When we arrived at the location, my heart sank a little. The sky was ‘socked in’ and it was just a blanket of grey, featureless clouds.

There is no way we’re getting a visible sunrise, I thought.

Add to that, the location was over the water because I wanted an unobstructed view of the sky which meant it was windy. And cold.

But it was too late to postpone now – the two dogs and one cat (!) were already on the long drive from home to meet me.

And so I waited, hoping that the sky might clear.

By the time they arrived, the sky was still awful. We had only a few precious minutes to try and get the pets to settle and simply hope for the best when it came to the sky.

By the time we got our first dog in place, the ‘official’ sunrise time had passed. Nothing but grey, mournful sky.

However, above the horizon, I noticed a sliver of clear sky and I thought: What happens when the sun gets there?

Well, we found out.

For less than 2.5 minutes tops, the sky lit up with the most incredible orange-red hues!

We quickly got to work as we needed all three furry siblings in place to create our portraits. As quickly as the colour appeared, it disappeared when the sun went firmly behind the wall of clouds and we were once again enveloped in the grey, windy landscape.

But it was enough. Enough for this. Meet Duke, Starling and Kitt silhouetted against the incredible morning sky.

Photographing Your (Pet) Family

Whenever you have a family involving dogs and cats, the question always arises as to whether we can get a portrait of everyone together. To which I say: we are going to do everything possible to set ourselves up for success.

Much of our approach will depend on the relationships with each other and the temperaments of the furry siblings. In this case, believe it or not, Kitt (the gorgeous cat you see) was the most ‘stable’. (Stable is the word I use to describe the subject most likely to get into and hold a position.) Kitt also loves his canine brother and sister which is a great plus.

The result is that this final portrait was taking in one frame – no compositing!

Celebrating the relationship

Porfessional photographer tip: No one has to be in photographs during a session with me. But I always encourage someone to come dressed as if they might. It just gives you options during our time together.

(Note: After I wrote this post and scheduled its publication, I found out from Mum that Starling had said her final goodbye.)

Starling, you have left a huge hole in your family’s lives. Your sweet spirit will be remembered by all who you touched. Run free, my brave girl.

And to Duke and Kitt, thank you for working with me during our session to celebrate Starling. It was like you knew that this was important for you were the most cooperative trio I have ever met. Thank you for giving me the honour. ♥

Looking to create meaningful portraits of your dog or cat during a Heritage Session? This is a special session to ‘celebrate the life, love and legacy of your pet.’™