I recently attended a three day virtual workshop on marketing for photographers. It was a standard workshop, selling the host’s coaching services with some valuable information and insights. This workshop was geared towards beginner photographers of all genres, who were looking for guidance as to how to better market their services.
However, one portion of the event really bothered me…
One of the main tips that was given, was to offer Pet Mini Sessions, because “how can you take a bad picture of a cute puppy?” It had a cute name that was perfect for marketing, and a whole gimmick on how to create buzz around the event. It was portrayed as an easy way to make some extra revenue while building awareness of their family photography business. Because who owns dogs? Families. They made it seem so easy, and something anyone could do. But is it really something you want just anyone doing with your pet?
There is a lot that can go wrong when you are dealing with dogs in a new, possibly high stress high energy environment, especially when the person running the show is not experienced with dogs or their body language. Owners are generally nervous as well, and dogs pick up on that. Owners may not see the micro cues their dogs are giving to show they are uncomfortable in all the excitement. Owners are looking to the professional to give them guidance, and should be able to trust that the professional has their pet’s best interest in mind. But if the professional is not competent in dog behavior and handling, how can they do that effectively?
You may think that the worst that will happen is the images do not turn out well, right?
Well that, and…
Your dog could have a bad or even traumatic experience.
Your dog could be pushed into choosing bad behavior if their body language is ignored.
Your dog (and you) could be held responsible for that behavior.
Your dog could be asked to pose in an unsafe way
The environment could not be pet safe
One example, I had a client recently tell me about a holiday mini session they attended at the mall. The helper grabbed her dog by the hips and pulled them backwards towards the backdrop trying to physically manipulate them into position, even though the dog was clearly stressed. The owner seen that the dog was surprised, and did not like what the helper was doing, and asked the person to stop. The dog barked at the helper. The helper then yelled at the dog and the owner. They were not able to get pictures, and they both left stressed.
A pet professional would never do this.
Even if your dog is super friendly, and has a high threshold for stressful environments and situations, photographing dogs is SO different than photographing people. It generally requires the photographer to be able to communicate with the dog in some way. Yes, we can ask the owners for help, but sometimes it is hard to explain what we would like them to do. Being able to work with a pet and interact with them is part of the job 99% of the time. You also want the pet to be looking at you, and if you can not develop a good relationship or impression with the dog, the looks you are going to get may not be what the owners would like photographed. From the actual act of taking the image, to the editing done after, there are so many nuances that take a “cute picture” to a piece of art. I see so many images that are posted by family photographers where the dog is clearly stressed in the image. It’s one of those things that just looks off, even if you can’t pinpoint why.
For Example, the image on top shows a dog that is clearly fearful and stressed, the image on the right shows the same dog after I worked with them to acclimate to the environment and camera. (These were taken at volunteer event for a local rescue)
Photography is an industry where anyone can say they are a photographer. It is SO important to thoroughly vet the photographers you are trusting to work with your pets.