More Than a Portrait: Capturing the Connection Between You and Your Pet

You know the little things your dog does that no one else notices.

The way they watch you while you put your makeup on in the morning.

The way they follow you to the door when you put your shoes on.

The way they race to the kitchen the second they hear a potato chip bag open.

They probably don’t seem important. They’re just part of your everyday life together.

But those little things are what make your relationship yours.

And years from now, those may be the things you want to remember most.

Not just what your pet looked like, but what it felt like to be with them.

That’s what I’m looking for when I photograph you and your pet.

I love photographing dogs - their personalities, their expressions, their energy, and all the things that make them unique.

But even more important to me is capturing the special relationship you have with your pet.

And that starts long before I ever pick up my camera.

From the first time we meet, I’m watching how you interact. The way they look at you, put their paw on your lap, or look to you for reassurance as they decide whether I’m okay to become their new friend.

That continues when you arrive for your session.

I notice how excited they are to be in the car and go on an adventure. As we walk to where the session will take place, I notice how they look back at you, always keeping track of where you are.

When I’m photographing you, I’m not just watching what’s happening in front of my camera. I’m watching everything happening around it.

Maybe I’m getting more treats or changing my lens, but I’m still paying attention. I’m looking for those unposed, unplanned moments that really show the relationship you have.

Even as I’m guiding you through poses, I’m watching what happens in between. The way you naturally reach for them. The way they look at you. The little interactions that happen without either of you thinking about the camera.

Because sometimes, the photograph you treasure most isn’t the one that is technically perfect.

I know that because of my first dog, Mika.

My favorite photo of her and me isn’t technically a good photograph. But it captured our relationship perfectly.

Her head is tucked under my chin, just like she would do when she was a puppy and I first brought her home.

It was our ritual.

Every evening, before I put her in her crate to sleep, I would hold her, pet her, and calm her down until she was ready to settle down for the night. She would tuck her head under my chin, and somewhere along the way, that became our thing.

She did it throughout her life.

There was nothing remarkable about that moment to anyone else. But to me, that photograph brings all of it back.

I remember how she felt in my arms. I remember that little ritual. I remember what it was like to have her there.

That’s what I want for you and your pet.

I want to capture the little things that are uniquely yours—the expressions, the gestures, the routines and the quiet moments that make your relationship what it is.

Because someday, when you look at those photographs, I want you to see more than what your pet looked like.

I want you to remember what it felt like to be loved by them.