The Process
“Wendy is amazing. She came out to do a couple shots of my dog packs for SB Dog Dude and she has all the tricks to get your animal to look at the camera for a spectacular photo. Definitely the best at what she does and I can’t wait to work with her again.”
Booking Your Session
After reviewing the FAQ and pricing information, when you are ready to book a session please fill out the booking form. There I will gather information about you, your dog, and your availability. The best time to book a session is when the light quality is the best which is late in the afternoon about 2 hours before sunset. If you are an early riser, we can also do sunrise sessions.
Once we have selected a date, I will send you some additional documents including a brief questionnaire so I can get to know your pet. I will also be sending over a model release/contract as well as an invoice to book your session.
Selecting the Location
We are so lucky to have some of the most beautiful scenery in our backyards. Whether you wish to have a beach session with your dog splashing in the water, in front of the majestic Los Padres National Forest or posing next to lush and vibrant tropical plants and trees.. the sky is the limit. I am happy to work with you to find the perfect location for the photo session. If your pet has a park that he/she likes to go to that brings you special memories, then we will go there. If you have seen my work you may have noticed that the dogs are typically not in somebody’s backyard. Can we do a backyard session? Of course, if that is what you really want to do, and it may be the ideal location if your dog does not travel well. You may have a fabulous backyard and grounds around your house. If not, let’s look elsewhere. The location is a very important subject after you and your pet and is a critical factor that impacts the look of your photos.
Prepping for the Session
I will send you a session preparation guide which outlines how you and your pet should prepare for your session.
Photo Session
This is the day we have all been waiting for! If your dog has a lot of energy you may want to take them for a nice long walk before the session and tire them out a bit. I will spend time to get to know your pet before we start shooting. I will also show them the camera and the noises it makes all while rewarding them with a treat so they have a positive association with the camera- and with me. When we are ready we will start the photo session. There will be a lot that will probably go wrong. Your dog may be overly excited, may not want to look at the camera, there could be drool, squirrels, other dogs that will be distraction. You know what that’s is okay. They are dogs and that’s why we love them! We will get though it. I have a lot of experience photographing dogs of all types so I have several tricks up my sleeve. I will remind you to have fun and not stress out. When things go wrong there is usually a lot of laughter. We will have fun and capture a lot of beautiful images of your animals with a variety of poses for you to pick from. Please make sure you pet is not overfed prior to the session because there will be a lot of treats.
Image Premier
After the photos session we will pick a date, time and location to review the images and discuss your ordering session. This is usually people’s favorite part and takes place typically around two weeks after the photo session. We can discuss how you will like to display your favorite images with a wide variety of product choices that fits the decor of your home.