I absolutely love what I do! If you were to ask me what “it” is, I would tell you that “I am a fine art pet photographer”. When I say that, I get some quizzical looks as a lot of people are not used to hearing “fine art” and “pet photography” in the same sentence. But it is a good description of the products and services I provide. So, what does it mean? Let’s see if I can explain…
I seek to create images that you will want to display in your home – on the wall, in your entrance, up the stairs as part of a grouping – it doesn’t matter where, just as long as you are proud for others to see it! As such, the products Posh Pets Photography offers are items like Canvas Gallery Wraps, Framed Prints on fine art papers, Gallery Mounts…even our individual prints are professionally prepared, printed, mounted and coated to ensure that they are perfect for display. The idea is to create something that will be treasured not only today, but on into the future.
That being said, any images with Santa, the Easter Bunny, the Toothfairy or any other “holiday-themed” images do not fit the essence of fine art. So, I don’t shoot them. Those images have their place and I think a lot of pet owners enjoy having their animals celebrate the holidays along with them. But fine art evokes the idea of timelessness and classic, and photos of fido with reindeer ears does not seem to do the term justice. Plus, I am pretty sure that not many can envision a 30×30 Gallery Wrapped Canvas “reindeer ears” on their wall.
We start with a pre-consultation – just as professional photographers have been having with people since…well…forever. If you are one of those people who thinks that their pets are important members of the family, then the idea of a pre-consultation won’t come as a surprise to you. After all, the goals of each are pretty similar. It gives me a chance to get to know your beloved pet and for them to have at least met me before the big day. Of course, we don’t have to spend too much time on what to wear, but we’ll talk about the things that make your pet special, how they react to noise, to food, to the sound of your voice. Do they have health issues and how will that impact our session? My goal is simple – I want to be able to coax and capture beautiful images of your pet, and this pre-consult assists me. But it is also equally important for us to discuss your goals – what it is you would like to have out of the portrait session, any preferences you may have as to final product and answer any questions you have about the process. Together, we’ll come up with a plan (and yes, you’ll have a little homework to do). And the final reason we have a pre-consultation? Well, as you can expect from a pet photographer, I just love spending time with animals. So, humour me, please!
Once the amazing portrait session is over (and it will be great!), I will professionally finish your final images before they are printed. That includes minor touch-ups such as removing leashes. Unless we are inside, safety is of prime importance, so pets are on leashes. But that doesn’t mean that the leash has to be in the final images, does it? Unless, of course your pet sports the coolest leash ever and it is integral to who they are or the situation we’ve captured. Then we will just have to show it off!
So, that’s it! I hope you’ll agree – the words “fine art” and “pet photography” DO go together.
