It’s been said that having a dog is like having a permanent two year old. With some breeds that are smarter and more trainable it might be more like a for or five year old. Add a child of about that age to the mix and things can get pretty interesting.
First of all if you want a portrait of your child with your dog determine a few things. Some dogs naturally get along great with children but if your dog doesn’t then we obviously won’t get a portrait of your dog sitting on your chid’s lap of being hugged by your child. But that doesn’t mean we cannot get a nice portrait of the two of them together. Also how do the two of them react together—or if you have more than one pet or child what are their relationships like? You don’t want two pets that often fight or two kids for that matter next to each other in a photo.
Just like with pets we suggest that you bring your child to the session a little tired—not sleepy tired but if they are energetic then with a little of the energy burned off. If they are younger kids right after a name is often a great time for a portrait of a child. Children, like pets can often be food motivated—or in a child’s case treat motivated. Bringing both your chid’s and your pet’s favorite treats can go a long way toward helping get a great portrait of them together. The key is to be super patient-both the dog and the child are likely to not want to pose the way you may want them to. Relax and let us do our thing—we can help get the right shot. If you are overly stressed out both the dog and your child will sense it and good things will not happen!
If possible you can try to coordinate your child’s clothing with the coloring of your pet. Or we can photograph them in a more contemporary setting (like the photo shown here with a white background) where it doesn’t matter as much.
Taking a little time to think through a child and pet session can go a long way towards having a wonderful portrait of the two of them together. We highly recommend a pre session consultation for this so we can discuss various options. If you’re ready to roll then you can click online to set up a consultation or just call or email us.