How to Prepare for Your PNW Pet Portrait Session
So you’ve booked a pet portrait photoshoot, but that felt like the easy part. The next step is always, “Well. What do I do now??” This blog post will help answer that question and more.
How should I prepare my dog for a pet portrait photoshoot?
The best way to prepare is to take some deep breaths and remember this is going to be fun! To set you and your dog up for success, choose a place that works best for their comfort level and personality. Do they love the quiet forest? Let’s go there. Do they dislike other dogs or people? Let’s avoid a busy park during peak times. Does your dog prefer to swim or play fetch? Let’s find somewhere where we can let the leash fly and have a good time.
Things to Remember for Your Dog
You don’t need much for a successful shoot! Here are some essentials:
Comfortably fitted collar and leash. If your dog wears a harness and you want that in the photos, bring that, too! Ideally we’ll be able to wear just a collar and leash so I can edit out the leash if needed.
A small bag of your dog’s absolute favorite high-value treats. I recommend something like cheese or hot dogs cut up really small.
Any medications they might need during our session. I always carry a small first aid kit with me in case of cuts or other minor injuries.
If you’d like the dog to be playing during your session, be sure to bring their favorite toy.
A bottle of water and a small water dish to keep them hydrated.
Anything special you’d like included in their photos. Do they wear a favorite sweater? Maybe you bought a bowtie for the occasion? Do you want a picture with their favorite stuffed toy?
Things to Remember for Yourself
Wear clothes that are comfortable and make you feel good, while being appropriate for the environment where we’ll be taking photos. I recommend not wearing high heels, and if it’s rained recently be prepared for your shoes and clothes to get a little muddy! Be sure to check the weather and bring the appropriate accessories: raincoat, winter jacket, gloves, etc.
For specific color advice, you don’t need to stress too much! Try to steer clear from solid black, bright white, neons, skinny stripes, or any really bold patterns or prints. If you want to find inspiration for the specific season, looking for color palette ideas on Google is perfect! But also remember there are no hard rules when it comes to style. Wear what you love!
Note: Please make sure your clothes don’t have any large text or logos that take up lots of real estate on the item of clothing. We don’t want your portraits to look like an advertisement!
If it’s going to be hot, please bring a water bottle for yourself and anything else you might need, like sunscreen, a cooling shirt, or an umbrella.
Do you want some photos sitting in a field? Bring a favorite blanket or picnic cloth to keep yourselves dry.
I don’t do any cosmetic retouching, so please come prepared with any makeup (if you want!) already on and your hair done.
What if your dog isn’t the best behaved? The short answer: that’s okay!
If you have some time and you’d like to work on skills and behavior for the photoshoot, a solid “stay” or “wait” is always really helpful! You can also practice any fun obedience tricks if you’d like to capture images of your dog doing those tricks, but it’s not necessary.
No recall? No problem. We are likely to stay on leash for the duration of your photoshoot unless we are in a space where you can legally be off-leash, and even then, only if your dog has proven solid recall. Your dog’s safety and the safety of those around us (including wildlife!) are my top priority. There are a lot of ways to work around a leash and edit the visible spots out so it looks like your dog is tether-free. I have a regular lead, traffic lead, and long line that we can use during your session.
Have more questions about what to bring, or even just about pet portrait sessions in general? I’m always available by email for clients. If you’re interested in becoming a client hit that contact button and let’s get in touch!
