First of all, thank you so much for trusting me with your dog! I am here to help you get the best out of your session and intend to wow you with the results!  This session is all about you and your dog(s) and how much you love them. Myself and my assistant will give you lots of direction during your photoshoot and will make the experience fun and relaxing for both you and your dog(s). We are not looking for perfection from the dogs - we want their personality to shine through, we want the dogs to have fun and to be themselves, and that is what I aim to try to capture for you.

Grooming
If your dog is regularly groomed, it would be great timing to get a groom done in the days leading up to your shoot. A quick nail trim also looks great.

Harness vs Collars

Unless your dog needs to wear a harness for safety reasons, I would strongly recommend your dog wear a collar for the photoshoot. If the collar is old, I might suggest treating them to a new one, or letting them go ‘naked’. I am unable to remove a harness in photoshop. We may leash your dog at times during the session and the leash is simply edited out in post production.

Want to be included in an image?

I always encourage women to have their photo taken with their dog during my sessions. I love capturing the connection between a dog and its person, but I also believe that women still aren’t celebrated enough, seen enough, heard enough, thanked enough or encouraged enough. If you and/or your family would like to be included in some images with your dog, please give some thought to what you are wearing. Choose outfits that make you feel like your best self. I would avoid any big logos or wild designs. It can be a nice touch to wear something that subtly connects you to your dog - if your dog wears a red collar for example, you could wear a red scarf, lipstick, hat, or shoes. If your dog has blue eyes, you could wear something that features a hint of blue too. We are looking for slightly elevated everyday looks. We want you to feel confident, comfortable and happy in your skin while looking your best. Feel free to bring some walking shoes, and slip into good shoes on location.

Part of the connecting in this image is the red lipstick of the owner with the red sweater on Taro the dog!

The morning / afternoon of the shoot

Please arrive no later than the agreed time. The different locations of the session have been purposefully chosen to work with the position of the sun. The beautifully saturated colours of the golden hour only last 15 minutes or so and we need time to acclimitize your dog to the flash. I like to encourage sunrise sessions where timing allows, it’s not only the best time photographically in terms of light and colour, but there are less distractions around for your dog at this time. 

Treats 

We can go through a lot of treats during a typical photo shoot so I strongly advise against feeding your dog prior to the session. Please bring some high value treats. I will bring some treats and peanut butter, but it can really help for you to have your dogs favourite high value treats on standby. You will need more than you think you will need - we can go through a lot of treats!

Behind the scenes

At any point during the session, if you wanted to take any behind the scenes photos or video we always welcome any footage you can send or tag us in! 

Training and tricks 

If you want to incorporate a high five, a treat catch, a roll over, or any other tricks you might like your dog to do feel free to practice in the lead up to the photoshoot session. These extras are absolutely not essential, these are just for fun if you wanted to try them. 

Extras you might want to bring

Water - please bring some for both yourself and your dog during the warmer months. During the colder months, you may want to bring a blanket / coat for your dog, particularly if they are small or not winter loving dogs. 

What happens after the shoot, when and how do I get my images?

Within 48 hours after your dog’s photo shoot session you’ll receive a sneak peak preview image on facebook / instagram. Within 2-5 days I will guide you through an online purchase appointment where you can select prints and product combinations from  a carefully curated online gallery of approximately 20-35 images. Any prints or products ordered will be shipped to you directly from the photo lab within 4 weeks. Payment for any products/prints will be made at the purchase appointment. It needed, payment plans are available.

These last few years have taught us many things, one of those things being how much our dogs have been fundamental in helping so many of us during difficult times. So yes, let’s absolutely celebrate them!

For more stories about unconditional love and the transformative power dogs have on our lives check out the Rescued by Love Project.

Feel free to share this blog if you want your doggo pals to get in on the Jack Jackson action!