Dog Photography

Dog Photography – North East England

Dog photography is one of the most in demand services in our Duo Photo Studio, located in Team Valley between Newcastle and Gateshead. We totally understand this as we are dog lovers ourselves. James our studio photographer has two working cocker spaniels in the family.

Ed, our studio Videographer is also a dog lover and has a rather active Frenchie who never seems to stop eating!

Understanding a Dog’s Behaviour to ensure they’re enjoying the experience.

Dog Photography: understanding their behaviour is key to good results.

We all want to create great photographs of our pets, it’s one of the most natural things to do. Our pets are part of our family, we love them as family members and more often than not, give them Human names. Such is the level of affection we have as pet owners.

When your dog is running freely along a sandy beach or through some gladed woodland somewhere, they are free to roam and move without restriction. They are usually at their happiest.

Bringing your favourite furball into a studio for example may be a slightly unnerving experience for some pets and we are well aware of this, as we have photographed hundreds of dogs in our studio. As Dog owners we are well aware of the signs a dog may give off to show that it is stressed. Whale eyes, tucked tail, tucked ears and raised hackles are all obvious signs. There is some good advice on dog behaviour here at this page The RSPCA’s website with useful downloadable PDF’s.

Pet Shoot- it’s all about the wellbeing of your pet.

We always advise pet owners to walk their dog first prior to coming into the studio, to burn off some of their energy, so that they are a little bit more settled. When you first come into our studio we will greet your pet first, if they seem comfortable with that. If your pet seems a little uneasy before the pet photoshoot we will give your dog time to have a walk around and become familiar with the environment. At no point will a pet be forced into an environment/ situation they are not comfortable with.

Whilst your pet is getting accustomed to our studio ( which is quite large) we will make you a nice tea or coffee and suggest sitting on our comfy sofas until your dog approaches you or us. We know then, that they are at ease.

Time it takes for a Dog Photoshoot

As explained above, we ensure that your pet is comfortable first before any dog photography takes place. In the rare event that your dog remains ill at ease, we will reschedule the Pet Portrait Session with you, at a time that is convenient for yourselves and our studio availability. You dog’s wellbeing is our first concern. or this reason we do not confirm to a strict time slot. Each dog is different, each dog’s needs are different and so the time needed varies according to their needs and behaviour.

My dog won’t pose for photos!

Dog photography posing tips

Yes, we hear this a great deal. Wish I had a pound for every time someone said that to me. See this image here of a dog where the owner said it would never stay still and pose! I am always surprised because you never know how a dog/ pet will react in the studio. However, what I have found is that if you dont rush the dog, the rewards will come, sometimes at the beginning of the Pet Photography Session, sometimes at the end, when the dog is more rested.

People are always amazed at the results we achieve ( I am not being immodest here) it’s just that we are really patient and we love dogs and that always helps when trying to create the best possible Pet Portrait for you and your family.

Given time your dog will relax and as an experienced pet photographer we have techniques that work with your dog to get the best results.

Indoor Studio Shoot or Outdoor Shoot?

Dog Photography- does the weather put you off?

We can provide both and certainly enjoy doing both. We can meet you at your favourite location if it is outdoors or we can suggest locations for you where we have walked our own dogs and taken photographs of them. A question we ask our clients prior to the Pet Photography Session is ‘ what is the end result you want from the Pet Portrait Session?”

Are you looking to have some lovely photos taken to put in an album, a framed print to stand on a desk/ sideboard, or would you like a piece of wall art to adorn you Living Room, Bedroom or Kitchen Wall? Once we have a clear picture of what you want, we will shoot with that end goal in mind. It’s important to know these things because if you’re deciding on a piece of wall art- Large Framed Gallery Print or Canvas, we can suggest locations/ colours or shoot styles that match the ‘look’ and colours of your home.

A modern, minimalist home may want high key ( bright mainly) images to adorn the walls or something in Black and White to add contrast and act as a main feature of the room. We can match the look of the image and colour and style of frames to correspond with the look and feel of your home.

Outdoor Pet Photography

There are some challenges to this, such as the weather/ wind/ rain etc but the rewards are well worth it. Below are a few examples of a recent shoot at Crimdon Beach, the weather was very changeable yet the light was interesting.

Indoor-Studio Based Pet Portrait Session.

It would be easier to assume that this is the easier option but that is not always the case, due to the fact is may be at first, an unfamiliar type of environment for your pet.

However, it is the one environment where we as Pet Photographers have strict control over the light and as a result it is sometimes ( but not always) easier to work this way for a couple of reasons. Firstly, as mentioned, we have total control of the light, we know what direction it is coming from, we have a contact light level ( no clouds passing by) and the dog usually remains where we encourage them to go. That may be down to the treats…

Conclusion

In our next article we will explain what’s involved in a Pet Photography Portrait, how it all works after you book your Pet Photographer. If you have enjoyed reading this article and would like to know more about Pet Photography, perhaps you interested in being a Pet Photographer or taking Pet Portraits, or just better snapshots of your pet then consider subscribing to our mailing list and we will send you helpful tips to help you improve your photography.

Thank you for earning, best wishes to you, James from Duo Photo.

If you would like to book a Pet Photography Portrait Session at our studio you can either fill in the form below or contact us at:

Email:james@duophoto.co.uk or ,

Tel: 0191 432 9181

Mobile: 07817 512 234