For dog photographs that look natural and unforced, the best location is where your pet most comfortable, whether it is at home, someplace local to you, or someplace completely new to them. Which location is best for your pet? Let’s explore the options.
At Home: Comfortable, Familiar, Intimate
Photo sessions at home can work well:
- For intimate, personal photographs
- For pets with health issues that limit their mobililty or who prefer familiar surroundings
- For reactive dogs who cannot relax in public settings where distractions can be overwhelming
- Great for cats who don’t like their cat carriers (which is about 99.9% of them!)
But, some things to consider for home sessions are:
- The lighting might not be optimal, but with some planning we can make arrangements to optimize the light available to us
- We may be limited in the variety of settings available to us
Location recommendations: rooms with natural light, backyard settings, comfortable living spaces.
Around the Neighborhood: Familiar Ground with a Little Adventure
If you want to venture out of the house, but don’t want to get too far away from the familiar, nearby locations can be great:
- Local parks can give a variety of locations while allowing dogs to be comfortable in their own neighborhood
- For more active dogs, they have the opportunity to get some of their energy out in a familiar location
- You and your dog both know the routines of your neighborhood and can pick the optimal time for you and your pet to enjoy the setting with minimal stress
A few things to keep in mind about neighborhood settings:
- Depending on the time of day, there can be a lot of distractions and you’ll want to consider the time and exact location to minimize background distractions
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You will likely encounter other visitors at the park, and may need to change locations to give the photographs a more personal feeling
- Dog parks are not ideal locations for photo sessions
Location recommendations in northern Utah include: Wheeler Farm in Salt Lake County, the Jordan River Parkway Trail in South Jordan, and McPolin Farm in Park City.
Adventures in the Wild: Big Spaces for Confident Explorers
For dogs who love to explore new locations, northern Utah has a huge range of locations to explore:
- Stunning natural landscapes from the Great Salt Lake to the Uintas and all the trails and reservoirs in between make for stunning backdrops (and have unlimited options for new smells and pee-mails)
- Great for confident dogs of all ages who enjoy exploring (with all the accessible landscape, dogs don’t have to be young to explore!)
- The location choices are infinite and there is something available for the explorer in all of us!
There are some things to keep in mind when exploring the wilderness, and with some planning, we can manage things to have the best possible experience:
- Dogs may not be allowed in some locations (National Parks, watershed areas, etc.)
- Dogs need to be leashed, as we all share the outdoors with wild animals
- Weather conditions can be variable and you may need extra equipment to be safe
Location recommendations in northern Utah: Mirror Lake in the Uinta National Forest, Antelope Island in the Great Salt Lake, and Jordanelle Reservoir outside of Park City and Heber.
No matter your pet’s temperment, age, or health condition, there is a perfect location for every photo session. If you’d like help creating the perfect photo session for your pet, contact me and we’ll work together to create a memorable, comfortable experience for you and your pet.
Dogumentary Pet Photography
