commercial pet photography Archives - Fur and Fables

Why getting a portrait of yourself matters for your pet business

Kerry Jordan — Thu, 09 Apr 2026 10:18:22 +0000

Something happened at Crufts this year that which really stuck with me; I came across a brand with a huge, impressive stand – but I’d never heard of them, and being in the pet industry for so long I was curious so popped over for a a chat. I found out that this was their first full year of trading, which made it even more mindblowing, how do you launch a brand at that scale!?

But when I asked how the brand started, there wasn’t really an answer and when I looked them up later, there was nothing on their website either. No founder story, no insight into who was behind the business, no sense of why it existed in the first place, and for me, that felt like something was missing, it actually made me a bit suspicious. Maybe it’s just me, but as a dog owner who cares who I’m buying from, it’s important to know the reason for a brand existing and people don’t just buy products, they buy the people behind them. Or as Simon Sinek says “People don’t buy what you do; they buy why you do it”.

Taylor – one of the founders of Fettle Pet Supplements

People buy from people

Most pet brands don’t start in a boardroom, they start with a dog, a problem and an idea which solves that problem. That story is often the reason the brand exists at all. When you can see the person and the story behind the brand, understand what they care about, and why they started, it creates an immediate connection – it builds trust and makes people be able to relate. Take that away and even the most beautifully packaged product can feel a anonymous.

Your story builds trust (before your product does)

When someone lands on your website or social media for the first time, they’re making a decision quickly – not just “do I like this product?” but “do I trust this brand? Founder imagery helps answer that question almost instantly – seeing a real person (you!), with their dog, in a genuine environment, tells your audience that your brand is personal and in a market that’s becoming more saturated, that kind of trust is incredibly valuable.

Sarah – Founder of Send a Dog a Bone postal treats

Founder photos create connection quickly

We’re all used to scrolling quickly which means your audience isn’t always going to read your full story straight away but they will connect with how something feels and a simple image of you with your pet or working within your business, can communicate far more than a paragraph of text ever could. It gives your audience a human connection, and that connection is often what makes someone pause, explore further, and ultimately choose you.

Rachel – Pet business coach & dog friendly holiday cottage owner.

Especially for small pet brands

If you’re a small or independent brand, this matters even more, you’re not competing on scale. or trying to outspend bigger companies – what you have is your story, your values, and your reason for doing what you do. And your story is what sells.

Thinking back to that brand at Crufts, it wasn’t the size of the stand that stood out to me, it was the absence of a story because without that human connection, it’s much harder to engage, no matter how good the product looks. Or is that just me??

If someone landed on your website today, would they know who you are, and why your brand exists? And if not, it might be time to start telling that story a little more clearly.

If you’d like a hand bringing that to life through imagery, feel free to get in touch, I’d love to hear about your brand.

Professional photographer working Worldwide with Pet Businesses

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TAGS: #pet business, #pet business photography, award winning, commercial dog photographer, commercial dog photography, commercial pet photographer, commercial pet photography, dog blogger, Dog Brand, dog Photographer

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Letters from the field

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Travelling with Dogs to Europe

Kerry Jordan — Fri, 07 Nov 2025 18:21:13 +0000

From the Fells to The Netherlands: My First European Pet Brand Shoot

A while ago, I set out some some long and short term business goals, one of them to do a European commercial shoot for a pet brand.

I had no clue as to how it would happen, but I am a firm believer in the power of writing down your wishes. Fast forward a to October 2025 and that dream became reality with a commercial shoot in The Netherlands for The Canine Menu.

This wasn’t just another photoshoot for me, it was a milestone. A mix of excitement, logistics, mild panic, and a lot of learning along the way!

Setting the Scene: Planning a Pet Brand Shoot Abroad

When The Canine Menu reached out about creating lifestyle imagery for their new campaign in the Netherlands, I knew it was the perfect opportunity to take Fur & Fables international.

But….I’d never driven abroad before… and I was bringing my two whippets, Bertie and Shadow. I’d taken dogs on the Eurotunnel years ago but that was before the B word changed everything and made travel with pets a bit more complicated.

