FAQ

Will you come to my home or meet me at a park for a photo session?
Yes, I can travel to your location as long as it is within 20 miles of my studio at 40th St and Indian School Rd. Additional fees apply. See the pricing page for details. In a candid photo session, I will follow your dog around and capture him/her just having fun and being a dog. If you prefer the studio look but cannot travel to my studio, we can bring the studio to you as long as you have the space in your home to set it up. Call for details.

What should I expect from an “in-studio” session?
My home-based studio provides a very private and casual atmosphere where you and your dog can feel relaxed and at home. Your dog can roam around my fenced in back yard upon arrival to release some energy and get comfortable with the surroundings before his/her big photo shoot. Once you and your dog enter the studio area, I will give the dog some treats and play with them a bit while taking some test shots to get them used to the camera and the lights. I use very quiet studio lights that should not startle your dog.

At this time, I only offer the option of a white background. I use white backgrounds for several reasons. The human eye is naturally drawn to the busiest part of a photo.  By isolating the dog with a white background, he/she is sure to be the main point of interest.  This also allows me to put your dog onto some pretty neat photo products such as clothing, coffee mugs, calendars,  greeting cards, calendars, etc. Also, if you have a pure breed dog and you are willing to sign a waiver allowing me to use the photos for resale on photo products, you will receive a $50.00 discount on your photo session.

I do have a supply of props and hats in my studio. If you choose the Doggie Dress-Up option, you are allowed two wardrobe changes. See the pricing page for details. You may want to take a look at the Basset Hound section of this website for examples of specialty photos with costumes.

I will take about 75-100 photos during the session. I will select the top 10 photos from the session to edit and display on a private viewing gallery for you. You will also receive instructions on how to purchase prints and other photo products online at that time.

How long does the photo session take?
Most sessions last about a half an hour. Trust me, this is plenty of time. Your dogs will lose their patience very quickly. The very best photos will be taken during the first 5 minutes while I still have their attention.

What is included in the sitting fee?
The sitting fee covers my time with you and your dog(s) during the session, several hours of professional editing of your photos after the sessions to make them look perfect, 10 low resolution digital files (suitable for sharing on the web but not for prints) with a Dog’s Life watermark on them  and your own private photo gallery located on my website. Prints and photo products are extra.

Can I get in on the fun and get some photos taken with my dog?
Yes, you are welcome to be in some of the photos but an additional editing fee applies because photos with people in them are processed completely differently that photos with just dogs are. This takes additional time that I unfortunately need to charge for. The cost is $5.00 per photo. If you want a full “family photo session” with your dog(s), it is an additional $25.00 per person.

What if I don’t like the way my photos turned out?
If you are not able to pick at least 5 photos from your session that you are completely satisfied with, you are free to reschedule another photo session at no additional charge.

Why are the prices for prints higher than I would pay at the drug store?
The prints that are offered to you will be printed on professional grade, archival photographic paper that will wear and show much longer than the average photo paper that is used at your local photo processing center.

Can I get a digital copy of the images?
When a photographer gives away a digital copy of a photo, they are giving up all rights to the image and all future earnings on the work that they put into creating it. Therefore, digital negatives come at a high price to the client. With that said, I also realize that we do live in the digital age and people love to share photos via e-mail and social networking sites. 10 low resolution digital files (suitable for the web but not for prints) with a Dog’s Life watermark are included with your package. High resolution photos with no watermarks are available for $50.00 each (discounts apply for multiple file purchases).

How do you get the dogs to sit still, sit together or all look at the camera at the same time?
I don’t. I’m a photographer, not the Dog Whisperer. I will entice them with treats and grab their attention with squeekers and toys but I need your help in getting them to sit and stay. Don’t be offended if I am firm with your dog. I must establish my role as the pack leader.  If I am photographing multiple dogs and the dogs won’t sit together peacefully and stay for the camera, I can usually merge photos of them together in Photoshop after the fact. There is a $20.00 fee for each photo that is merged with another.

Should I bring anything to the session?
I have everything that we will need here but if there are any specific props or costumes that you want to use, feel free to bring them.

Do you photograph cats?
Nothing personal against cats, but I prefer to stick with dogs for now. Cats usually don’t like to be bothered with an unfamiliar human hovering over them with a strange flashing gadget.

What hours are you available?
Most weekdays after 2:00 pm and most weekends.

Where are you located?
My address is 4030 E Weldon Ave., Phoenix, AZ 85018. Click here for a map. Please enter through the gate to the right of the garage and come on back patio. All dogs visiting the studio must be on a leash until I let you know that it is ok to release them. There may be other dogs in the studio at the time that you arrive. Please be courteous and keep your dogs on leash at a distance from other dogs as they leave the studio. Also, please be warned that there is a pool in the back yard!