How to Get Awesome Engagement Photos with Dogs
Bringing your pet with you to your engagement session can be a rewarding experience. They are a huge part of your lives and help to tell the story of who you are as a couple. Here are a few tips to help you have a stress-free experience while trying to get engagement photos with your dogs.
Bring treats. This seems like a no-brainer, but remembering to bring treats along is monumental for getting a dog to do what you want. Splurge on the good treats. Maybe get some fancy ones you know your dog will love or that they have never had before. This is the time to spoil your pup!
Ask a friend or family member to come along and help. Usually, a dog’s patience for participating in your engagement photos is limited. If at any point your pup just seems to be over it, having someone at the ready to whisk them away to play ball or to go on the walk they expected is extremely helpful. Aside from that, you may want to get some with and without your pet so that you get back the most variety possible in your gallery of images. This is one of those times when it’s totally okay to ask for help.
Pro tip: When searching for your helper, let your first choice be someone whom your pet adores. I recently had an engagement session where the bride-to-be had her mom as the helper. The pups knew to expect extra love and treats from her mom and were willing to look at the camera anytime she stood behind me. It was pure photography gold.
Have an extra outfit with you. Just in case. You can just leave it in your car. You don’t have to drag it around everywhere. BUT. If your dog jumps on you with muddy paws, you will be glad you brought it. If you don’t need it, no big deal. At least you came prepared!
Consider the leash. It will be in your photos too, so you may just want to plan ahead with which one you bring. Black or brown leashes and collars tend to be a great choice because they don’t draw attention in the photographs. In general, you want the focus of your photos to be on you and your pups, not their brightly colored leash/collar. It’s basically the outfit your dog wears in the photos, so you may want to coordinate in advance.
Even though this article is geared towards dogs, the advice rings true for bringing any pet along to be a part of your engagement photography experience Plan ahead of time to keep them from getting stressed out. Including your fur-child in your engagement photos should be an overall positive experience for everyone involved. Your pet gets extra love and treats and you get great photos. It’s absolutely a win-win.
Things to Remember:
-treats
-poop bag
-collar/leash
-spare outfit