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

It’s one of the big questions I get asked when I talk about photographing dogs – why wont my dog look at the camera? It might sound silly to say, but your dog has no concept of what you are asking them to do, so just holding something in front of them (ie your phone) might make them a little anxious!

Tips for helping your dog enjoy looking at the camera

 

Become a noise machine

I know recommendations are really important for small brands, as well as the people buying from them so I’ve decided to do series on the brands I know, like and trust. I have either bought from these small brands, worked with them or both for many many years so I hope this will help you if you are looking for something specific for your dog.

An enrichment toy with an infinite possibilities!

As a dog owner, I’d seen a fair few individual toys which you could stuff with food, the issue was that they never lasted very long regardless of what I stuffed them with. So when I came across K9 Connectables many years ago, I was instantly curious. I really liked the fact that you could connect a few of them together – in my head I thought, what a perfect thing to take with me when I go to the pub with the dogs!

Great for keeping a dog entertained for longer!

Different levels to build confidence

One of the things I loved the most about these toys is that there were so many different levels from easy to expert it meant that just a couple of the toys would keep the dogs entertained for longer – you can start easy and as their confidence grows you can make it harder by doing an extra ‘click’ but then, joy of joys, you can add more, and more to make them super difficult and really make your dogs brain work!

Keeping it interesting

I’ve been using different K9 Connectables for a fair few years so I’ve tried lots of fillings! Everything from cream cheese to mashed potato. The things I have found which keep my dogs entertained for the longest is actually roast chicken and blocks of cheese – I think it’s because you can squish it right in and both become quite compact so rather than bits falling out, the dogs actually have to lick to get at it, sometimes taking 20 minutes – times that by however many you want to attach and you have yourself some quiet time and mentally tired dogs afterwards! 

Since I first discovered K9 Connectables, they have brought out several new variations, like the stick on ones which you can connect to any of the others, and a fabulous kibble wobble ball which can also be connected and ones for tough chewers.  The sticky version is great for popping on the end of the bath if your dog isn’t particularly happy having a shower, or for distracting your dog while you clip their nails. But wait, there’s more!

Oh yes, your eyes aren’t deceiving you – when you buy a K9 Connectable, you aren’t just buying an interactive food dispenser, they bounce really well, and they float! It’s one of the many reasons I think K9 Connectables are well worth the money. I’ve got ones that have lasted about 6 years (the ones I haven’t lost) – I take them stuffed and connect to the pub garden to settle the dogs down, I use them if I haven’t been able to do a big walk, and then I take individual ones to the beach as a toy and unlike a tennis ball, they wont wear down your dogs teeth.

Have you already tried K9 Connectables? Let me know in the comments!

You can follow K9 Connectables on: Instagram | Facebook | Website 

As a business owner, I go to a lot of conferences and seminars and a consistent question is ‘what is your why?’ It’s a question I’ve struggled with constantly, I love my job, buy my ‘why’ was always elusive. Other business owners would give amazing responses and I always felt like a bit of a fraud because my only answer was that I just find joy in photographing dogs, but I couldn’t put into a sentence why this was helping my clients. 

Amy & Holly 🌈

Saying Goodbye

As my business started to develop, the inevitable started happening. Every now and again, clients would contact me to let me know they had to say goodbye to their beloved dog. And it was hard, each time, especially when it was unexpected. Dogs have a wonderful way of connecting with you and making you feel special – so each shoot I left feeling like I had made a friend not only of the dog, but also I came away with a lot of human friends too.

Jasper 🌈

Jasper

And then, it happened to me. Two years ago I lost my own boy, Jasper. I’d initially fostered him and wow, he was a steep learning curve, but underneath his issues, this incredibly happy, smiley, barky dog was so eager to please. And wow did he put me through the ringer, he had months of rehabilitation after something ruptured in his inner ear and he lost a huge amount of blood. Then a couple of years later, he had a stroke which was terrifying to see and one of the only times I’ve felt complete loss of control. After that, he wasn’t the same, he was still a happy chap, but gradually he started to loose control of his bladder, and I’d find him staring into a corner, and he’d seem quite surprised to find himself there. My previous partner made the very difficult decision that it was time to let him go. He was with us both, and all the other dogs at home, and I thought I was going to break. In fact, with hindsight, I think I did a little.

Caroline & Bentley 🌈

He is my why

It was only about a year later, when I was looking at one of the photographs of him, that it really hit home. His final gift to me was realising that I need to go through the pain myself so that I could understand my clients more deeply.  Having photo’s of him at his goofiest, his happiest, even the times when he came out of surgery, meant that I will always have very vivid memories of him.

