With pet photo sessions, there are so many ways to capture the joy, happiness, love & personality of your family. Naturally, my eye goes towards the lifestyle, candid and documentary styles. With that said, there is always some type of direction to help bring out the moments, details, and fun that you can experience at my custom sessions.
I mentioned in my last blog with pet photo session ideas all my sessions are not the same and are very custom. I do have a base foundation of ideas I like to do, and once I learn about your vision and what you love about your family and pets, that’s when I narrow down the ideas/poses into a shot list that would work best for your session.
The process of capturing a photo with a feeling that you will love is a combination of my hand, eyes and heart. My hand guides my camera, my eyes look for all the possibilities regarding the composition, and my heart is what brings everything together and adds life to the photo.
Here are more pet photo session ideas from some of my sessions!
18 More Pet Photo Ideas
1. Framed
There are so many “frames” out in the world. Some obvious like a colorful door, pillars on a building, under or on a bridge, a fence or in front of a window. And some not so obvious, like a tree branch, a person’s legs or arms, flowers, foliage, etc. It’s so fun to find different framing ideas at a session.
2. Show Me Some (C)attitude!
Cats are good at this one. The eyes say it all!
3. Contained
A good idea for cats and puppies. Boxes, baskets, and maybe even a cute flowerpot help contain your pup or cat for that split second to get a cute expression.
4. I Want to Hold Your Hand
This is something I always like to do, especially with senior pups.
5. Porch Pups
At a home session, this is always a good backdrop for a photo. It is also a good “framed” idea, too.
6. Kids & Canines
The two sweetest things in the world are kids and their dogs!
7. Over the Shoulder Hug
This can be done standing for smaller dogs and in more of a sitting pose for bigger dogs. And if you don’t really want to be in the photos, this is perfect.
8. Canine (& Cat) Kisses
This scenario almost always happens without any direction at all in my sessions. The pet parents I collaborate with love their pups and kitties so much!
9. Backlight
When done right backlighting can look magical. It looks amazing when the golden glow of the light is low in the sky (right around golden hour) and filtered through something (like trees).
10. Really Bright Backlight
This type of backlight is getting more of a really bright sun flare due to more of the sky showing when the sun is bright and in the background. This light, bright style is not for everyone, but you can’t deny that it definitely has a warm, happy vibe.
11. Capturing an Unexpected Moment
These types of photos happen when everyone is feeling comfortable. I am always ready to capture these special moments.
12. The Head Tilt
This is so adorable. The head tilt usually happens when the pet parent or I make a funny noise or say a word that makes the pup contemplate for a moment.
13. Panning
Panning is an action shot moving across the camera frame. This type of shot can be tack sharp, or it’s fun to drop the shutter speed and introduce some blur to feel some movement.
14. Let’s Celebrate
It’s always fun to celebrate a pet’s birthday or gotcha day with a few props. We always choose pet-safe props with your pet in mind!
15. The Quiet Moments
The quiet moments usually happen towards the end of a session after everyone has been moving a lot.
16. In Sync
Sometimes during a session, a pet parent and their pup are in the same stride or movement. It usually happens while they are walking or running together and is such a wonderful detail to capture.
17. Photographing From Behind Your Shoulder
This is a different perspective for some of the photos during your session and another good idea if you don’t want to be in the photos.
18. Look This Way
This does have to be set up where the dog is sitting or standing with its body facing one direction, and the pet parent or something else that will get their attention is over on the opposite side to get the dog to look over their shoulder in that direction. This looks so awesome in a beautiful landscape like the beach or mountains. This type of photo is usually a combination of multiple photos stitched together to add space to the side the dog is looking towards and showcase more of the landscape.
San Francisco Area Pet Photographer
With so many pose ideas, how do we know which ones will work for your pup? This is where my lifestyle photography comes into play. Before the session, I love getting to know your pets, typically by stopping by to meet them and asking questions about them. This gives me a really good idea of how the session will go. And if it doesn’t? We’re all good. I’m very go-with-the-flow. Finally, please know that your pet’s safety and happiness are the top priorities during the session, so if a certain pose idea isn’t working, we simply move on.
If you’re looking for a San Francisco pet photographer to capture your amazing pet and family, please look no further! I’d love to set up a time to chat and answer ANY questions you may have. Click here to contact me.
