When it comes to pet photography, folks sometimes have a few fears or concerns…..”my dog just won’t do that”… I hear people say in passing.

I’ve created this series to tackle concerns folks have. Today we’ll tackle the leash/ collar issue. It’s normal and expected that many dogs can’t go out in a park or busy area without a leash. Most locations in city limits even require it, and a lot of people think this precludes their pet from a session.

Good news: It’s not a problem at all.

When folks book a session, I give them some special tips on finding a leash/ collar that is easy for me to remove. During the session I give instructions to the owner on where/ how to hold the leash to help both the pet feel comfortable and allow me to remove it in post processing.

Here’s 2 great examples.

Case 1: Cooper. Great Pyrenees Puppy

Check out this before and after of Cooper. Cooper had a great session. He was a rather calm boy but still had his puppy spirit! A leash helped keep him focused and ready, and allowed us to comply with local laws. Most importantly, a leash keeps pets safe.

In this before image, you can see there are a lot of things that need to be removed: people, light polls, cars. Cooper looks great and his leash isn’t in the way much at all. His fur covers his collar making it no concern at all.

Ta-Da. Cooper looks much better! He’s the center of attention now. We removed my handsome assistant, Cooper’s leash, the light pole and wires, as well as the cars and background objects.
I enhanced the sky, grass, his eyes and fur. Now he’s showing off…

Case 2: Timber. German Shepard

Check out this beautiful pup. GSD are such fun noble dogs to work with, but I can always expect a lot of energy and a spirited demeanor from this breed! It’s no problem….in fact spirited dogs usually do really well showing off their personality in portraits.
This guy was young still, if I recall correctly, about 2 years…so a good balance of stoicism and puppy energy. The park was pretty busy with other dogs, children yelling and people having fun. We kept him on a leash for everyone’s safety and to obey local laws.

Notice in this before shot above, his owner, leash & collar were on. There’s also a good sized blade of grass in front of his eye…. sometimes that happens. Dogs move quickly and often dont sit for long… especially in a busy park or area with lots of stimuli. I had picked some grass in our path, but not enough clearly. I crouched down and he moved a tad and there it was… grass. I took a “safe shot” to make sure I got him and went back to pick the grass. But as often happens he moved and was “done” sitting for that pose. That’s ok though, nothing that cant be fixed in post….

Ta-Da…. Timber looks perfectly stoic. I removed the blade of grass in front of his eye, I fixed his neck area and fur where the collar pulled a bit and took out his human and the leash. The final step was to adjust the contrast and colors to make his portrait really pop.

If you’ve been interested in a pet session and been worried about your dog needing a leash, don’t fret at all. 90% of the dogs in the galleries you’ll see here were on a leash too!

Questions, comments? I’d love to hear from you.
If you’ve been wanting to set up a session and been afraid, don’t be. I guarantee to capture your pets unforgettable personality.

Feel free to contact me any time.