I often hear “my dog would never pose/sit for photos”. Honestly 95% of dogs don’t pose/sit for photos. They are dogs and have no idea what a photo shoot is.
I often remind the pet parents that it’s ok their furbabies jump on and off the furniture, run around the studio, accidents happen but can be cleaned up easily, and it’s ok they don’t sit and stay. It’s normal!
They are in a new place, introduced to a new person, bright lights flash that makes a popping sound, a giant eye (camera) pointing at them and dogs don’t like looking directly into eyes, and being asked to do things they don’t normally do.
That is why I take the extra time when photographing dogs. On average a photo shoot with Pets R Family can last about 2 hours because I spend the first 15 minutes earning the dogs trust, desensitizing them to the photography equipment, helping them feel comfortable in their surroundings and becoming their new friend.
A few things I do to help dogs feel comfortable during a photo shoot is playing calm music, gating off furniture that I use for shoots so they don't get overwhelmed with smells, clean after every photo shoot to help minimize the smell of other dogs, plenty of water available, dog toys through the studio, very yummy treats, calming atmosphere, and getting down to their level on the floor.
When a dog is calm and comfortable their personality really starts to show in photos.
Copyright ©️ 2023 by Pets R Family
Lisa Olson, dog photographer, has a studio located in North Ogden Utah.