So, I dove into organisation mode (a skill I honed working for CEO’s in my pre-photography life). Here’s what the planning looked like:

Researching ferry routes and pet-friendly cabins: The Canine Menu had just launched on P&O so the Hull–Rotterdam overnight crossing looked like a good option as they had pet friendly cabins.
Prepping the paperwork: Getting the dogs’ Animal Health Certificates, rabies jabs, and worming schedule in order.
Sorting gear and props: Everything needed to fit neatly into the car alongside two dogs, camera equipment, and enough coffee to fuel a small village.
Finding a vet in the Netherlands: This needed to be booked in advance for the worming treatment before our return (a requirement for re-entry to the UK).
Sourcing travel-safe dog food: Since raw meat products are restricted when crossing borders, I packed air-dried fish food from The Innocent Hound and insect treats from Pawcura both brands I know and trust.

Thanks to ChatGPT I had a great timeline and checklist so by the time I packed the car, everything was in order (or so I thought…).

The Ferry Fiasco

I boarded in Hull without a hitch, the dogs were scanned at passport control in the UK, paperwork checked – they asked me to put on hazard lights when driving onto the ferry so I could be directed to the pet parking section.

I was looking forward to wandering a dog-friendly deck, relaxing with a nice dinner boys lounging beside me…

But nope.

Dogs were only allowed in the cabin or a small metal “exercise area” with a bench and a splash of green paint.

Lesson: check which ferry routes actually have dog-friendly decks!

Thankfully, I’d given the boys some PAWD drink and used Pet Remedy spray on their bedding, so they were perfectly content and once they settled, I dashed to Costa (where I was very happy to see they served pizza and prosecco – result!), watched a film, and turned in for the night.

The cabin had two single beds, which worked out perfectly as the boys claimed one, and I took the other. Bertie needed a bit of encouragement to toilet somewhere that wasn’t grass, but otherwise, they were brilliant travellers.

Vet Visits & Rotterdam Rush Hour

Because worming must be done by an EU vet 24–120 hours before returning to the UK, and I was coming back within that time, I decided to sort it on arrival.

I found a great clinic near the ferry, but what I didn’t check was that it was in central Rotterdam.

Cue: navigating rush-hour traffic, on-road parking, two whippets, and one photographer with no sense of direction doing a good impression of staying calm.

It all worked out fine; the visit cost €130 for the pills and updated Animal Health Certificate but it was good reminder that “near” doesn’t always mean “convenient.”

Tip: Plan your EU vet visit route in advance. City centres are beautiful, but not ideal when you’re juggling paperwork, parking, pets and a faulty internal compass!

Driving Abroad

Once I got going, driving on the right was surprisingly easy, I stayed behind the lorries in the slow lane and took my time.

Roundabouts were straightforward, and the only real eek moments for me was learning to cross two lanes to turn left.

By the time I reached the gorgeous venue, the anxiety had gone and I felt pretty good about the experience.

Feeding the Boys: What are the Restrictions

Because meat and raw food are restricted when entering the EU, I stuck to air-dried and insect-based options for the dogs on the ferry. I called P&O ahead of time to double check and they were great, confirming that these were okay to bring.

It was also because I wasn’t sure how confident I would be about driving so wanted to make sure I had a backup, but when I was there I was able to stock on meat up in good old Lidl.

Some followers told me they’d brought raw food abroad in chillers before, but I didn’t fancy explaining a suitcase of frozen mince to customs officers!

Tips for travelling abroad with dogs on the ferry

A few things I’d pass on to anyone planning a similar trip:

Dogs:

Start paperwork early – Animal Health Certificates must be signed within 10 days of travel. There’s a lot of paperwork so I’d recommend contacting your vets at least 2 months before you travel just in case any issues come up. You can get your AHC online which works out cheaper but it still requires a vet visit to scan the chips and get the rabies jab
Check what jabs the actually need vs what the vets tell you – I was horrified at the huge list of jabs and pills the vets listed out, but when I queried them, they were ‘suggested’ but not actually ‘have to have’.
Book pet-friendly cabins early – not all ferry routes have them, and they sell out quickly.
Plan your abroad vet visit in advance – pick somewhere accessible (maybe not a city centre if you haven’t driven abroad before!).
Double-check import restrictions – especially around pet food and supplements.
Bring familiar comforts for your dogs – I know it sounds simple, but having their bedding, toys etc can make all the difference.
Keep your dog calm – even if your dogs are normally confident in new situations like my boys are, if they haven’t travelled before it’s worth starting to use some natural calming products ahead of time just in case
Find out the check in details – On the way there, the boys were scanned in the car at passport control so I thought it would be the same on the way back but I had to head to the main office to get their documents and chips checked. Thankfully I’d arrived early.

Car & Travel:

Check what you need to have on & in your car – travelling to Rotterdam I made sure I had a triangle & fluorescent jacket in case of break down, head torch, stick on adapters for my lights, a UK sticker.

