Pets (dogs) are one of my favorite subjects to photograph. Before moving to DE, I spent over 8 years at a major animal shelter where I photographed thousands of shelter dogs running, playing, posing, smiling, and simply enjoying the little bit of sunshine that they had each day outside. This taught me patience with pets, as well as a newfound appreciation for the time spent with them. I used to allocate 15-20 minutes per dog as to maximize my time, and try to photograph as many as I could in a day. I am now volunteering with Brandywine Valley SPCA here in Delaware.
My experience in photographing so many dogs has led me to realize that the best way to capture the essence of pets is with mini-sessions. Pets, like kids, have short attention spans, and most of the time, short and sweet is best.
My expertise with photographing pets is in 3 areas:
1. Catching Treats- If you have never seen photos of dogs catching treats, look up the Instagram hashtag #dogscatchingtreats. The photos are absolutely amazing. I have said for long time that "when a dogs mouth opens, it's head disappears". And it is amazing!!
2. Doggie Headshots- While taking treat catching photos, I love getting classic doggie headshots. I try getting head and ear tilts, and just good old happy dog smiling photos.
3. Action/Running- Photographing dogs running on the beach, especially if they are running in the surf along the coastline or even out into the water, are simply spectacular. I am laying on the ground so that I am at or below eye level with the dog to capture the absolute best vantage point.
Mini-sessions are a great way to make the most of your (and your dogs) time, they cost substantially less than full-sessions, and you still come away with photos to treasure for a lifetime. Additionally, one thing that has stuck with me was a social media post I read years ago stating that the average lifespan of a dog is around 10 years give or take. This means you only have around 10 summers at the beach, 10 birthdays, and 10 happy holidays with your furry little guy or gal. I have had so many pets over my life, I miss all of them, and once I started photographing, I vowed to capture as many moments as I could so that I am left with more than memories.
I have been hosting photo mini-sessions for a couple of years now, mostly on a small scale, but now that I have relocated to the beautiful Eastern Shore of Delaware, I am ramping things up. I have two pet mini-sessions planned for this spring, and a few more in the works.
This coming April, I am offering one of each of these sessions. Below I have a link to read about, and sign up for either or both of these sessions on my website. I would love to meet you and your pup, so please sign up:-)
https://www.joshfeeneyphotography.com/minis
In the meantime, enjoy a few of my all-time favorite pet pics from mini-sessions.
