Should You Be in the Photos With Your Dog?

2. Show Me What Your Relationship Actually Looks Like

Every relationship between a person and their dog is different.

That's something I want to understand before and during your session.

Maybe your dog brings you a ball approximately 7,000 times a day.

Maybe they lean their entire body against your legs whenever you stop moving.

Maybe they sleep with their head on your chest.

Maybe there's a particular way they look at you when you scratch behind their ears.

Maybe your relationship goes even deeper.

I've photographed a service dog with their owner while the dog demonstrated some of the tasks they perform, including opening doors and conducting check-ins.

Those photographs weren't simply portraits of a person standing next to their dog.

They documented a small piece of what that dog actually does for their person.

That's what I want to know about your relationship too.

Your dog doesn't need to perform a special task.

Show me the ordinary stuff.

Show me what happens between the two of you when there isn't a camera around.

Because sometimes the ordinary stuff turns out to be the most important stuff to preserve.

3. Perfect Isn't Always the Photograph That Matters Most

I've spent years learning the technical side of photography.

Lighting matters.

Composition matters.

Focus matters.

Timing matters.

All of those things help me create the finished work my clients expect.

But technical perfection doesn't necessarily determine how much a photograph will eventually mean to someone.

Sometimes the photograph that matters most isn't the one where every ear is perfectly positioned and everyone is looking directly into the camera.

It's the one where your dog is looking at you the way they always do.

It's the laugh immediately after they ignored everything we asked them to do.

It's their paw resting on your leg.

It's the way they press their forehead against yours.

It's something completely ordinary that you've experienced a thousand times.

Until someday it isn't ordinary anymore.

That's when the photograph becomes something more.

4. “But I Hate Having My Picture Taken.”

This might be the most common reason people give me for wanting to stay out of the photographs.

And I'm not going to tell you that you shouldn't feel that way.

A lot of people aren't comfortable in front of a camera.

So let's work with that instead of pretending it doesn't exist.

You don't have to look at the camera.

You don't need dozens of photographs of yourself.

We can make your dog the visual focus of the image.

We can photograph you interacting rather than posing.

Sometimes your face doesn't even need to be the focus. A photograph of your hand resting on your dog's head can tell part of the story too.

And if you're concerned about clothing, colors or what will photograph well, I've put together some advice on what to wear for your dog photography session.

Most importantly, tell me you're uncomfortable.

That's useful information.

Part of my job is creating an environment where both you and your dog can relax enough to be yourselves.

5. You Don't Have to Be in Every Photograph

Let me make this part very clear.

If you book a dog photography session, I'm still going to photograph your dog.  A lot.

We'll create the beautiful portraits.

The goofy expressions.

The action photographs.

The quiet moments.

The photographs that show off everything about their personality that made you want to schedule the session in the first place.

This isn't secretly going to turn into a traditional family portrait session that happens to include your dog.

You may only want a handful of photographs together.

That's enough.

Because while you might have dozens of photographs of your dog by the end of the session, those three or four photographs documenting the two of you together are preserving something none of the others can.

Your relationship.

6. Your Dog Doesn't Need to Behave Perfectly for These Photographs

There's another reason people sometimes hesitate to get into the photographs.

They're worried about managing the dog.

“My dog won't sit next to me.”

“They'll never look at the camera.”

“They're going to be too excited.”

That's okay.

In fact, when we're trying to photograph your actual relationship, a little imperfection can sometimes help.

Your dog doesn't need to suddenly become a perfectly trained model just because I picked up a camera.

We work with the dog who's standing in front of us.

I've written an entire article about why your dog doesn't need perfect obedience for great photographs, but the short version is simple:

Let them be themselves.

We'll figure out the rest.

7. These Photographs Change With Time

This is the part that's difficult to fully appreciate when we're creating the photographs.

Today, you might look at one and think:

“That's us at Ashland State Park.”

A few years later, you notice how much younger you both looked.

Later still, you notice the gray that had started appearing around their muzzle.

And someday, you might look at that same photograph and remember exactly how their fur felt under your hand.

Exactly how they looked at you.

Exactly how it felt when they leaned against you.

The photograph hasn't changed.

Its value has.

That's one of the reasons I believe so strongly in creating photographs that go beyond simply showing what your dog looked like.

Years from now, you may look at one of those portraits and shed a tear.

But I hope you smile too.

Because you're not looking at a picture of a dog.

You're looking at a portrait of your dog.

Your relationship.

Your history.

Your life together.

So, Should You Be in the Photos With Your Dog?

I think you should.

Not in every photograph.

Not because you need the perfect portrait for Instagram.

And certainly not because I want to make you uncomfortable during your session.

I think you should because your dog isn't experiencing their life alone.

You're part of their story, too.

And someday, I think you'll be glad we photographed that.