Photography is sometimes the last thing on the action list for pet brands, particularly if you are a start up, but in actual fact, putting a professional photoshoot as a priority means that everything else falls into place. In this blog post I’ll talk about how a professional pet brand shoot can transform your business, not just a little bit, but a lot!

I know I’ll probably sound biased when I say this, and I’ll understand if you think that, but please do hear me out – your pet brands needs a professional photoshoot – ideally with someone who has experience working with eg dogs, cats etc. Let me explain….

Tell me that this face wouldn’t stop you scrolling!?

It will give your website viewers confidence in your brand.

I am old enough to remember when the internet first started, and seeing a company just having a website was pretty impressive because it was so hard to set up, usually by coding in the background. Nowadays it’s pretty easy for people to set up their own website, but if you hit a website and the photographs of the product or service are badly lit, blurry, and don’t show off the product or service to the best advantage, rightly or wrongly, an instant judgement is made; this isn’t a professional brand. On the flip side, you can have the most simple website, but having high end images (which are clearly for your brand and not stock images), can send a very clear message – this brand means business!

“Kerry has worked with us to create an incredible collection of images that are crucial in portraying our brand’s identity.” Chloe – The Innocent Pet Company

It will help your brand be more visible.

Try and get your head round this number…there are approximately 3.2 billion images shared daily…DAILY! Mind Blown. Dog and pet Instagram accounts have become the norm, big, non pet, brands have caught on to the fact that animals can create a connection to an audience – all you have to do is check out pet casting agency Urban Paws Instagram Account to see dogs being cast in adverts by Next, Lexus, Zara Home and more.

We are in a brilliant position in the pet industry that we have a valid reason to have animals in our advertising and social media – hoorah! But in all that visual noise, it’s vital that you stand out with stand out images, images which tell the story of your brand, your product and your values in the split second it will take to make an impression on your ideal client.

“The subsequent use of the images on our social media channels and the website have left me in absolutely no doubt that we really should have done this ages ago and her suggestion that our brand would be enhanced by the photos was absolutely spot on.” Sue – East Ruston Cottages

Telling a story without words – Redhound for Dogs is on a mission to keep the whippets of the world warm, dry and happy!

It will give your brand consistency.

Don’t get me wrong, I think having user generated content, or your own day to day imagery, has a really important place in a your social media strategy – but I don’t think it has a place in marketing, advertising, or the website of your brand.

There are some amazing hobbyist photographers out there, with a lot of talent, however if you have different people sending you photographs, what you will find is a lack of consistency in how your brand comes across. After all, every photographer has their own style. Booking a shoot with a professional pet photographer who’s style you love means that when a potential client sees your business card, facebook ad, website, instagram account or flyer, there will be a consistency which will start to build a story of your brand in their head.

“I could not run my business without Kerry and would have no hesitation in recommending her services.” Natalie – The Lounging Hound

It will showcase your product or service in the best possible light.

I mean this both literally and figuratively. Most professional photographers will understand the importance of light in photography, but learning how to showcase a product or service so that it is shown off in a way, so that people instantly understand what it is you are selling, is so important. This doesn’t necessarily mean a static image either – you can still have movement in photography so that you can show your product ‘in action’.

“I had a vision for photos aligned with my brand for Bella, and Kerry not only understood but exceeded expectations, blending creativity seamlessly with our surroundings.” Sarah – My Anxious Dog

Product photography doesn’t have to be static!

It will help with your PR Success.

I’ve been incredibly lucky that my images, some taken for my clients, have been featured in The Times, The Guardian, The Independent, Country Life and more. Having a media presence can really help you elevate your brand, give you bragging rights, and get you in front of a whole new audience. What’s the one thing that journalists and newspapers need though? A good, high quality image. I’ve seen brands disappointed when they pitch to a paper or magazine but aren’t featured because of the lack of images they can use. (By the way, if you are interested in getting more visibility for your brand, I highly recommend checking out my friend Rachel Spencer’s membership Pets Get Visible – she’s an pet journalist and pet business coach and teaches a lot about getting PR as well as other ways to get your brand visible).

Need more convincing?

Rachel, mentioned above, also owns Sunnyside Cottage – a gorgeous dog friendly self catering cottage in the heart of the historical Robin Hood’s Bay. As a journalist and business owner, Rachel understood the importance of having professional images (and also loved my current mission for making sure dog friendly places actually have photographs of dogs on their website and socials!). After our shoot, Rachel used the images to help potential clients understand just how dog friendly her property is – which resulted in bookings! Not only that, she was featured in The Guardian as one of the top 20 best dog friendly places to stay in the UK, and had her image as the main showcase image in the print version.

I hope that has given you some food for thought, and if you’d like me to send you my pricing menu, please do drop me an email to kerry@furandfables and I’ll send it across to you. I’m not in the business of hard sell, if I’m the right fit for you and your brand right now, then that’s awesome!

And if you are curious about how a shoot works, you can check out my blog post about the process I went through with Dicky Bag > Dicky Bag Shoot 

Kerry x