PETS ARE FAMILY, TOO!
Want to bring your pet to your session? My answer is always YES if the location permits it! Here are five tips and tricks for a successful session with your furry friends!
1. What is your vision?
When deciding whether you'd like to include your pet in your portrait session, it's important to think about the overall goal of your session. Do you want them in all your photos, just a few or throughout all of your portraits. It can be difficult and time consuming to get them to sit perfectly for an extended time.
2. Exercise your pet
This is a great way to manage their energy levels for those pets that might need to get their wiggles out before even trying to get them to sit still for a family photo! There's already enough excitement with a car ride, new people and an unfamiliar place.
3. Bring a friend
This can make your session flow so much easier if you bring someone along to help with commands when wanting them to sit still for a photo, and to keep an eye on them while we are doing some portraits without them.
4. Bring treats
Especially if your pup if very food motivated like my 122lb black lab, Rex! He will sit, stay, and be laser focused while I'm able to get a great photo of him if you've got a tasty incentive! Haha!
5. expectations
You know your pet more than anyone, their temperament, energy levels and behavior and what you can kind of expect out of them. It's important to let go of the added stress of perfection when working with our pets. I personally think they are a wonderful addition to a few family portraits and then to just let them run around (or kept busy by that friend you may have brought) and be a part of the family like these sweet pups did while on a beach vacation in Port Aransas, TX. It makes life so much easier and the results are natural, authentic, and beautiful.