The ‘just in case’ things – check your insurances (car, pet etc) to see if you have cover abroad. I added on a breakdown cover for the days I was there at a small cost, but peace of mind.

Print out copies of all your documents – if you need access for any reason, it’s easier to have them all in an envelope rather than trying to search through your phone or email.

Clean your car – I saw this last minute but I’m glad I did. For Rotterdam at least they ask that your car be pretty clean, they don’t want contaminated mud or bird poop coming into the country and it’s possible you would get refused if they think it’s a risk.

Beyond the Logistics: What This Shoot Meant

The shoot itself went brilliantly, we created lifestyle imagery that celebrated dogs and places which welcome dogs with open arms.

But what made this trip truly memorable was what it represented: proof that the dream I’d written down years ago was completely achievable.

I left The Netherlands with more than photos, I left with renewed confidence, and a vision to continue offering pet brand photography across the UK and Europe.

If you’re a pet or lifestyle brand looking for photography that captures your story, wherever you are, I’d love to chat.

Let’s make your brand look like a big player, one photoshoot at a time.
Email me at kerry@furandfables.com or visit www.furandfables.com

UK Commercial Pet Photographer working Worldwide with Pet Brands

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TAGS: award winning, commercial dog photographer, commercial dog photography, commercial pet photographer, commercial pet photography, dog blogger, Dogs abroad, European Pet Brand, Ferry Travel Dogs, pet brand photographer, pet brand photography, Travelling Abroad with Dogs

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Letters from the field

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What’s the difference between a product photoshoot and a commercial photoshoot?

Kerry Jordan — Wed, 27 Nov 2024 15:36:02 +0000

I recently had a shoot with a client who had a lot of great business experience but had never worked with a professional photographer before.

After the shoot, they made a comment that made me realise something I’d overlooked, something I assumed that I probably shouldn’t have.

Most of my clients and I work closely together before the shoot, so they understand my style and how I can help them. But this particular client came to me a bit more ‘cold,’ and I hadn’t explained the key differences between a product shoot and a commercial shoot.

So, what is the difference between a commercial photoshoot and a product one?

Well, here’s what I think, but I’d love to hear your thoughts too!

A product shoot focuses entirely on showcasing the product itself. The backgrounds are simple and clean, the colours need to be accurate, and the details are shot from multiple angles so potential buyers can see exactly what they’re getting with no surprises. The ‘white background’ setup can work really well here. This is not something I offer as it’s a very specific skill set and needs to be done well – I know a few photographers who do a brilliant job of it who I have referred clients to so I don’t feel the need to branch out.

A commercial shoot, on the other hand, is where the storytelling and lifestyle element come into play. While the product is still featured with different angles and close-ups, it’s shown in more real-life scenarios. The product doesn’t have to be the main focus but instead contributes to an emotional or aspirational story. It’s about creating an image that allows people to imagine themselves using the product in their own lives.

It’s funny how something so simple as explaining the difference between a product and commercial shoot can make such a difference in client expectations. It’s a good reminder that clear communication is key, especially when working with new clients who haven’t had a professional photoshoot experience before.

Which style of photoshoot should you choose for your pet brand?

Ideally, both! Each has its own unique purpose, and they complement each other well. However, if you need to choose just one, I recommend looking at what’s most important for your brand right now. Whether you’re focused on showcasing the details of your product or telling a deeper story about your brand, that should help you with your decision.

If you have any questions about how a commercial shoot for your pet brand can help you, feel free to drop me an email to Kerry@furandfables.com – I’d love to hear from you!

UK Commercial Pet Photographer working Worldwide with Pet Brands

Letters from the field

A place for stories from life behind the lens - dogs, landscapes, and the moments in between.

JOIN LETTERS FROM THE FIELD

kerry@furandfables.com
07810 541685

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kerry@furandfables.com
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How to woo your first pet brand photoshoot Bridgerton Style

Kerry Jordan — Fri, 21 Jun 2024 10:05:10 +0000

If you are a pet photographer, it’s likely that what you are doing right now is photographing, well, people’s pets! But have you every looked at pet brands and wondered – I love that brand, how do I get to photograph for them?

I’m a commercial pet photographer who has worked with pet brands for over 8 years; photographing for brands like Natures Menu, I have covered luxury dog beds, high end treat companies, dog coats, herbal pet supplements, dog drying robes, canicross companies and everything in between, and I’m going to let you into how I book & keep my best pet brand clients.

So what’s Bridgerton got to do with anything?

