When you have five dogs, some of which are high-energy agility competitors, and you want great family photos with your pups, a pet portrait session in a photography studio might be a good idea. That was Emily's thinking when she gave her mother and father (Nancy and Dale) a gift certificate for an updated family portrait session (the last one having happened over ten years ago!) and Nancy agreed when we chatted to schedule the appointment.
During the consultation we discussed what the dogs were like, what colors they were, what colors the family liked to wear and what would look together. I'd like to go on record to say that they knocked it out of the park with their choices. Everyone was themselves in clothing that they were comfortable in, but it all went together and looked terrific with the black, silver and gray tones of the pups and I had the perfect backdrop to blend into the overall color scheme and let the family shine.
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Three Humans, Five Miniature Poodles, One Awesome Pet and Family Portrait Session
The air conditioning was on, distractions were at a minimum and once everyone was transported into the studio, we kicked things off with the most important image - an updated family portrait. Since all the pups were mini poodles, it made sense for everyone to grab a dog so as to get everyone's faces closer together, always my goal for more intimate portraits with your pets.
Emily is a small scale breeder in north Texas whose dogs are her pets, and competition partners, first. Her kennel name is IndigoStar and "quality, type, and distinction is her motto; and health, temperament, and structure are of utmost importance". Responsible is the word that comes to mind when I think of Emily, she does extensive health testing on all her breeding dogs in an effort to set up her puppies for a successful and healthy life. Accomplished is another word to describe Emily, you can see a snippet of all that she's done here. You can follow Emily's travels and competitive career on Instagram.
Studio pet photography does not have to be boring, far from it! Instead of using the surroundings to add variety to the session, I use different lenses, angles and lighting to create a breadth of images from your pet's photo shoot. An all white, "high key" background is always popular as is dark and moody, black. I have backgrounds in all colors and love creating fine art black and white pet portraits as well (you can see an example of that in this post). I always discuss the option of a studio portrait session during every consultation, whether your pup is reactive, has mobility limitations, or perhaps you just like the clean, minimalist aesthetic of a studio portrait session, a studio session might just be the best option for your pet portrait session.
All Around The Pet Photography Circle
It's all about favorite locations this week in the pet photographer blog circle, so let's kick things off with Sacramento pet photographer Kylee Doyle shares why Gibson Ranch is one of her favorite locations to photograph dogs at and then continue clicking on the link at the bottom of each post for an around-the-world tour of stunning pet photos.
Tracy Allard of Penny Whistle Photography is a Certified Professional Photographer with the organization Professional Photographers of America (PPA); a designation held by fewer than 2,000 photographers nationwide and a hallmark of consistency, technical skill, artistry and professionalism. Her studio is located in historical old town Carrollton, Texas, just down the street from the famous Babe's Chicken Dinner House at the crossroads of I35E, I635, 121 and the George Bush Turnpike (aka 161).
Penny Whistle specializes in both on-location and studio photography providing pet, equine, family, couples & engagement and high school senior portraits as well as corporate headshots and commercial photography services in her studio located in historic downtown Carrollton as well as on location in Coppell, Grapevine, Southlake, Flower Mound and surrounding communities in Dallas – Fort Worth, Texas.