If you haven't read my previous post on booking your session, you might want to read that first. (Booking your session)

Once you schedule your session and we've had our phone consult, you'll receive a few emails from me reminding you of your session date and time and letting you know how to prepare and what to bring.  

The next step is the session day!

Your dog's portrait session

We'll meet at the location we decided on, based on your dog's personality and what you would like for the background, and then the fun begins and the magic happens! 

If your dog greets me, I'll pet him or her calmly, otherwise I don't pay much attention to your dog.  I swear, it's not because I hate your dog!  Sometimes meeting people can be stressful, even for dogs who love people.  If I get all excited and pet your dog, we could start the session with full tongue - not full tongue because it's hot, but because I've overstimulated your dog and created a bit of stress.  Instead, if I just act normal (or as normal is I know how to act), and just walk with you, your dog can settle in and relax a bit sooner without me adding unnecessary stress.

Once we arrive, we'll just walk around a bit to find the perfect spots to shoot.  While we're wandering around, I'll be paying attention to the environment and your dog's body language to determine when to stop.  If I see a great spot, but your dog needs a bit more time to get comfortable, or there are kids playing soccer and the ball is too much of a distraction, or there are loose dogs, etc., we'll just move on to the next spot.  

While we're walking around your dog should be able to sniff and decompress, because this is all about your dog.  Once we stop to take some photos, my attention-getting noises, the environment, staying (if your dog has a stay), all can be mentally exhausting.  So, allowing your dog to just be a dog in between will kind of recharge the battery.

When we find that perfect spot for portraits, please give your dog lots of rewards.  Don't worry about me shooting, if you feel like your dog needs a treat, just step in and reward.  At times, I will let you know to give your dog a break and you can give your dog his or her favorite toy, play tug, toss a handful of treats on the ground, whatever will make your dog happy at that moment.  

We'll move from spot to spot to get a nice variety of images and give your dog breaks.

After your session, you'll receive an email from me with a link to schedule a zoom call to choose your images.