Well, there are two ways you can go about landing your first commercial pet brand. One is send them an email asking to work with them. The other is old school ‘court’ them. Let them know how much you like them, invest time (and sometimes money) in them, become a super fan, make it all about them. And do all this, without once asking for their hand in marriage…I mean, asking them to pay you to work with them.

Why go through all courting to get your first pet brand client?

Here’s what I’ve learned. Cold email, or social media messages, rarely work. Why? The brand don’t know you, they have no idea what you have to offer, and even if they did, they don’t know that you are the right person for them or they just might not be ready. Respect them – their time is precious, and you have just taken away several minutes of it by pitching to them out of the blue. Historically, by first building a relationship with the brands I work with, I end up work with the majority or them. This is a long term relationship, not a fumble in the parlour room.

So how do you woo your first pet brand?

Firstly, find a brand who you genuinely want to work with, you love their products or services – I’d start small, so maybe a solo entrepreneur or a startup. I put genuinely in italics for a very good reason, working with a brand who you love will excite you and that will show in the final results.

Don’t kid yourself into thinking you can work with a brand who doesn’t align with your values – it WILL show in your images. As an example, I will never do a shoot for Pedigree Chum despite the fact that it would pay 3 months worth of bills – I don’t agree with their food and I would get the ick doing a shoot. Give me Paleo Ridge though and I would be over the blinking moon – their food and every part of their ethos makes me jump for joy and I can SEE the images I would want to create for them (by the way, I have been wooing Paleo Ridge for a while 😉)

What’s the next stage of courtship to photographing for your chosen pet brand?

Engage! In the massive world of the pet industry, it’s so important that brands have engagement on social media, that they are seen.
Comment on their posts, like, share or if you see someone asking for recommendations, be the first one to tag them if you think it’s the right fit. Ask questions that you as a potential client, would like to know. Set a time in your diary to spend a few minutes every other day to do this – that is time spent becoming their number one fan.

Use your dowry to buy into the pet brand you want to work with.

If you can, buy their product or service. Photograph yourself using it or putting it into practice. It doesn’t have to be a professional photograph, but if you have the time, why not. Even better, take a few short ‘user generated content’ videos. Tag them in your posts or to level up, do a recommendation post with why you bought it and why you love the brand. Want to go all out? Do a blog post with backlinks (same as I have done for Paleo Ridge, see!) and then share that on your social media. I am lucky enough to work with The Innocent Pet Company, I loved their luxury treats so much that I asked if I could have trade prices so that I could give all my clients and dog models a goody bag with their treats in, and we have now worked together for several years.

If you aren’t able to buy it then recommend it to people you know both in passing and on social media. Word will eventually get back to them.

Be chivalrous – offer your help and photography knowledge.

A lot of pet brands will run a photography competition. If I see a brand I want to work with doing this, I ask them if they want me to send some top tips which their followers can use to take better photographs, or I ask if they would like a photographer (me) to judge. Have a think about easy quick ways you can help them.

What happens if they don’t respond to your wooing?

That’s okay, you are now on their radar and that’s the main thing. I’ve had brands who I’ve engaged with who have taken years to book me because they weren’t ready at the time, but when they do, they keep coming back because that relationship has always been there.

Don’t ever expect anything in return.

Here’s the thing, if you go into this expecting anything at all in return, you could come away feeling frustrated, wondering why they haven’t responded, why have you wasted your time when you only wanted to help them etc etc. Stop that right now.

If they are the right fit for you, they will come. If they say no – it could mean not right now. If they go with someone else – be thankful that they have found a fit which is right for them which means that wasn’t you – much better to find someone who REALLY appreciates you and your work.

If you go in expecting something, it will show and they will just be constantly waiting for the hard sell. Not the best way to build a relationship.

Popping the question.

So you have been courting your pet brand for a while, you feel like you are a good match, when is right to pop the question? Well if you are lucky, they might get in their first and ask you!

Otherwise, be vulnerable, tell them how you feel! Let them know that you love their brand, and have wondered how you would go about photographing for them. Be honest, let them know it’s not something you have done before, ask if you can test out a commercial shoot for them for a reduced rate so that you can get feedback from them.

By this time, you will have built up a rapport and they will appreciate your honesty. Come to an agreement on something which works for you both. Don’t be afraid to charge – you are already a photographer, most brands would jump at the chance to have high end images at a reduced price.

Before the big day!

So you have landed your brand! Congratulations! The ring is gorgeous. Bear in mind that a commercial shoot is very, very different from photographing someone’s pet.