Pals Maisy, Jasper & Woodley have been reunited. 🌈

Gone, but never forgotten

Our bond with our dogs is indescribable, I still feel like Jasper is just nearby sometimes and I find peace in that. Some people don’t understand it, and that’s okay. I’ve had to make some incredibly hard choices in the last couple of years, and having photographs of my dogs is priceless.  So now, when people ask me what my why is, I can say, without a doubt, Jasper is my why.

Please do take some time to read Amy’s Story too – Holly was an a dog in a million and photographing her was something I will never forget.

For anyone who has lost a dog recently, I promise you wont forget them, but each day, each week, it becomes a little bit easier to bear. 

Kerry x

I know recommendations are really important for small brands, as well as the people buying from them so I’ve decided to do series on the brands I know, like and trust. I have either bought from these small brands, worked with them or both for many many years so I hope this will help you if you are looking for something specific for your dog.

The Ultimate in Whippet Attire

Now I have been working with Debbie at Redhound for Dogs who makes whippet coats & jumpers, photographing for her brand for, oooh, 8 years now so you could be mistaken for thinking I’m biased with this spotlight, but there’s a reason I’ve been working with her for so long; she’s passionate about what she does – clothing whippets both practically and stylishly, she delivers consistently high stands, she’s generous to a fault and an all round good egg.

The face behind the brand.

There will be cheaper alternatives.

The thing I love about this brand is that Debbie and her team are always ahead of the game. I the last few years I’ve seen a massive increase in brands catering not just dog jumpers and coats, but whippet specific ones too, and it’s great to see this industry growing! The differentiator is that Debbie has been doing her thing for 13 years and sewing and designing has been in her blood for many more years that that! So when you buy a coat or a jumper from her you know these things; she has researched tirelessly about what works and what doesn’t, she knows the shape of a whippet like the back of her hand, her skills are finely honed, she sources the best materials and that whatever you buy will last. In every area of my life, I’ve got more and more conscious about not buying things to throw them away 6 months later because they are cheaper, but instead, investing in something which lasts.

Made for Sighthounds

If you have ever tried to find a whippet jumper or coat, or actually if you have any dog with the same build as a sighthound like a Vizsla or a Dalmatian, you know how hard it is to find ‘of the rack’ that fit their shape – with their tucked up waist, deep chest and long backs, pet shop attire ends up gaping in one area or another. That’s why Redhound are so great, Debbie has known and worked with the sighthound shape for over a decade!

Because Debbie has a genuine love for making sure sighthounds are cosy and wearing appropriate attire, in her range you will find something for every season, every weather occurrence and whatever you look for, it will be stylish as well as practical. So whether it’s rain, snow, wind, dark nights, a bit of spring drizzle – your hound will be covered!

Have you already discovered Redhound for Dogs? Let me know in the comments!

You can follow Debbie on: Instagram | Facebook | Website 

A Magical Hike in Coniston

If you have ever been to the Lake District, you know that you can never rely on the weather – it can be very different at the bottom of the fell to the top!

I recently stayed in Coniston with my good friends Rachel & Patch (Rachel helps pet businesses get their own PR so if you are a pet brand, check her out!! Patch is chief supervising officer). We hiked up Holmes Fell on a unseasonably warm day – the chance of rain being small (which means it’ll likely still happen at some point!). Holmes Fell is a lovely but steep little hike, and not as touristy as some of the other fells so we didn’t see very many people at all!

Magic in Nature

Now I’m not afraid to admit, I still have a childlike curiosity about nature, from mushroom spotting to insect hunting – so when we were greeted by the most incredible rainbow display, I was beside myself! They were closer than I had ever seen them, and we saw the full arc, although because I had lugged my camera with my 70-200 lens on, I couldn’t get the full arc in most of the shots, but my Samsung phone picked up some great ones.

The Love of Nature

I know the science behind how rainbows happen, to me, that doesn’t make it any less magical – seeing this amazing display of colours in the sky, especially with the backdrop of the fells, was a pretty special moment.

I think that’s why I’m drawn to nature when I come to photographing dogs. Both of them are a constant surprise and bring me so much joy!

The only real purpose of this blog post was to showcase this magical moment, so I hope you have enjoyed it!! I have a feeling that a lot of you feel the same about being outdoors that I do. 

And if you ever fancy a hiking photoshoot with your dogs in the Lake District, you know where I am.

