5 Reasons Why I Love Being a Dog Photographer
1) Dogs Don’t Care
“Can you get me from the right side only? My muzzle looks better from that angle.” “My fir looks bad today can we cancel and do this tomorrow?” “I hate my ears! They’re humungous. I look like a mutant.” I guarantee that even if dogs could talk these statements would never be uttered by them. Dogs don’t care how they look. And as a photographer it’s very nice to not have to worry about a subject’s vanity. (Although, in editing I will clean up those eye boogers, drool dangles and saliva bubbles. Because, as a photographer I care how they look. And, because, well my vanity!)
Dogs also don’t care about what you think of them. They’re honest. They don’t come into the studio trying to impress or attempting to tamp down their reactions. They just show up as themselves, personality quirks and all. It’s refreshing.
2) Same Setup, Completely Different Portraits
I can photograph the dogs in the exact same studio set up and no two portraits will feel alike. One dog may be ready to give me smiles and poses all day long. Another may sit very still looking elegant and confident. And still another dog may sit conveying a sense of pensiveness and inward thoughtfulness. Sometimes I get smiles and silliness, elegance and pensiveness all in one dog!
I never know what a dog will bring to their session. In the process of photographing a variety of dogs, something is always discovered and it doesn’t feel repetitive. This is what keeps the work creatively interesting to me.
3) I Can Offer Something Meaningful to People
People really love their dogs, and I get to see that every day. Photographing them and turning those portraits into art means I can give owners something that truly matters. These photos aren’t just images sitting on a phone or or on their social media feeds — they become real pieces of art that live in their homes.
4) Control, Chaos, and Everything in Between
Studio photography is all about control — except when it’s not. I can control the light and the space, but dogs are going to be dogs. They’ll sit when they’re ready, look away at the last second, or surprise me with a perfect expression I didn’t plan for.
The balance between control and spontaneity is what I love most. I’m prepared, but I’m also paying attention. I have found that the best images can happen in the moments between direction and movement — when a dog pauses, looks up, and just is.
5) I Love Dogs
Loving dogs is the reason I wanted to photograph them in the first place—it’s kind of a given for me. I genuinely enjoy being around dogs, interacting with them, and getting to know their personalities and all their little quirks.
Bottom Line
At the end of the day, being a studio dog photographer is really about slowing down and seeing dogs for who they are. They’re all unique, they bring so much joy to their people, and they’re loved completely in return. That’s why I’m always excited to meet the next dog who walks through my studio door.