Do some research on how a commercial shoot works, what you need to photograph, create a timeline of everything you want to shoot. Think about how to structure your cost, whether everything is included or a shoot fee and image usage on top. How are you going to find dog and pet models as you need ones which will be comfortable in different situations.

I am thinking about doing a masterclass on this, so if it’s something you are interested in, drop me a message!

Kerry

Commercial photographer for pet brands Worldwide.
kerry@furandfables.com

The post How to woo your first pet brand photoshoot Bridgerton Style appeared first on Fur and Fables.

5 reasons you shouldn’t go to Norfolk for your dog friendly holiday

Kerry Jordan — Wed, 29 May 2024 15:30:12 +0000

For some reason, I’d never really considered Norfolk for a break, and after staying with East Ruston Cottages several times while photographing for their dog friendly cottages, now I understand why. Here are some very valid reasons to stay away…..

You hate beaches

With over 90 miles of joined beaches, it’s hard to ignore them. All that sand, ew. Oh, and a lot of them are dog friendly all year round AND no matter what time of year you go, you will always be able to find quiet beaches very easily – I mean, who wants that!?

Who in their right mind would want to see their dog this happy on an empty Norfolk beach!?

You love the hustle and bustle

You can slow your pace right down and appreciate nature and the simple things in life. There are seals, lots of them – apparently Norfolk is pretty famous for it. Hares too, and owls and loads of other birds. It’s alright if that’s your kind of thing I guess, but give me the tube station rats and mice any day! And Norfolk is quite flat so there is lots of open spaces and you can see lots and lots of sky. Sounds dull as ditch water to me!

You hate dogs

I know if you are reading this, you probably have a dog, but geez, you don’t have to like allllll the dogs right!? It’s like when someone shows you a picture of a baby – unless it’s yours, is anyone bothered? There are WAY too many dog friendly places in Norfolk – some even have canine menu’s – what’s got into people? Why do people insist on taking their dogs everywhere?

The Gunton Arms is a gorgeous pub near Trunch, why does everyone have to take their dogs to these lovely places!?

You love taking your car everywhere

Don’t bother with Norfolk then! Because of how close the villages are to the beach or the broads or the stock free countryside, you and your dog can quite easily walk from the doorstep. You will find loads of dog friendly pubs, fish and chip shops and cafes serving great food withing walking distance too – you might forget how to drive!

The food at dog friendly Beach Rock cafe looks terrible as you can see. Stick to Starbucks.

You hate nice weather

I’ve been there in February and it was so mild – no thank you! I live in Cumbia, I need sideways rain, wind which will blow your whippet off it’s feet, and four seasons in an hour just to keep you on your toes. I don’t get this nice weather malarky.

Stunning Rooster Barn is one of the many gorgeous dog friendly Norfolk properties at East Ruston Cottages.

So there you have it – Norfolk is the WORST place to go to with your dog. Don’t go. And don’t recommend it to your friends either – unless you really don’t like them.

In all seriousness, discovering East Ruston Cottages and Norfolk has been a game changer. So many dog friendly places to eat & visit, including boat tours. I’m not usually a beach person but I’ve walked through the dunes which go for miles and then dropped down onto an empty beach – which isn’t unusual with 90 miles of joined beaches.

I’ve tended to keep to the smaller villages than the bigger towns and found them really dog friendly, and as I mentioned, lots of lovely independent shops and cafes.

If you were still on the fence about visiting Norfolk, let me assure you, you will find your perfect place to stay at East Ruston Cottages – from 2 person chalets to big family homes with games rooms, from classic beach style cottages to country barns and the website tells all you need to know about the gardens & areas, and has properties for anxious or reactive dogs.

Going the extra mile to be truly dog welcoming

But more importantly Sue and the cottage owners will go absolutely out of their way to make your dog feel welcome, which is just a breath of fresh air.

I guess I’d add one last ‘don’t do it’ point – don’t book with East Ruston Cottages if you want to have every other holiday ruined because the standard will have been set very high.

I’ve worked with East Ruston Cottages for 3 years so far on their social media and images – Sue hasn’t paid me to do this blog, I’m doing it because I want everyone to discover the joy of Norfolk and ERC.

If you have visited already, I’d love to know where you have stayed and your favourite places to visit!

Kerry x

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TAGS: commercial dog photographer, commercial pet photography, dog friendly, dog welcoming, multiple dogs, norfolk, pet brand photographer, pet brand photography, trunch, winterton

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Letters from the field

A place for stories from life behind the lens - dogs, landscapes, and the moments in between.

