IMPOSSIBLE-to-buy-for family or friends, who also happen to adore their fur family members? You may have thought of purchasing a photo shoot to give them last memories, but what should they expect?
Tyson recently had the experience of a pet photo shoot with Maree from Camera Plus Dog, below he describes his experience.
I’ve always been a little bit apprehensive of getting a photo shoot with our little family. Not only the logistics of making sure we were all were groomed and presentable, but all the logistics of organising a day off work that both myself and my fiancé could attend etc – there were a number of details to organise!
When I first contacted Maree, I had a friendly discussion with her about my dogs and their needs and what we were hoping to capture. Winnie and Dayle (Fox terrier Crosses) are rescue dogs that were dumped in a gutter a 1 week of age. I offered to help foster them until a suitable home was found, but once they came home for the night, that is where they stayed!
Due to them being hand raised, they tend to be quite timid in new situations, and are quite fearful and anxious with different people. They are not really food or treat motivated, and would prefer to hide around our legs then meet someone. So we weren’t sure if they would respond appropriately in a photo shoot situation. Our third dog Lilly (Beagle) has a 5 second attention span unless there is food involved so we didn’t anticipate any problems from her! Maree’s attention to detail and communication went to the level of re-scheduling due to road works happening in her area. Our dogs would definitely not be able to sit still with those kinds of sounds outside!
Maree explained her normal process for new clients and I was absolutely amazed at the care and attention to detail. Her confidence and concise planning was also evident from the moment we arrived at the studio. There were no other dogs around, and we could take our time and not feel pressured to get the photos completed before the next client was due to arrive.
We really appreciated the courtesy text messages and the email explaining the process for arriving at her house. It conveyed a sense of care and compassion to ensure we had a pleasant experience.
Fast forward to the day of the photo shoot. We started out the front of Maree’s studio, and gave the dogs time in the front yard getting used to the sights and smells, then proceeded to the purple door for the photo shoot. Inside it was a leash free area, with quiet and calming music playing. She even had a cleaning trolley for any accidents that occurred. (Which they did!)
She asked if they had any allergies before offering some treats from her selection.
The lights were set up to be on constantly, so there were no bright flashes, and her camera was a model with a quiet lens shutter. This was important for us as our girls are often spooked by noises and lights.
She was incredibly patient and took her time trying to let the dogs be comfortable in the studio. If one was getting a bit overwhelmed or stressed we would take a short break and try a different dog.
Her calm manner and patience meant that we were able to relax too and as a result got some fantastic photos and treasured memories.
We cannot praise Maree enough for her care and compassion and true experience as a professional pet photographer. We have some beautiful photos of the day and cannot recommend her enough.
We recommend Camera Plus Dog for pet photo shoots. Send Maree an email for voucher enquiries: studio@cameraplusdog.com