Kerry x

Taken on a Samsung phone

Lake District & Cumbria Dog Photographer

Dog Friendly Lake District & Cumbria

I can’t believe that it’s been 9 months since I moved from Sussex to Cumbria, it’s seems to have flown by, but also I feel like I’ve been here for a lot longer. It’s not been easy acclimatising to a new place where I don’t know anyone, somewhere with sheep round every corner (not great for a sighthound owner), and the weather…the wind, the rain, the wind – it’s mid June and I’m still wearing jumpers and a gilet most days 😂BUT, aside from that, the views, the scenery, the empty beaches, the fact that I can walk for 5 hours and only see a couple of people has been really good for the soul. Renovating the house and work has kept me busy, but it’s a perfect place to really find out who I am as a person after being part of a couple for 22 years.

Anyhow, enough of that, now the interesting stuff! There’s a lot of ‘dog friendly’ places in the Lake District but I’m searching out those places who go the extra mile. This post will be updated as I find new places, so be sure to keep checking back, and I’ll post on social if I find somewhere new too.

Granny Dowbekins, Pooley Bridge

First up is a place which I discovered 3 years ago when I came to the Lake District on a solo trip in January. I was really taken with Pooley Bridge, lots of walks from the car park, and my first, but not last,  visit to Granny Dowbekins. Not only is this lovely cafe dog friendly, they have goody bags for the dogs on the menu which includes dog biscuits, but also things like left over sausages and black pudding! They now have a gorgeous garden room, and a lovely outside section right on the river. What made me love this place even more though was the fact that they offered to hold the boys while I nipped to the ladies! Now that’s dog friendly customer service. Be warned, the food is delicious, but they don’t scrimp on size! The last time I went I had smashed avacado on toast with a poached egg, it was huge! Great coffee too.

There are some fantastic walks from here, but the one I’d recommend is heading up to see the Roman High Street and the oldest Bronze Age Circle in the Lake District, a bit hilly, but fairly easy and you can walk from the town, or you can get the ferry to further up and walk back (see further down for Ullswater Steamer details).

Granny Dowbekins Tea Room in Pooley Bridge

The Secret Garden, Pooley Bridge

The last time I was in Pooley Bridge Granny’s had a fairly big queue outside at about 11.30, but I’d met a couple on a walk who recommended The Secret Garden which was right next door so I decided to try it out. Why is it secret? Well you actually have to go through the convenience store to find the door to this quirkily little bar/restaurant! It looked lovely inside, but I had a rare day of warm sun with no wind, so headed outside to the lovely decked area on the river. There were quite a few dogs scattered around, and a few up on the seats where the owners had put down rugs which was lovely to see. It was a bit early for lunch so treated myself to coffee and cake but the rest of the menu looked good. It’s obviously popular because as I was leaving just after midday, the queue was pretty big so I’d recommend getting there early! Despite being busy, one of the staff offered to hold the boys while I nipped to the loo (yes, again!).

The Secret Garden, Pooley Bridge

Ullswater Steamers, Pooley Bridge

This was actually the first time the boys and their friend Luna had been on a boat and they weren’t fazed by it at all! We went from Pooley Bridge to Howtown which took maybe 10 minutes, but if you fancy a longer trip, you can go to Aria Force Waterfall or Glenridding. This walk can take you right onto the Roman High Street and the Bronze Age Circle, with some lovely views over Ullswater. It’s such a lovely, novel thing to do with dogs, I think there are a few ferries which are dog friendly so I’m going to be giving them a try now I’ve done this short trip and know the boys are okay with it. It’s worth noting that you can book in advance, but if the wind is high, the ferry does get cancelled.

Dogs are £1 extra each to travel on the ferry.

The Big Shop with the Little Door, Pooley Bridge

AKA as Chestnut House, this was another find when I first visited the Lakes. If you need to stock up on essentials, it’s mini supermarket and the whole shop is dog friendly, but the reason I have included it on here is the gin. So. Much. Gin. A whole huge wall of gin. What’s fantastic is the knowledge of said gin, and any other spirits they have on there! Don’t go in unless you are prepared to come out with at least one bottle of something alcoholic – I only went in for milk and nearly forgot that!

The Big Shop with the Little Door, Pooley Bridge

Inn on the Square, Keswick

When I did a request for dog friendly places in Cumbria, Keswick was one of the most mentioned. Inn on the Square is perfectly located right on the main stretch, as well as the front bar and a small section behind the bar before you go to the restaurant which are both dog friendly, they also have dog friendly hotel rooms and a whole dog friendly section on the website too! When we (and when I say me, I mean me and the boys of course) popped in for the first time, I decided to sit in the carpeted area just before the restaurant (bony sighthound legs prefer softer floors!), and within minutes they were brought a bowl of water. The boys were made to feel very welcome!

