How to Get Your Dog or Horse Ready for Their Photoshoot

Duke, a very high-energy Aussie/Border Collie cross doing what he loves most

Yay! You got your photoshoot scheduled!

Or maybe you’re still in the planning phase and want to get all your ducks in a row first.

Either way, here are some quick tips on how to prepare your animals for a photoshoot with Addicted Photography:

• TRAINING: Working on basic commands like sit, lay, and stay for your dog for a few weeks before your photoshoot can really help make things easier on your dog and your photographer. If you’re not sure what to do, look up some YouTube videos from reputable dog trainers for tips and how-to’s. As for horses, keep up on their lunging and ground work so they’re respectful of you on the ground and not likely to run over you.
  If your animals are on the high energy side like Duke (pictured above; nickname “Crackhead”… haha), we’ll make sure to work WITH their strengths rather than against them. If they need a few minutes to get the zoomies out and play, we can take some action shots of them running around for a bit. If you think a pre-shoot run or play time would be good for them, then by all means go for it!
  We want your animals to be as relaxed and as at-ease for their session as possible, so if there’s something that you know will help, please mention it during our pre-session planning call!
  Many equine and pet photos showcase the animals without a halter/lead or collar/leash on them, but I’ll let you in on a secret- they’re usually edited out! Not every animal is comfortable with being loose and it’s not always safe, so to ensure the safety of your animals, you can either opt for a nice, new halter and lead (or bridle) or collar and leash set for your photos, and we can edit them out later if you desire. I do recommend skipping harnesses for dog sessions but they can wear them until we’re ready to shoot if need be- we’ll just switch their leash to their collar for their safety and security while we photograph them.

• GROOMING: This one is HUGE! I highly recommend a good bath and brushing for your animals (dogs and horses). While some things can be corrected in editing, it’s a lot easier to fix them as much as possible in person before taking any photos! So if your animals have any stains in their fur from grass or using a pile of poo as a pillow (I swear some horses love to for some reason… haha), do as much as you can to either prevent the issue (put a lycra/sleazy on them the night before) and/or use colored shampoo to neutralize the staining and lift it out as much as possible so it’s not noticeable in photos or at least more easily edited out.
  Make sure your horse or dog has also had their hooves or nails trimmed, and a good brushing to loosen and remove any loose hairs that might stick out on their coat (especially for animals with bi- or tri-color coats. Many dog owners like to schedule an appointment with their groomer the day before their dogs’ sessions so they look and feel their best, too (without having TOO much overstimulation in one day).

• TREATS, TOYS, AND NOISE: How do your animals respond to treats? I have one horse who’s more timid and always shy and gentle with treats AND my other gelding is the exact opposite… Treats are great for a photoshoot for the first horse I mentioned- he’ll juuussst reach out to sniff it which is a great pose for his photos. My other treat-obsessed horse would be hard pressed to even stand still if he smelled a treat within a mile of him, though, so it’s best not to have any around while photographing him. Instead, I have a few different noise makers that I bring with to sessions for getting their attention. Sometimes one noisy thing works best for an animal and sometimes we have to switch to a different noisy thing after a few minutes because it’s not as interesting any more.
  I’m also keeping an eye on how they react to whatever attention-getter we’re trying. if your animal is shy and potentially skittish, we’ll be a lot more careful so as to not scare them- we want this to be a good experience for them, too!
  Of course, if your animal is more laid back, we might have to do more to get their attention- every animal is different!
  Treats and Toys can have similar reactions from dogs: sometimes they’re a great attention-getter, and sometimes it’s a little too much. You know your animals best, so we’ll discuss our options on our pre-session phone call and make a plan for each of them!

Whatever your animal’s personality, we’ll work with their strengths to capture them in their best light for you to cherish as beautiful artwork for years to come!

Ready to start planning your animal(s)’ photoshoot?

Contact me at https://addictedphoto.com/contact-us today!