Why choose a lifestyle shoot?
When I first spoke to Dena she immediately told me that she hated having her picture taken. She said that she always struck the same posed smile and it was impossible to get a nice shot of her. However, she and Matthew were getting married and a practice run was in order. They had recently adopted their dog Hannah and loved spending time with her, so I suggested an easy-going dog walking lifestyle shoot in the mountains. The advantage of a lifestyle shoot is that it’s not about posed portraits smiling at the camera. My main goal with a lifestyle shoot is to capture my clients interacting with each other, with the environment. Hopefully, in catching them off guard, I can get portraits that better reflect their personality. Bringing along a furry friend is a perfect way to take attention away from the camera.
Overcoming nerves on a photo shoot
I could tell that, despite my words of encouragement, Dena was still quite nervous so I walked them to a spot well away from anyone else and chose to shoot slightly differently. I would normally start by giving my clients something to do in front of the camera, to put them at ease. This time, I chose to start with a portrait looking to the camera. With Hannah helping to distract, I knew that I would be able to alleviate some of Dena’s nerves by showing her that I could get some good pictures. It worked and there was a marked sense of relief. Being able to show my clients that I can capture great images of them, even when they are nervous, allows me to create trust. Once my clients trust me, we can achieve even better candid images.
Working with a puppy
It was the first time I had worked with such an excitable puppy for the whole photo shoot but Hannah was great fun. Like all animals, she never quite did what you expected her to do but she did provide a focus for Dena and Matthew and allowed me to capture some lovely moments between the three of them. I made sure, just as I do with children with lots of energy, to keep changing the pace; allowing her to run and jump in between moments of calm. We also went through some of her new training, and she earned lots of doggie treats.
If you would like a photo shoot with your furry friend, get in touch for more information about shoots either outdoors or at your home.
