THINGS TO ASK WHEN HIRING A PET PHOTOGRAPHER:

1. Does the pet photographer photograph pets (and pets with their people) exclusively?
A photographer who shoots anything (weddings, families, newborns, etc.) may not understand that a dog or cat may not be willing to stay in one place. Human beings understand that. Dogs and cats have scents to sniff and balls to catch.

2. Do you have your own pets?
Pets are very special beings. Until you have one of your own, you’ll never really understand them. Your pet photographer should relate well to your special furry friend. Natural-looking photos are created when your pet is comfortable.

3. What are the photographers printing prices?
Beware of “free portrait sessions” (contests excluded) and incredibly cheap portrait session fees. Let’s be honest; Photographers have to earn a living. If the photographer is not charging you upfront, he will charge you higher print and product prices. REMEMBER: Ask about their printing prices before booking a session.

4. Is there a minimum fee per print order?
For example, your portrait session may have only cost you $75.00, but the photographer requires an order of at least $350.00 worth of products. He now he has spent $425.00 and he may not even like the photos. Look for a photographer that doesn’t require you to order a certain dollar amount of product. REMEMBER: Ask if there is a minimum print order fee.

5. Does the photographer charge a minimal fee for reordering?
When reordering additional photos, photographers sometimes charge a fee in addition to the print price. REMEMBER: Ask if there is a fee and how much it costs to order prints after your initial order.

6. Do you put a time limit on a photo session?
My experience is that dogs will be dogs and cats will be cats. They do what they want to do and don’t really care if the clock ticks. Let’s say you book a 30-minute “mini” shoot, and just as the photographer says time’s up, his pet strikes the most adorable pose he’s ever seen. Do you want him to miss that shot because you had a time limit? I don’t want that pressure and I won’t put it in your pet’s session. Also, how much are they going to charge if they continue after 30 minutes.

7. How is the website of the photographer?
The website may actually answer Question 1. If you open the site and the cover photo is a newlywed couple on a beach embracing, that’s a clue that the photographer isn’t focused solely on pets. Also, as for the photos on the site, these are the best photos the photographer has to offer. Our best work is what we show on the World Wide Web. If you’re not happy with the quality of those photos, chances are you won’t be happy with the final product.

8. How much work does a photographer put into your pet’s images?
Be careful if a photographer is willing to hand you a multitude of images on a DVD. Are these images as-is, slightly enhanced, or really clean? Slightly Enhanced requires a click of a button, while actually cleaning up an image and giving it that professional look can take an hour or more. If a photographer offers you more than 50 images and claims that the images are really clean. Do the math; that’s more than 50 hours of work.

9. What kind of camera and lenses do you use?
If you are paying for a professional photography session, you deserve a high-end camera with the best lenses available. Cameras you can buy yourself at a big box store can produce wonderful images, but in the digital world, a camera with a large sensor and a lens that can focus your pet’s image onto that large sensor is why! the one that pays a professional!

10. Do you like the photographer, do your pets like them?
Your photo session should be a fun and comfortable event. You don’t want to hire a photographer who will make you and your pet feel uncomfortable.

11. Do you offer an online proofing gallery?
An online proof gallery allows you to view it in the comfort of your own home. You do not have to go to your workplace to see your evidence. Worse yet, the photographer might insist on coming to your house to show you the evidence. The pressure of being done this “favor” puts you in the awkward position of having to critique the photos in front of the photographer. Whether in your office or at home, you should expect pressure to order right away.

12. What are the product price comparisons?
Compare the prices of photographers’ products: how much is an 11 by 14, how much is a book, how big is it, etc. Photographers should be able to provide you with a price list.

13. Where do you process your photographs?
Photographers in the digital age have many options. They can use a professional photo lab or a big box store like Sam’s Club or local Costco or Long’s Drugs. Again, nothing against those places, but that’s why you hired a professional. Can you see the difference!

WHY I WRITE THIS:

When I got married, I hired a fantastic photographer. His shoot fee was a bit high, but he believed he would produce great photos. She did. The problem: the prices for copies of it were so astronomical that we could barely afford to buy them. Five years after the fact (when I had a little more money) I reached out to her to buy additional photos. Her prices had gone up. So my wedding photos sit in a file drawer in a small photographer’s gallery, meaning nothing to the photographer and a lot to me.

I want you to have photos of your pets, so I charge a reasonable session fee and keep my product prices low.