Are You Afraid Your Dog or Cat Won’t Be A Good Photography Model? Don’t Be.

I often hear concerns of clients before and during photography shoots, anxieties bubbling forth about how their dog must be the worst to photograph, how they suddenly wish they had done obedience training with them … or how they wish the dog would obey the training they once had.

I always answer these comments and questions with the truth: No dog or cat I’ve ever photographed is a bad model/subject. Their behavior is perfectly reasonable, whatever it is (as long as it’s not aggressive). And we will get great photographs, no worries.

Every pet photography session demands patience and persistence from us. I’ve photographed dogs all along the spectrum of training and life experience, from dogs once subjected to abuse in fighting kennels to the most elite show dogs at Westminster. I’ve photographed rescued dogs and cats, hunting dogs and those that compete in dog sports, such as flyball. Even those dogs that are trained for performance in the show ring or hunting field, the sports arena or in general obedience are simply dogs.

Believe it or not, show dogs get goofy, slobber, shed hair and “disobey” humans just like a mixed-breed pet adopted from a shelter does. No matter how much training a dog has, not a single one I’ve ever photographed has been trained for the one task put upon him/her during a Wishbone Photography session: That is, to be photographed by me on that day under those variable conditions — warm/cold, humid, in the midst of birds, squirrels, deer and joggers at an unfamiliar park or … whatever else may be going on.

So, don’t waste energy wondering or worrying. If you want excellent custom photography to mark your special relationship with your pets, go for it. Your investment will be worth it. With us or whoever you think will best fit your needs — and bring the right attitude of patience and persistence. Everything is possible.