PART OF THE FAMILY!

He might have been less than thrilled with being a part of this picture but I can say he is my FAVORITE part of this picture!

How many of us have pets that we TOTALLY consider a part of the family! Furry children! I know that I have one and love having great pictures of him, alone, and with us humans!

Photographing pets can be highly challenging but also very rewarding! My biggest tip is, leave all of your expectations at home! They most likely won't perform like you think they will!

Catching that "look" that they do, or a wildly flailing tongue can make the perfect shot of your furry friend! Even a family portrait can be enhanced by having a dog obediently sitting in front!

This is one of my all time favorite pet portraits for so many reasons!

A dutiful friend for life!

Understanding that dogs are WAY harder than children to photograph, means that we all, photographer AND parent, must have patience! As the photographer, I must be ready...sitting with my trigger finger ready for that priceless moment that will certainly arise!

This little guy has been a pivotal part of this young lady's childhood so giving him a time to shine, and getting him to finally look at the camera, was exciting!

Remembering how your pet plays is a great thing to remember on picture day! If they ALWAYS sit obediently for a treat, bring treats! If they LOVE playing fetch...by all means bring a ball and you will be THRILLED with the shots! Setting them up for success by keeping them as in routine as possible is the perfect trick!

Just like with kids, candid shots are the most loved pictures I can provide as a photographer! You and your family interacting with your pet will be more loved than the perfectly posed smiling shot! Get down and dirty and play with them! You will LOVE the results!!

This is one of my other all time favorite captures of the interaction between pup and parent!

Lets remember to keep those pets in the pictures as their memories are so important!