I had a conversation with a client who was concerned that the whole dog photography session could be quite a stressful event for them as well as their dog. They needed reassurance on the whole experience and so I thought that would make an in interesting blog article for others. How stressful is a dog photography session?

Preparing for a professional dog photography session

Most professional dog photographers will invest quality time in getting to know you and your dog. Whether this is via a pre-session questionnaire, telephone call, or pre-session consult, in my opinion this is a critical activity. For a MIL Pet Photography Experience, we ask you to complete a fun questionnaire answering each question in the tone and voice of your dog. Our clients say it's so much fun, and we find it really useful too. Through your answers and the tone and voice of your dog, we start to get a good understanding of what your dog can and cannot do. We follow this up with a brief telephone call to confirm our understanding, and be available to answer any and all questions that you may have. For us, we want every client to rate us 5 stars at the end of their overall experience, and every step of the way too. In the days leading up to the photography session, we provide our clients with a series of ideas to help ensure that we capture everything you may want on the day.

The day before the dog photography session day

The day before the actual session, we send a helpful short list of things to have ready for the day. It's also to help ensure that you as the owner are not stressed at all - you are simply preparing to go for a walk with good friends. Have water, poo bags, a lead - the essentials for a happy and safe walk.

If the weather looks iffy, and something that can often happen in the UK, we will simply reschedule - no cost, no worries, and no stress! With the extreme heat in summer 2022, we even rescheduled to a 7am start at the preference of the client and safety of the dog of course).

The dog photography session day

We want to make it a magical experience and adventure for you and your dog. We often find that a client is very excited, but sometimes still a little worried that their dog will not "perform". We always spend the first few minutes getting to know your dog, super friendly - and helping with any potentially anxious dogs too.

We help reassure all owners that the only performing is us - you and your dog can simply be yourselves, enjoy that magical experience and let us capture that special and unique bond between you - and the true character of your dog.

What if my dog really cannot behave?

Kosmos is a two year old Siberian Husky in this photo. He is full of life, has a tremendous character, and likes to play. As many Husky owners know, recall can sometimes be challenging if there are more interesting distractions around! It's truly no problem to have a lead on at all times. Professional dog photographers are the masters of removing leads and leashes in the digital darkroom.

It is paramount that we make sure that your dog is happy, safe, and that their true character shines through in the images captured.

If they are super nervous, we'll spend even more time at the beginning - we are never rushed and never book a back to back session. Certified with a diploma in Canine Behaviour Training, I'll spot if your dog is not comfortable with something and will never force them to do anything they don't want to. We want their true character at all times.

If we find they are posing too much, we can take a break. If they are crazy bouncy, we may them run around (on a long lead is fine) to burn off some energy.

We are patient at all times and they'll let us know how they feel, so that there is no stress for you nor your dog. That’s how we can get the best photos of them, while still capturing their true personality.

Is your dog misbehaving or simply being dog?

What some may consider as misbehaving we may consider to be a dog being a dog! They may be super excited outdoors, particularly if exploring somewhere new like the forests near us. We are new to them too, and new smells and people can be a recipe for sensory overload!

Sniffing new objects, people, and letting off steam is simply a dog being a dog. If these are personality quirks of your dog, we'll do our best to capture them and help make another treasured memory (like Khaos here when he jumped into a mudpool - his owner loves this photo as it sums up his name and true character).

Our clients enjoy the experience as much as we do

Our clients tell us that they feel it's like friends turned up to join them on a dog walk. Everything is natural, as relaxed as possible, and a magical experience for all. We all return with smiles - including the dogs too!

You and your dog deserve a magical experience and adventure

If it's necessary to do the whole session on a lead or leash, no worries at all. Let me handle your dog lead removal in digital post processing and then keep your friends in awe at how well behaved your dog was at the photo session.

Working with a professional definitely helps make the experience a positive one for both you and your canine-friend because we can use our vast knowledge and past photography sessions to help guide both you and your dog. All of our clients love the gorgeous photos of your dog at our session, and they also leave great reviews and just how magical the complete experience was for them and their dog. Why stress when you can you and your dog can simply have fun instead?

Chris Miller

MIL Pet Photography