Things To Consider Before Booking A Pet Photographer in Raleigh, NC
There are a lot of things to consider when choosing any service. As you might already know, NOT all are created equal.
The same goes for pet photography! Especially pet photography! In fact, choosing someone who works exclusively with pets is a big deal, which we will discuss more in detail shortly.
As a Professional Pet Photographer myself, I wanted to create this comprehensive post, for pet parents just like you, that are looking to hire a pet photographer, but aren’t familiar with what to consider before booking one or why they should book a Pet Photographer specifically outside of a generalist photographer.
In this post, we are going to touch on:
Exclusivity
Pricing
Style
Products
Other Considerations
Let’s talk all about it!
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Things To Consider Before Booking A Pet Photographer
1 EXCLUSIVITY
The first thing you want to look at when booking a session for your pet is choosing a photographer who specializes exclusively in pets. I know that by saying that in this post, it seems non-sensical, but I can’t tell you how many clients I’ve had that worked with a generalist photographer, who ended up being disappointed with their photos because the photographer didn’t know how to work with their dog.
It’s not that the photos were bad, the dog just didn’t pay attention to the camera, there weren’t many photos of the dog, they didn’t know how to photograph action or tricks, the dog was stressed out during the session, etc.
So, when considering booking a session for your family and pet or your pet solo, make sure the person you choose is someone who has experience in working with dogs, so they can help you get the most out of your session especially if your pups are going to be a main focus!
2 PRICING
Of course, pricing is another major factor when it comes to choosing a pet photographer. As someone who is artwork based, my pricing can vary widely from someone who charges a standard session fee with images included.
That’s because not only do I offer digital packages to my clients, but I also help my client choose wall art, albums, prints, and more from their session.
So before you book a pet photographer, consider your budget and what finished products you might want, if any.
Depending on the photographer, the price could be a session fee with digitals included or a product credit retainer applied to a selection of products after the session.
One kicker to look out for is the amount of editing that goes into the digital files; my level of editing is removing leashes, collars, people, and more, but not every pet photographer goes to those lengths, hence, my higher end pricing for my digital files due to the sheer amount of time I spend on editing a session.
As the old adage goes, you will get what you pay for, so if you want quality artwork of you and your pet, you are likely going to spend (considerably) more than a couple hundred dollars.
I wouldn’t recommend choosing a pet photographer on price alone, but should be a consideration of all the things included in this post, but hopefully this gives you a better insight into what to look for or think about before booking.
3 STYLE
Much like with any kind of photography, style matters. I think it’s very easy to see images on Pinterest or social media and assume every photographer can produce the same result - but that’s simply not true! Each person has their own unique process, approach, and editing style.
To help you narrow down what kind of photographer might be best for you, think about:
Do you want in studio or outdoors?
Do you want fine art portraiture or more candid imagery?
Do you want black and white images or color?
Do you want photos of just your pets or you and your pets?
Do you want heavily edited, artfully curated images or basic retouching?
Do you want someone to just show up and take some pretty photos or someone who is going to photograph with the end goal in mind of what you actually want from your session?
Hopefully, those few questions will get you closer to the type of photographer that you’re looking for and help you weed out the style of ones you aren’t as interested in!
4 PRODUCTS
I’ve already touched a bit on products earlier when we talked about pricing, but I wanted to mention it again.
Much like how Target and Walmart offer similar yet vastly different products, every photographer who sells physical artwork will have various options, too.
Some prefer massive wall art while others, like me, cherish custom heirlooms like Fine Art Albums. There are also those who cannot speak highly enough about a Folio Box and so on. While others just choose to sell digital files.
When you are thinking about who to hire and what artwork you might like to invest in from your session, be sure to take a look at their product guide and offerings to ensure you’ll be able to get that beautiful custom product as a wonderful outcome of your session and time together!
5 OTHER CONSIDERATIONS
I know I’ve lumped these all together, but some other things to think on before hiring a Pet Photographer are things like:
Location: Do you want your session at just a pretty local park? Or is your photographer willing to travel to a cool destination that you and your pups will love? Do they have recommendations for locations or do they just photograph at your home?
Time Of Year: Certain parts of the world, such as in the South where I am, limit when you can photograph because of sweltering heat, misty, rainy weather, or freezing cold. Before hiring a Pet Photographer (or any photographer for that matter), consider when you’d like to book a session and figure out what time of the year may be best for all parties involved (and for the safety of your pooch!).
Client Experience: What kind of experience are you looking for? Do you want to walked through the entire process and have your photographer as a support system? Or are you content to just show up for your session and have some digital files delivered? Your client experience is obviously going to be very dependent on price point, too, but it is something to keep in mind when you are thinking about what kind of Pet Photographer to choose.
Well, there you have it! Those are just a few, but likely not all, things to consider when it comes to booking a Pet Photographer. I hope that this quick guide serves you in navigating the booking process in finding the pawfect (see what I did there?) pet photography match for you and your pups!
