In a portrait session, we are always after the “perfect” expression that shows off your pet’s personality and captures the essence of everything the owner loves about him.

A lot of pet owners worry that their pet won’t look at the camera or that their pet will not behave to do so. We covered crazy and rowdy pets in a previous blog…so today we are going to cover “getting the perfect expression”….plus I’m going to throw in a few tricks that will help you when capturing your dog on your own

The perfect expression comes from an excellent connection with the pet.
The good connection can come from the owner, the photographer, and the situation… but best if we have all 3.

When searching for a photographer, you of course want someone who isn’t afraid of pets. You’d think this goes without saying but I actually had someone contact me b/c their past photographer was afraid of their pet and I guess that did not turn out too well! You also want someone who understands your pet and can bond with your pet quickly. Bonding and understanding animal behavior is very important b/c if the animal is not comfortable, there is very little chance to elicit a good expression and comfortable posture.

It is also imperative, as the owner, that you have a good relationship and bond with your pet. That is usually a given, but another consideration is that during the session, owners are not overly nervous or demanding on their pet. Pets quickly pick up on our emotions, and if they sense you are overly nervous or demanding, it can cause them to shut down. Try to relax and have fun as much as possible and your pet will too!

Capturing Personality With Your Own Images

Here are a few tips that will help you capture personality with your own images.

• Allow your pet to see your face (don’t hold the phone right in front of your face)
• Encourage your pet with a treat or toy
• Keep you pet’s surroundings familiar. If your dog doesn’t go out in public much, don’t try to take your pet to a busy downtown location and have too high of expectations of excellent images.
• Talk to your pet with his/ her favorite words. Some might include “Do you want a treat”, “I love you”, “Are you a good boy”… anything familiar that elicits a reaction. You know your pet best!
• Bring some sound makers: whistles, squeakers, etc if you pet enjoys them
• Let your pet have fun. A great way to elicit an expression is to let your pet play with his favorite toy or chill in her favorite spot.

I hope you enjoyed today’s blog. As always if you have questions, comments, or would like to book, don’t hesitate to ask! Contact me any time!

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