JOIN LETTERS FROM THE FIELD

kerry@furandfables.com
07810 541685

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kerry@furandfables.com
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The fundamentals of great commercial photography for your pet brand

Kerry Jordan — Sat, 04 May 2024 13:12:16 +0000

Commercial photography isn’t just taking a pretty picture for your pet brand, there are quite a few elements that you will need to think about to make sure you are making the most impact.

The things I cover in this blog are based around how you would need to think about a commercial photoshoot for your pet brand, but it can also be really useful for you when you are just out and about making content for your social media!

Commercial pet photography which doesn’t just sell, but tells a story

If you want to have a bank of images for your pet brand then I’m going to walk through the fundamentals of what creates an image which doesn’t just sell, but tells a story – hopefully this will start building an idea in your head of the kind of images you want to achieve when you book a professional commercial pet photographer.

Being able to achieve a personal connection to your product or service with storytelling means not only will your audience want to buy with you, but because they have been able to insert themself into your story, they are more likely to stay with you.

(I mainly talk about dogs in the blog, but all the elements apply to any kind of commercial pet photography)

Telling the right story in an image will help your audience understand your brand in a second. Who doesn’t want their dog to be treated like this in a pub or cafe?

What story do you want to your clients to see?

I’m not a big fan of the ‘client avatar’, but by understanding your audience, their likes and dislikes, your photographer can help you create images which will allow your audience to imagine themselves wanting your product or service, to insert themselves into that picture. If you are dog walking company in the UK, then having images of people walking along a white sandy beach in the Seychelles is not going to work (although if you want to book me for that shoot, I’m absolutely up for it! 😉)

Reg & Bob specialise in colourful, practical dog accessories for outdoor adventure dogs so pristine dog & human just wouldn’t have attracted the right client.

Location of your pet brand photography

Which leads me nicely into location, location, location. If you are making a biothane dog collar for active, adventure dogs and their humans then you would want to organise a photoshoot which shows the aspirational side of your product – happy, health dogs exploring the great outdoors with a majestic landscape – photographing a dog snuggled up next to a roaring fire will only confuse your target audience.

And if you are creating high end dog coats, you will need to show a location or a scene which speaks directly to where your audience will be walking their dog, which leads nicely into the next two sections….

Combining not only the right type of dog, but also the right location means that your ideal client will know that what you offer is exactly what they need!

Show who your pet product or service is for

Going back to the people you really want to attract, what is the reality of their life? What is it about your product or service makes it easier for the human to aspire to want it?

I don’t think I’ve ever seen a commercial photograph for a bejewelled collar where the dog model is a spaniel (I’m sure spaniel owners wont mind me saying this) – that’s because a spaniels favourite pastime is crashing round in the undergrowth and throwing themselves gleefully into every body of water, no matter how small or muddy! It’s just not something a spaniel owner would be able to imagine as it’s so far removed from what they would buy! Pop that bejewelled collar on an Afghan hound lounging on a sofa, or the Spaniel doing scent work, then the images will more likely match the reality.

Choosing the right dog model for your commercial photoshoot

Lets talk fur – any kind of collar or harness is going to be quite difficult to photograph on a really hairy dog! Similarly you make any kind of dog bowl or food and want to have a shot of a dog enjoying their dinner, having a dog with really long ears means you have the issue of the ears constantly getting in the bowl, or covering the bowl (sorry spaniels, I’m looking at you again here!) Shorter ears & even shorter fur too means that you will be able to get a clear shot of the dogs face and the product.

Similarly, if you are a canicross teacher, a chihuahua might make a great running buddy but wont be the right dog to appeal to your wider audience.

Making sure you have the right dog for your product or service will help your ideal client be able to imagine their dog in that scene.

Making sure you have happy dogs in your commercial shots

The great thing about working with a commercial pet photographer is that you know that they will have had lots of experience working with animals. They will know the limitations, that regular breaks are needed, and how to pivot when even when the most well trained animal decides that trick they do just isn’t going to happen today. The reason this is so important is huge – the happiness and comfort of an animal should be the absolute top priority, and knowing the signals that they are worried means the difference between a shot which will sell, and a shot which will make your audience uncomfortable – even if they can’t put their finger on the exact thing, believe me, they will know.

Making sure the colours compliment and don’t clash

Look for colours for your shoot which will either compliment, or contrast in the scene. If you have a pink harness or product packaging, that would really pop against a green background of woods or trees if you are a more rural brand, but equally would look amazing in an urban scene. Subtle little nods of the same colours will help pull the image together too.

