Why professional pet photography?

Pets are family too, unfortunately they don’t stay with us nearly long enough. By investing in a Wet Nose Fotos session you can cherish your fur-baby in all their unique glory for a lifetime and beyond.

What’s the process?

It’s all very simple and goes something like this -

:: CONTACT us via the contact page to make an enquiry,

:: REVIEW the brochure we email you, which is packed full of info about sessions, prints & locations,

:: BOOK your session by paying a 50% deposit into the bank details we provide,

:: BRACE yourself for a fun-filled session,

:: PEEK at a selection of your images in a sneak peek on the blog,

:: SEE all your final images in a private online gallery,

:: MARVEL at how beautiful your fur-babies are & place your order!

How much are your prints & products?

We will email you a link to our comprehensive print and product page including all prices when you make an inquiry. That way there are no surprises!

Where will all this happen?

Location plays in important role in Wet Nose Fotos’ style of photography and we have some great location suggestions depending on your pet and the type of images you want. Naturally, cat sessions are done at your home and if the session involves a cat and dog we can start at home and then head out to another location with the dog.

There is no way my pet will sit still for you, will that be a problem?

Of course not! About 1% of our clients have perfectly trained pets who do everything you want on command – then we have to make them go crazy to get to the really fun shots. But seriously, we’re here to capture images of your pet being themselves and if that means crazy, hyperactive, ear-licking fun then that’s what we want to see – bring on the action shots!!

But my pet is all black and I can never get a decent photo, how will you?

Fear not! We have photographed many all black pets and have a gallery full of gorgeous silky shots. This is especially where you get what you pay for with a professional who understands light and exposure. And if that isn’t reassuring enough – try photographing an all black and an all white pet TOGETHER – that’s where our experience really pays off!

I can’t trust my dog off-leash out in public, is this a deal breaker?

Not at all!! Many of our clients have dogs that haven’t exactly learnt the ‘come’ command so don’t worry. Many of our favourite shots are when the dog is still on-leash and we are also quite capable of removing leads in photoshop on request for an additional fee.

Can I be in some shots too?

Of course, in fact it will likely be inevitable. We love capturing candid moments between pets and their family. If you specifically want some relaxed group shots all together let us know at the beginning of the session. We usually leave these shots to the very end when your pet has started to tire.

Ok, so what should I wear?

Sessions are very casual so wear something you’re comfortable and can move easily in. It’s quite likely we’ll ask you to sit or even lay on the ground with your pet so keep this in mind when making your selection.

What should I bring?

We recommend bringing some of your pet’s favourite toys, they will make good props as well as help them feel more secure. It can also help us to engage with them. It’s also recommended to bring treats, poop bags and water, however we will usually also have these on hand.

What if the weather forecast is bad, or, I need to reschedule for personal reasons?

It’s like we tell our clients when we encounter bad weather – you will have these images forever so it’s worth rescheduling in the event of bad weather. Of course if it’s not pouring rain and you can’t possibly reschedule we can accommodate you and even some of our most popular images have been on days like this, which can create some very atmospheric and moody shots.

I have a pet related business, can I contact you to discuss some mutually beneficial marketing?

Absolutely – We would LOVE to hear from you. I’m sure there are plenty of ways we can help promote each other so drop me an email – shannon [@] wetnosefotos

At Wet Nose Fotos we love all animals and founder Shannon Plummer has a particular fondness for reptiles and actually has a pet python and various lizards! She has an archive of thousands of reptile images including natural and studio shots.

BEFORE HIRING A PHOTOGRAPHER!

{Courtesy of Scruffy Dog Photography, aka Illona Haus, a fantastically talented Canadian pet photographer.}

With the advent of the digital SLR many people today call themselves ‘photographers’. In fact, anyone sinking a couple thousand dollars into a prosumer DSLR fancies themself a ‘pro’ and, trust me, I’ve met my share of their disappointed clients. Please do your homework before hiring a photographer.

Here is a MUST checklist when considering a photographer for your dog:

- does the photographer have a professional website or are they using a free, on-line photo-sharing service like Smug-Mug, flickr, Photobucket, Picasa, etc. to display their images?

- look closely at your prospective photographer’s online portfolio or gallery. It should be extensive, not just a couple dozen photos. Anyone can throw together a dozen great shots. Is there a good variety of photos demonstrating a wide array of client dogs and shoots?

- is there consistency in quality, and a breadth in variety of environment, approach, angles? indoors and out? action and stills? … unless, of course, you’re specifically after only a few rigid, posed head shots of your dog.

- be sure your prospective photographer lists their print and product prices, and – if not – be sure to get a copy of these before you contract for a shoot. You need to know upfront what you’re getting into with a professional, custom shoot.

- ask to see a recent client’s proofing gallery … is that gallery chock full of the same poses over and over again? or is there a variety of poses, environments, settings, light, situations? How many unique photos is the client truly getting to choose from? What is the quality like?

- don’t be fooled by super low rates! A lot of those ‘pros’ with their prosumer cameras undercut the standard rates of professional photographers because (a) they’re not doing this for their livelihood (and therefore don’t necessarily have the experience), and (b) they’re probably not selling you professional-quality, lab-printed, archival products. So beware.

Do your research. This is your investment. Look over your prospective photographer’s website and portfolio extensively. Choose wisely. In almost every case, you get what you pay for.

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Wet Nose Fotos 2007-2011 (unless otherwise stated). All rights reserved.