INFORMATION FOR DOG PARENTS

PREPARATION POINTERS FOR YOUR OUTDOOR PHOTO SHOOT

Consider having your dog groomed several days before our session so she will look her best in her portraits. Grooming can be stressful, so coming straight from her salon to her shoot is just too much for one day. Do bring a brush, however, for any last minute touch-ups.

Even if you don’t do a full grooming, please clip any stay hairs that fall across the eyes. The eyes are the windows to the soul, so I need to see them.

Unless you have an old or disabled dog, please take your pup for a long walk right before our shoot to release some of his exuberance!

Please don’t feed your dog right before our session. Although I prefer not to use treats when shooting, if there are a lot of distractions at our location (i.e. other dogs, seagulls, kids at the beach), I may need treats to grab his attention so I want him still interested in food.

Speaking of treats, please bring some of his favorite high value ones (i.e. hotdogs, cheese, chicken, etc.) Since I don’t know your dog’s likes, dislikes and/or possible food allergies, I rely on you to supply the treats. For small dogs the pieces should be pea sized. For large dogs the pieces should be the size of a dime. Small treats are faster to eat and won’t fill him up too fast.

If your dog has any favorite toys, bring those as well. If he loves to chase a ball, bring several along with a “Chuck-it” or tennis racket to get him running. I love taking action shots!

Please bring his leash. I will also bring a very long leash in case we need it. link

Consider your dog’s usual collar. It will probably show in his photographs, so you might want to bring a flat leather one or a special one that will look good in his photographs. If he needs a halter that’s fine, we can always change him into his collar when we’re ready to shoot. Although I will remove leashes from the edited images, I may not be able to eliminate a halter in PhotoShop.

We’ll all be running around a lot, so please bring water for yourself as well as your pup.

I have tons of poop bags, so you can cross that off your list.

I strongly suggest that you put everything you’re bringing into one bag so nothing gets lost while we’re moving locations..

The most important thing to remember is that this is going to be fun! There is no stress—no right or wrong. It would be nice if your dog knows some basic commands like sit and stay, but it’s not necessary. If I get your dog to sit but he won’t stay or he just won’t sit at all, we’ll try again or do something else. Don’t get frustrated with him. We’ll have plenty of time and I want your dog to be himself. I’ll follow his lead. If I really want him in a certain place or position, I’ll tell you and we’ll figure out how to accomplish it.

PREPARATION POINTERS FOR YOUR STUDIO PHOTO SHOOT

Consider having your dog groomed several days before our session so she will look her best in her portraits. Grooming can be stressful so coming straight from her salon to her shoot is just too much for one day. Do bring a brush, however, for any touch-ups.

Even if you don’t do a full grooming, please clip any stay hairs that fall across the eyes. The eyes are the windows to the soul, so I need to see them.

Unless you have an old or disabled dog, please take him for a long walk right before our shoot to release some of his exuberance and let him relieve himself! That will enable him to settle into the studio environment more quickly.

Please don’t feed your dog right before our session. Although I prefer not to use treats when shooting, some dogs are not sensitive to noises or other attention grabbing tricks and will only work for food— so I want him to be hungry.

If your pup is a fashionista with her own wardrobe, please bring her favorite outfits. I have an assortment of hats, jewelry, clothing and props that we can use as well. I love canine fashion shoots. In fact, I was awarded the Photographer of the Year Award at the 2017 New York Pet Fashion Show.