Think about how the colours will not only look in the image, but also on your website and social media as a whole.

Think about how your colours can be highlighted by either contrasting or complimenting the location will help draw the eyes in to what you want to highlight.

Making sure you have lots of clean space

You will want to use your commercial shots for a whole heap of things! Marketing materials (flyers, adverts, roller banners), social media, website, business cards. Commercial images need two things to help you be able to use them to their best advantage:

A ‘clean’ background – you will need an uncluttered background, and one that doesn’t have too much contrast (too many light and dark elements together).
Lots of negative space – space where there aren’t any important elements in.

Why? Lots of reasons! Text overlay is a prime example, if you or your graphic designer want to have some impactful words over the top of your image, then you will need that clean space so that the words can be clearly seen.

Another thing is, cropping for banner bars, Instagram and a whole heap of other things. Having lots of clean space means that cropping wont look odd or cut bits out of the image.

Graphic Designer Kate Hendry from Finbo Studios says “Commercial photographers give consideration to the brand style, space around the subject of the image and also the usage of the image itself. For designers this makes the job much easier and the overall design more aesthetically appealing to the intended audience. This could be the difference between your marketing materials capturing attention or not!”

Kate Hendry from Finbo Studios was able to easily overlay text on the My Anxious Dog photographs

Lighting for your commercial images

This is the one of the most important things you will need to consider because it will change the whole look and feel of the images you want your photographer to create.

External source lighting

This usually means either flash or continuous lighting. You can get really creative with external source lighting, it means you will never have to worry about where the light is coming from and you can create a setup where your images can be really evenly lit.

Both have their pros and cons. Flash can be very portable and easy to move around and you can be very creative with it, but it’s also very easy to go wrong if you don’t have someone who specialises in it. Continuous lighting is easier to use as you set it up and that’s it, but it can be bulky and you will need some kind of power source with you.
The downside is that it’s an extra element on shoots which you need to control.

Natural light

This is my favoured source and I’ve worked for over a decade learning how to use it to its best advantage, both inside and out. Again, there are pros and cons.

The pros are that there is not an extra thing to carry and move round on shoots, which can be a pain, especially when working with dogs and other animals when not in a studio. It also means you are super flexible, you can move with the dogs in seconds without having to worry about changing settings on the flash or moving the continuous light source.

Cons are that whether inside or out, you are relying on where the light is coming from, but a good photographer will understand that and know where to position the dogs, the products etc and themselves to make the most out of it.

I specialise in natural light commercial photography, although I know how to use it external source, I’m much more comfortable with natural light and the style of my photography reflects that. Please do check out Rowan at Pooch & Pineapple if you think your pet brand story would benefit more from externally lit images, she knows her stuff!

I hope you has helped you build an idea in your head about how you want to tell the story of your brand through visual storytelling. Any questions, please do drop me an email to kerry@furandfables.com or a WhatsApp to 07810541685

Kerry x

The post The fundamentals of great commercial photography for your pet brand appeared first on Fur and Fables.

Behind the scenes of pet product photoshoot

Kerry Jordan — Fri, 25 Aug 2023 19:32:20 +0000

When I work on a photoshoot or a commercial dog brand or company, the shoot is actually pretty close to the end of the whole process! I thought it would be nice to give you a little insight to one of my recent brand shoots for the fantastic Dicky Bag

A well established relationship

Now I’ve known about Dicky Bag for years – I can’t actually remember but maybe around 8 or so years ago. If you haven’t come across them already then you are in for a treat! Their original product is a neoprene holder for used poo bags. It’s sealed so it doesn’t smell, comes in lots of designs and can clip on to your bag / belt / dog lead so that you don’t have to walk around with a poo bag in your hand, or worse, try and remember to pick that one up that you left for your route back. I love Dicky Bags so much that I actually had a load of branded ones made up which sold out! So you could say I was a fan.

Making Contact

When I was looking at brands to approach to help them with their commercial dog photography, Dicky Bag was high on my list, not only because I already loved their product, but because it solves a solution for not only dog owners, but the environment – no more leaving poo bags at the side of the path, or, as some people seem weirdly fond of, hanging from a tree…

I already had been in contact with Mandy, the owner, so this felt like a natural progression. It’s not always that way though, it can be difficult sometimes when you really want to work with a brand and help them but don’t get a response!

Thankfully, when I dropped a message to Mandy it was perfect timing. She and her partner had literally just been sat down talking about the fact that they needed new marketing images – they actually wondered if I had their house bugged it was so uncanny!

