So you’re thinking about getting professional photos of your pet but you’re not sure how involved it will be because you’ve never done this before? Don’t worry, many people haven’t had a photo shoot of themselves, let alone of their pet. Here are some tips to give you some confidence that you’ll get great images:

The first tips are to ensure your pet is looking their best. You know your pet best when it comes to grooming. Do they look best straight after their groom or does it take a few days or weeks for their coat to look the way you like it? Make sure you book ahead with the groomer to get the day you want ahead of the photo shoot. If not going for a full groom, I highly recommend to bath and brush your pet close to the photoshoot day. Particular attention should be paid to the eyes, making sure any long hair covering the eyes is clipped, so their eyes can be clearly seen in the photos and clean any tear stains or “eye boogers”. Another great idea is to replace their tattered, faded, mud-stained collar with a nice new clean one.

The next tips I have to offer are in regards to your pet’s behaviour. Firstly, bring along whatever motivates your pet to behave, such as treats or a favourite toy. Also, practice sit, down and stay commands, ideally while you are standing at least a metre away from your pet. This allows space for you to not appear in the images. When it comes to capturing images during the photo shoot, don’t stress about your pet behaving. Your pet will detect your stress or anxiety and react accordingly, so try to relax and have fun. Great images don’t rely on your pet just sitting still and posing for the camera, so we’ll let them run and play. We’ll let their behaviour guide the photo shoot session.

So, in summary, my top tips to prepare for your pet’s photo shoot are:

1. Have your pet groomed before the photo shoot, paying particular attention to their eyes and face.

2. Get a nice new clean collar.

3. Bring along whatever helps your pet to behave and follow commands.

4. Practice some commands from a distance.

5. Relax and have fun at the photo shoot!

If you’re interested in creating some beautiful printed images of your pet, please get in touch and we can plan a customised photo shoot to suit you and your pet.