How To Include Your Four-Legged Friends In Family Pictures
What is a family picture without the resident four-legged relatives? Pets play an important role in family dynamics and don’t need to be excluded from family pictures. Instead, if you’re smart about it including them should be a breeze and will make the pictures far more appealing.
Here are some tips to include your pet friends in pictures.
1// Find A Photographer That Is Comfortable Around Pets
The worst thing you can do to your pet and a photographer is getting a photographer that’s either allergic to your pet, or who isn’t very animal-friendly. It may seem hard to fathom, but there are plenty of people who don’t feel comfortable around unfamiliar animals. Therefore, before you hire a photographer to take your family pictures ask if they’ve photographed animals before or if they’ll be comfortable photographing animals.
2// Allow The Pet To Become Familiar With The Photographer
Dogs aren’t immune to biting and scratching if they’re placed in stressful situations. Rescue dogs, more so, as they could have experienced abuse and are now more cautious around unfamiliar people. Before you start the session allow the dog to sniff the photographer, the camera and first feel comfortable in the situation before commencing the photoshoot.
3// Use Treats To Get Them To “Pose”
Dogs respond to treats well, so it’s best to bring out the bribes when you’re taking family pictures. You can place these treats in an area where you want the dog to recline.
4// Find A Location That’s Great For The Pet and The Family
Parks are probably the best place to get a beautiful family picture with your four-legged friend, but not all parks are four-legged friendly. And in some cases, the local dog park won’t be the best location either as your dog will likely want to frolic and can become easily distracted by other animals in the park. So, before you hire your photographer, find some suitable locations for the family pictures.
5// Use Strenuous Exercise To Get Them To Smile
The doggy smile doesn’t just appear on photographs, but you can coax it out of them easily if you use the right techniques. The best way to get them to do the doggy smile is to participate in some physical activity before the photoshoot. A game of fetch will most likely do the trick.
Following these tips should help you not have to exclude your four-legged relative from pictures in the future, as your pets are just as much a part of the family.
The results you achieve will be in direct proportion to the effort you apply. ~Denis Waitley