The Plan

Once the date was all agreed we chatted about the kind of images they would need and like; showing the products in use, lifestyle images where the product isn’t too obvious to show the versatility and product shots on their own. As Dicky Bags are based in Cornwall, we decided that it would be lovely to do the shoot there and have a mixture of woodland and beach images. One of the things we had to take into consideration was it would be the height of summer when the shoot was taking place, so we needed to make sure the dogs were comfortable and booked in early times for both the woods and the beach which we had researched and decided on.

Top Dog Models

After the plan was agreed, then came one of the fun parts – dog models! As Cornwall wasn’t one of the places on my dog model database, I did a casting call – Dicky Bag were pretty flexible about the types of dog, not needing anything breed specific, the thing we were more looking for was different sized dogs to compliment the different sizes of their poo bag holders and other products. As always, we had lots and lots of dogs wanting their moment in the limelight, all had to match the criteria of being able to do a sit and wait, be good with other dogs, and no resource guarding. Organising dog models is probably one of the most time consuming jobs, after lots of emailing back and forth with the owners, the final few were chosen – more than I needed actually but a couple really really wanted to take part and I basically couldn’t say no!

I’m very grateful to Cornwall Search Dogs (who are also fans of Dicky Bags) for supplying the dogs for the forest shoot!

Showing the versatility of a Dicky Bag

Choosing the right products

So off I popped on the 430 mile trip from Cumbria to Cornwall! I gave myself time in between arriving and the shoot to recover from what was an 8 hour drive. The day before the shoots I went to Dicky Bag HQ to plan which products would work with location. Dark products wouldn’t work too well with the forest location which was going to be all about showing how a Dicky Bag worked, so we chose products which were brighter and lighter. The beach shoot was much easier to style for. We had decided to do the shoot over 2 mornings for a few reasons, the main ones being that it was Summertime and I was conscious of the fact that it could get warm after a certain time, also there were two locations and LOTS of dogs so it could have ended up being a very long day!

The days of the shoots

Day 1: What happened to summer? Our initial location was going to be a lovely quiet path on the Camel Valley trail, however the weather had other ideas, it seemed like I’d brought the Cumbrian forecast with me! Instead we huddled up in my friends house until there was a break in the rain, and then venturing out to the field behind their house where we could quickly retreat again if needed. It still worked well, part of the job is being flexible as you never know what’s going to happen on a shoot! The Cornwall Search Dogs were absolutely brilliant though (thankfully no whippets in the shoot, there are some things I wouldn’t be able to do, and making a whippet look happy in the rain is one!), as were the humans – they must have worked in much harsher weather so were very stoic about the whole situation!

Day 2: Beach day! The day was fairly gusty but we found a lovely little secluded cove at Daymer Bay which shielded us and it was pretty quiet. Thankfully the temperature wasn’t too high, so we had a brilliant but intense morning with the rest of the dog models. One got stuck behind a tractor on route (if you have never been to Cornwall, the lanes are very narrow so no way of overtaking), but as luck would have it, while we were waiting, Mandy and her eagle eyes spotted a lady on the beach with a Dicky Bag! Never one to miss an opportunity, I ran over and accosted said lady and she very graciously agreed to do some action shots with her gorgeous dog! Never a dull moment, and sometimes the unplanned moments in photography are the ones which create the most memorable images.

After the shoot

Part of my job as a commercial pet photographer is to make sure I understand the needs of my clients – the real people behind the brand. As well making sure that the product is represented well, and I’m fulfilling their brief, some of the things I have to think about is : making sure that the background isn’t too cluttered so that text can be overlayed for marketing, also shooting slightly wider than I would on a private client shoot to make sure they can be cropped for social media and website banner bars.

Then comes the editing and making sure the colours are as true as possible. On private client shoots I can have a bit of creative licence with colours, but on a commercial shoot, particularly with a physical product, I need to make sure the colours are ‘true’. I try to get as much as I can right in camera, but if, for example, I have a black and white dog, I shoot slightly darker to make sure I get the details of the whites – it makes editing so much easier!

And then it’s almost a wrap – I edit the images which can take a few days depending on how many shots we took, back them up, and upload them to a gallery to deliver to the client so they choose their images!

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TAGS: commercial dog photographer, commercial dog photography, commercial pet photographer, commercial pet photography, Cornwall, Lake District, professional dog photographer, professional dog photography, UK Commercial pet photographer

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commercial pet photography Archives - Fur and Fables

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