Family photography with your dogs? Yes please!

Can pets be in our family photos? Should we bring our family dog to the photography session? It’s a solid yes from me! Your pets are part of the family, so I’m up for making them part of the shoot. I’m not saying it’s going to be straightforward, but that’s half the fun.

If we can pull off this family session, then anything is possible! Firstly, Aga and Andy are brilliant photographers themselves, so I had some serious expectations to meet. Secondly, their family includes not one, not two, but three dogs. If you know dogs, then you’ll appreciate that two of them being spaniels added an extra level of challenge. Although, if you know Aga, you’ll also appreciate that these are probably the best behaved and most beautifully presented dogs on the planet. Still, three dogs…

We grabbed a sunny day when it came along, and timed the shoot for that gorgeous evening light. After some photos in their show stopping house and garden, we took the dogs for a walk nearby. It happened to be Aga’s birthday, so we made the most of this and had cake in the middle of the shoot. Naturally the dogs loved this part too, especially the puppy, who got to lick icing off faces. Dogs get special treats when they take part in photo sessions!

So my answer is yes, definitely include your dogs in your photography session. We may have done a lot of running around chasing dogs, but the effort was 100% worth it. I am absolutely delighted with how the images turned out. Trying to organise the dogs resulted in a lot of laughing, which is always a good thing. Focusing on the dogs meant everyone relaxed and forgot about being photographed! And the end result is a series of family images with everyone in, dogs included. Because your pets really are part of your family, and I always love to capture that.

Check out more of Aga’s incredible self built house and garden on instagram here – I promise you’ll be impressed!

Family photography (with or without dogs!)

I’d love to chat to you about your own family photography, whether you have dogs, cats, or any other pets that you’d like to include! Read more here about how I work and how to book a session. Or just get in touch for a chat, I’d love to hear from you!