It is crucial to a pet business to incorporate animals into their advertising. After all, it is the animals your product or services helps, but it’s the pet parents who make the purchase. So, what is involved with including pets into your product shots or lifestyle images? We asked Robert Semrow, the Pawtographer, that same question.
How long have you been in the photography industry?
I’ve been in the industry for a few years. Just in that short time, much has changed. I’m fortunate to have a business partner, Dove, who has been in the industry for more than a decade.
I’ve always been an avid photographer, even have my Underwater Photography certification, as I am also a Scuba Diver. I have always loved capturing special moments that help take you back a time, place and emotion.
How long have you been photographing pets?
I’ve been doing that since I started. In fact, it’s what really made become a professional photographer. I had a vision of what I wanted to see and how I wanted to create portraits. Also, I new that I wanted something that would be special to more than just the owners of the animals.
What is your biggest challenge with photographing animals?
One of the bigger challenges is that I am very adamant that I see the eyes of animals looking as close to dead on in the camera as possible. I truly believe that every animal is special, and that you can see it best when you look in to the eyes of an animal. So, we use a lot of different methods to draw the dogs into the correct position.
How critical is lighting to photography? Is it any different with animals?
The biggest challenge in photography is always lighting. It becomes even more critical when you are photographing pets with such a wide variety of colors. It is very easy to blow out a white furred animal, or to lose the eyes of a black furred animal in a poorly lit situation.
What is key to a successful shoot with animals?
The key is patience. I really try to let the animal get used to me, the staff and all of the equipment. Animals react to the people around them. So, if the owner gets upset or agitated, then the animal will get agitated as well. So sometimes, we have to ask the owner to step out while we work with the animal. We are really patient and have also learned to read animals much better. We can usually tell when the animal has had enough of the shoot and we need to call it a wrap.
Check out Robert’s work at www.thepawtographer.com.
About the Author
Dara is a brand identity and marketing design strategist at 7 Lucky Dogs, a leading consultancy in marketing to “pet parents”. Through customized marketing and brand identity packages, 7 Lucky Dogs helps you discover what makes your company, product or service different from your competitors. We then translate this differentiation visually into a logo, product packaging, an E-commerce site and promotional materials to reflect those unique attributes. We make our clients look credible and memorable to their prospects while they increase their bottom line. As the owner of 7 Lucky Dogs, Dara is passionate about helping independent pet businesses stand out in front of their competitors and attract more clients. She blends business smarts with creativity with over ten years of design experience with formal education in both graphic design and marketing.
