1) If you don’t love everything that makes up a dog, then stop immediately. Dog’s instinctively recognize a non-dog lover and you weren’t meant to photograph them. This means slobber on your face, clothes, camera and lens. It also involves getting dirty, including paw marks everywhere. Physically I always get a great workout. Sitting, standing, crouching, jumping, running. You name it, I am doing it.
2) Know your camera. Dogs move in and out of changing light. Because of this, I believe strongly that you need to shoot in manual mode.
3) Develop your own style. The only way you can do this is to shoot a lot. And then shoot some more. And then some more. Find out what works for you. Style is a dynamic factor, ever evolving, growing and changing with you.
4) Patience. Patience. Patience. Dogs usually listen to their inner voice first, you second. Most of the time I have to wait them out and follow them.
5) Every market is different. Invest time in your area determining if there is a large enough dog market to warrant opening a business. If so, there are probably already dog photographers in the area. What sets you apart from the others?
6) Learn the business. It isn’t cheap or easy to start up or run a small business. It isn’t just about taking pictures, and that is a very large understatement.
7) It is essential that you are able to relate to dogs AND people. If you are shy, timid, and just generally not a people person, it isn’t going to be easy for you.
8) Understand pack mentality, dominance, behavioral issues, and the different types of breeds. What are you going to do if the dog is scared of your camera or you? It happens.
9) Don’t talk bad about your competition. Ever. Directly or indirectly. Especially on a public forum like a blog. You never know who is reading and it looks extremely unprofessional to current and prospective clients. The best piece of advice I ever received was “Promote the brand and not the photographer.” There are plenty of clients to go around. I see so many photographers worrying about their competition and trying to outdo them. If you are truly doing your own thing, it won’t matter what they are doing.
10) Dogs don’t work for free. You’ll have to quickly find out what motives the dog you are shooting. Some like food, some like treats, some like a belly scratch. If you aren’t able to quickly determine what motivates them, you’re going to have one heck of a time trying to get a good shot of them.
Some of the answers were obvious to me because I have been photographing dogs for years. I wish I would have asked her some more direct questions about having a business in dog photography.
Some of the answers were obvious to me because I have been photographing dogs for years. I wish I would have asked her some more direct questions about having a business in dog photography.
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