Photos with Your Four-Legged Friends
If you’ve been to Sun Valley before, you know that the entire valley is a dog’s paradise. From summer to winter the opportunities to get out and enjoy everything the Wood River Valley has to offer is only made better when you bring your pup along. As a dog mom myself, I love when clients ask if their dogs can be included in their photoshoot. The answer of course is a big yes!
After many years of photographing families with dogs, I’ve compiled my top 5 tips for making a photoshoot with your dog a success (for both you and your pup)!
Tip #1: Take a Walk
You know what they say—a tired dog is a happy dog. I’m not saying you want your dog to be snoozing during your session, but taking the edge off of their energy levels is always the way to go. Of course, this depends on your dog’s age/temperament—if you have an older dog then a pre-session walk probably isn’t necessary. For younger and more active dogs, you may even want to let them rally around the park a bit first! I’ve found this helps reduce the initial overexcitement most dogs experience upon arriving at the photo session (which leads to easier handling for you!).
Tip #2: Bring Their Favorite Treats
If you’re hoping for some shots where your pup is looking at the camera, performing a beloved trick, or generally being where you want them to be—bring really high-value treats (cheese, pieces of hot dog, whatever your dog is known to go nuts for). I also suggest bringing their regular kibble (depending on when your shoot is, it doesn’t hurt to skip breakfast or dinner and just bring that along with you, then you can dole out their regular meal as treats!). Bringing two different "levels" of treats can be really helpful for directing your dog. I often suggest clients start with regular kibble first and saving the high-value treats for emergency use (or when you really want them to do that cool trick!).
Tip #3: Plan for Part of the Shoot
Plan to only have your dog be part of the photoshoot. Often times when your favorite sidekick comes along on the session they can end up taking most of your kid's attention - which is perfect for those candid shots! But coming in with the expectation that fido will stay in the car for part of the shoot ensures you get a variety of shots in case it's too much for your dog. This also allows us to get some shots without having all of your attention having to be on your furry friend.
Tip #4: Consider an In Studio Session
Is your dog overwhelmed by other dogs? Or maybe the park is just TOO exciting? Or maybe you just like the nice clean look of studio portraits! Shoots inside the studio are super fun with a pet! Doing photos inside means you can let your pet off leash, let them take some time to get to know me, you don’t have to worry about muddy paws on clean clothes, and It also opens up the options to bring more than just dogs. I've had birds, cats, guinea pigs, all kinds of critters get their photos taken while in the studio!
Tip #5: Roll with the Unexpected
If you live with a dog, you know that rolling with the unexpected is sort of a given, but it’s worth mentioning! It’s easy to get caught up in wanting your photo session to go exactly as you’ve practiced it in your mind—but often the best times (and best stories!) in life and photos are when unexpected moments happen. The puppy runs off with your toddler’s shoe. You lab finds a new dog friend and brings them back to the photo session. Both dog and child fall into a mud puddle. Life happens and time and time again I hear clients saying that their most candid photos turn out to be their favorites. So go ahead and embrace the mud! Just maybe bring an extra pair of shoes - just in case 😉.
Ready to book a session? Check out all of the photo sessions we offer here, or give me a call at 208-788-2849 and we can talk about what you’re envisioning for your photos!