is the star and the focus of the session, however I'd like to make sure that during your session we take some photos that include you and your pet as well as other family members. I've previously written a blog post about reasons why you should be photographed with your pets during your session.
If you do plan to be in the photos, we'll talk about what to wear for your session at the planning appointment. Importantly though, I want you to feel comfortable so that you look and feel great in your photos.
How do I view my photos after the photography session?
After your pet photography session, I will schedule a time and book you in for your ordering appointment which is usually held 1-2 weeks following your session. Your ordering appointment will be held at my viewing lounge in Jerrabomberra. Just a warning, my dogs will be there sitting with you requesting pats while you enjoy the reveal of your photos.
At the ordering appointment you'll sit back and enjoy a slideshow of your photos I've put together. We then go through each photos to select your favourite and design any artwork you want to put up on your wall or an album for your coffee table. You'll also see some mock ups I have created for your wall from the wall images that you would have sent to me prior to the ordering appointment. You'll then place your order for your prints, wall arts, and/or albums. This process usually takes about an hour and it's a pet-free appointment so you can focus on enjoying the photographs we have created together. I provide a full service which means a big part of this is providing you with my expertise and assisting you to design the artwork to go in your home and choose what images work best.
So that's it, these are some of the most frequently asked questions I get from prospective clients. If there's anything else that you want to know that I haven't covered then do let me know. You can do so by contacting me here or if you'd like to go ahead and chat about booking in your pet photography session, let's meet and you can book your planning appointment.
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Follow the circle
Check out my fellow pet photographer's blog circle. This week you'll discover some posts about the common questions that pet photographers get asked. Next in the circle is Syracuse photographer Nancy of Nancy Kieffer Photography answers your questions about incorrigible dogs at a photo session.
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.
2 Comments
May 16, 2022, 8:19:17 AM
Cahlean - A great way to talk about the various FAQ you encounter from clients - these answers will be helpful to anyone looking to have a session with you!
May 16, 2022, 4:55:05 AM
Carol Mudra - Great article! You covered so much and it's super informative.