A Note from Simba's Barkery:
We are delighted to introduce Jenna Regan, a talented Dallas Pet Photographer. I had been hearing about Jenna's beautiful approach to pet photography from a while now but only recently did I get a chance to meet her in-person at an event. I have been impressed by the way she captures memories of our dogs, they truly leave an impression on you. Today she will share how to capture that paw-fect day in your dog's life because we all know that moments may fade but we want the memories to last forever!
The love we have for our dogs is epic. I get it and I’m all about celebrating it in any way we can! That’s why I’m always so excited when a client books a birthday photo session for their dog!
Sometimes it’s truly the dog’s birthday, other times it’s more of an “adopt-iversary” or a chosen birth date if the official birthday is unknown. Whatever way you want to celebrate your dog’s arrival into the world and your life, a photo session is a fun way to commemorate it!
The idea of your dog’s very own birthday photos session sounds exciting, right? But, where do you start?
I totally understand and many of my clients come to me with just one idea of what they wantadorable photos- and other than that, they’re looking for inspiration, ideas, and guidance. And that’s perfectly okay! I’m all about planning the details and helping my clients. So you’re in the right place!
I’ve been a full-time professional pet photographer for five years now and I can work with any ideas you have, breeds of dogs, levels of training, and all sorts of different personalities! I make sure it doesn’t feel overwhelming for my clients because I’m helping every step of the way, customizing a photo session and experience just for them, and of course, sharing the secrets to keeping it stress-free and successful!
Here I’m going to share 3 steps to planning your dog’s birthday photo sessions to get you started.
Step 1: Where will you take the photos?
Choosing whether it will be an indoor or outdoor location is the first step. This might be a personal preference for you or your dog. Are you going for a formal studio-style birthday session or a natural, whimsical outdoor feel? Does your dog travel well or is he or she better staying at home for the photo session? Do you have a specific location in mind or are you flexible?
Step 2: Consider a theme.
Perhaps it’s your dog’s first birthday? Or maybe your senior dog is celebrating 15 amazing years? You may have no clue when your dog’s true birthday is, but your dog won’t mind if you pick a day on the calendar or instead make the session a celebration of the day he or she joined your family. Each of these different occasions can create a different theme for the session.
You can build your dog’s photo session celebration around:
● His or her name, if named after a character or location
● Any significant creative concept, such as your love for flowers
● The dog’s personality
● The season/time of year
● Your favorite colors
● Your dog’s age
The theme can be as elaborate or basic as you’d like. Once you choose a theme think of all the ways you can utilize it in the props and details. And don’t forget, a simple cake and balloons can be just as fun as going all out on the props for a Princess theme!
Step 3: Choose what and whom you want to include.
Naturally your dog is going to be the star of his or her photo session. But what else do you want to capture? The options here are truly endless and to help you brainstorm consider the following:
● What props would you love to use based off your theme?
● Will you (or someone else) be in the photos too?
● Will you include traditional birthday props such as balloons, party hats, crowns, streamers, bandanas, chalkboards?
Naturally almost all birthday celebrations need to include a doggy cake! I recommend talking with Simba’s Barkery about a custom cake just for your dog. Because you definitely want a cake specifically made for dogs, so your dog can enjoy the cake and not have any tummy issues later.
These ideas will get you on the way to an awesome photo session for your pup. If you really want to make it special, hiring a professional pet photographer is definitely the way to go and I’d love to chat with you to help you plan something amazing to share with friends, family and on all your social media accounts! You never know, your dog’s birthday celebration might even go viral!
At Jenna Regan Photography, July is all about birthdays!! Regardless of when your dog’s special day is, you can get the photos done in July with one of my special packages and have images ready to share on the big day! Learn more.
About the Author
Hi, I’m Jenna Regan. Most of my time is divided up between being a wife, dog mom, equestrian and Dallas pet photographer. I specialize in photographing dogs and it sure keeps my life exciting and interesting! I’ve spent the last 5 years photographing hundreds of dogs, volunteering with dog rescues, and working with wonderful clients to create fine art images that show the love and bond they have with their pets. You can learn more by emailing me at jenna@jennaregan.com, liking my Facebook page, or following me on Instagram