Outdoor Dog Photography
“Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole.”
It would be an honor to photograph your treasured family member in all their silly, loveable personality glory. Sessions are done in my documentary style.
For the dog parents who treasure their everyday moments, as-is and not posed in a studio.
During their time with us, dogs make such an incredible, life-changing impact—a custom outdoor photo session celebrates them and yields unique wall art for decades to come.
Two types of sessions:
Go with the classic Pup & me session
or choose your own adventure
Pup & Me
The classic outdoor 60-90 min session that celebrates your dog and you, up to four subjects (any combo of people & dogs). These sessions are all about the in-between moments of everyday life and done with a documentary approach. Three collections that include digitals and product credit are available, starting at $1550 for the base Classic collection (10 digital files) to $2550 (all the files).
A day in the life
4-6 hours of fun-filled moments—let's make a whole day of it. Go hiking, picnic, have a birthday party, eat a million treats, roll in the sand, visit a cafe—you name it, let's make it happen. This custom adventure session with continuous documentary photography starts at $6550. It includes ALL the best photos from the session, a 10-spread, custom-designed keepsake album, and additional complimentary product credit.
The Pup & Me Experience
Whether it’s your first or fifteenth time having professional photos made, don't worry: I’ll walk you through the whole process from start to finish.
I. Book the date
We’ll have a quick phone consultation to talk about your expectations and go over any questions or concerns you might have before we decide whether to make your session official. I’ll cover my process and all the pricing details (no surprises later), along with answer any questions you have.
If we decide to work together, you’ll pay a $550 deposit to hold your date and time. The deposit will apply towards your collection total.
II. Session Day
Before the session, I'll ask you to provide some more info about your pup, like what their favorite treat is and what personality traits you want to capture. You'll get a prep guide so you know what to expect and bring, and then we'll have some fun on the session day!
To put the photos into my editing queue, you'll pay the remainder of the base collection's total.
III. Preview your images & decide on upgrades
About 2-3 weeks after your session, I'll send over a private link where you can preview all of the brand-new, fully edited images—hooray! Then, once you've seen exactly what we got, you'll be ready to choose what you want to purchase and decide on any upgrades.
About the Collections
Along with a virtual stack of digital images, each collection option comes with a complimentary product credit, so you can get your favorite pictures where they belong: in print, where you can see them each and every day. You can choose any photo for prints—you are not limited to your digital downloads.
I don't have a session fee. Instead, your $550 deposit is applied to the lowest collection total ($1550) because I want you to leave with photos and not feel like it's a bait-and-switch. During the session, I will show you the back of the camera so you have a general idea of what to expect in your gallery.
The base collection includes 10 digitals and $200 in print credit. You'll have the option to upgrade to two other collections, depending on the number of digital images and products you need. All told, my clients invest between $1550 and $2550 in their images.
I have always loved animals. I know that's a common thing to say, so let me elaborate.
It took me nine years to convince my parents to get a dog. Through high school, undergrad, and some post-grad time, I volunteered at an animal shelter, caring for adoptive dogs and cats, as well as at an equine therapy facility for children with disabilities.
My degree is in Zoology with a specialization in animal behavior and neurobiology. Since I was 14, I wanted to be a wildlife veterinarian, so I fulfilled all of the pre-vet program requirements. My summers were spent with animals: I worked as a dog treat baker at a fancy pet store, I spent two summers interning at wildlife rehabilitation organizations, saving New Jersey and Canadian-native animals, which ranged from songbirds to fawns to raptors (my favorite) to baby seals. In the end, I realized that I didn't want to be a vet.
After adopting my dog, a pit-mix who was tagged as a "terrier mix" (whatever that means), I became aware of the stigma surrounding pits, pit mixes, and bully breeds. They are the most common group of breeds at shelters. So I began volunteering my photography for California Bully Rescue and discovered a love for photographing dogs. With Zoey, I learned about how to manage reactivity, read dog body language, and get the best photo when she always seemed to look away once a camera was leveled at her.
Dog photography portfolio
Before & After
Leash removal editing
Your dog's safety is one of my biggest considerations. For most of the sessions, dogs are on leash! With some magical editing, I remove leashes from photos where they aren't necessary. These photos show the before-edits photo and the after-edits results. Dozens of editing steps were performed, but as you can see, the results still look natural and warm.
An example of when I would keep a leash in the photo is if you do a walk in downtown SF, where leashes are required and make sense to keep in.
FAQs
My dog doesn't know many commands, is that okay?
Absolutely! A lot of the dogs I've photographed were in training for commands. When I press the shutter button, many frames are captured in one second, so that 1/4 second when the dog sits down and stands back up is recorded. Posing is also not necessary for a session—I prefer a documentary style of photographing.
My dog has to stay on leash—can you edit that out?
In a 60-90 minute outdoor dog session, you should expect to see a minimum of 50 photos. Depending on the type of activities we do during the session, you'll have a wide variety of photos to choose from. Check out the before/after photos above.
My dog is shy, anxious, and/or reactive—what do you do to handle that?
I totally understand this, as my dog is all three. We can schedule sessions earlier in the morning and/or use locations with minimal dogs around. We'll also discuss triggers, so they can be taken into account when choosing a location. I know it takes time for a dog to familiarize themself with a space, and that time is built into the session. I'm also a firm believer in positive reinforcement, such as through treats or praise.
What are your rescheduling, cancellation, and refund policies?
Reschedules and cancellations are accepted without penalty if done two weeks before the scheduled session date (for cancellations, you'll receive the $550 deposit back).
If you cancel within two weeks of the session date, no refunds will be given for the payments you've already made. I'd much rather we reschedule than cancel. Inclement weather for outdoor sessions may be rescheduled without penalty within three months of the original date.
How can I use my photos?
You receive a personal use license and print release in the contract. This means you can use the photos on your personal social media pages, make prints or albums, and include them in a personal email newsletter. You can't use them for commercial purposes or resale.
I've never had a professional dog photoshoot before. Is that okay?
Absolutely! Before the session, I'll send over a prep guide, so you know what and how to prepare. And during the session, it'll be a lot like hanging out with a friend. I'm a pretty chill person—I may ask you to sit in a certain light, but I won't be formally posing you. I want the photos to look as natural as possible for you!
What is payment like?
To book an outdoor dog session with me, I need a $550 deposit. This deposit is applied to the Classic collection total. The remaining amount will be paid within 15 days after the session. To put your images into my editing queue, the invoice must be paid in full. If not paid in full after 15 days, I consider the project closed (alternate payment plans are available by request). To reopen, the invoice will need to be paid in full + late fees. Any upgrades to the Signature or Luxe collections will be paid separately.