Inn on the Square, Keswick

Podgy Paws Pet Shop, Keswick

I go into Keswick a couple of times a month and never miss a chance to visit Podgy Paws! The boys are in heaven trying to steal whatever they can and they are always given treats. I’ve quite often watched the staff there give great advice to people on everything from harnesses to food and toys, they always seem very knowledgeable and friendly. They have a raw food freezer, with complete raw food and raw meaty bones which I always stock up on, and some great natural treats (like Anco chews which are always a firm favourite of the boys). If you are in Keswick, I’d highly recommend a visit, your hounds will thank you!

Still to come:

Jaspers Coffee House, Keswick & Braithwaite

The Kirkstyle Inn, Lowsewater

Do you know of somewhere super dog friendly in Cumbria? Drop me a message so I can check them out!

Kerry x

It seems quite serendipitous that I’m sitting down to write this today, as a year to the date I made a decision that drastically changed the course of my life and as a dog photographer, the last 2 years have been difficult enough anyway! This last year has made me question a lot, given me times when I wasn’t sure if I could cope, but I have also came with some incredible memories. 

So lets start at the beginning!

January 2021

A year ago  I decided to leave my husband, we had been together nearly 22 years. It came as a shock to a lot of people, but I think I’d known for a while and it was incredibly tough, but also the right thing to do. It’ll come as no surprise that due to intermittent lockdowns and this, I didn’t really get out to photograph much as usual. In January, I did however have the pleasure of meeting someone who I had followed on Instagram without realising he lived just a few minutes down the road! That ‘person’ was Jasper (and his lovely human of course).

February 2021

Looking through the limited photo’s from the first couple of months, it’s funny to see that the only shots I took were of Jasper, and then Jasper’s new sibling Sunday! All the days were merging into one at this point, I’d had vague ideas of getting away for a while to either France or South Africa but of course travel was out of the question!

March 2021

I was finally able to get out and start shooting again and had the it was so much fun shooting for two brands, Reg & Bob who create hard wearing but beautifully colourful collars for dogs who love to get mucky! The other one was my good friend the Slumbering Hound who makes a heap of gorgeous things for dogs and who I’ve worked with for a few years now.

The pandemic made me realise just how fragile my dog photography business could be, so in March I launched a separate business for pet brands – mostly helping with content creation and social media engagement but I have also been doing website updates and proof reading. A couple of decades as a PA in the city has come in use for this! The website is www.kerryjordan.co.uk if  you want to check it out.

The year had already been pretty tough, I had moved out of my home, had moved in with one friend, and then my circumstances changed again so moved in with a second. I’m always going to be supremely grateful for the kindness I was shown in this period.

And then, the one thing you dread as a dog owner happened, and I had to say goodbye to my dear sweet Jasper. (As I’m writing this, that bloody Adele song ‘go easy on me’ is playing and not helping with the tears.) Jasper was 16 and had gone from a scared, barky, nervous dog to a happy little wiggle monster who was adored by everyone who met him. I had the honour of him being in my life for 10 years, but it didn’t seem long enough. I miss him, and I don’t think that will change, but sometimes I think he’s still around, I just can’t see him.

April 2021

April was a busy one and it’s the start of one of my favourite times, bluebell season! So lots of fabulous client shoots as well as brand shoots for my friend Debbie at Redhound for Dogs Whippet Attire, K9 Connectables interactive toys & The Lounging Hound and their beautiful beds.

May 2021

Well, May, what I can I say? Well, I think I said most things in the post Solo Van Tour but very briefly, as I wasn’t able to travel abroad, so I did something that was scary, but also amazing, and hired a van for a month to travel round the UK. I learned how to drive a massive van, I learned how to live in a tiny space, I had tantrums, I explored, and I found out a lot about myself and had the.best.time. I knew that it was unlikely that I’d get this kind of opportunity again for a while, and I would do it again in a heartbeat.

June 2021

With more of the restrictions lifted, I was super excited to go and see my dear friend Debbie at Redhound for another little shoot. I also had some beautiful new headshots done by Joanna Cleeve which I adore; to me they show a new person emerging, someone who is gaining confidence, who is yet to go through more hardships but knows her internal strength will carry her through (sounds a bit woo woo, but that’s how I feel when I look at them now!).

But the biggest thing was returning to a place which stole my heart, the Lake District, to look at properties! I found one that needed a lot of renovating, but was a good location in west Cumbria, close to the Lakes and the coast, and put in an offer. Little did I know just what I had let myself in for! 😂

July 2021

I don’t think I realised just how many brand shoots I had in 2021! I did my second shoot for the fantastic Nash Dog who make bamboo drying coats, which I’m reliably informed, even dry spaniel ears! As well as wading into a lake to get some cracking action shots for a client shoot and yet another visit to my friend and rock, Debbie.

On the 26th of July I celebrated another year of the day I created – National Dog Photography Day, which I started as a way to celebrate our love of photographing dogs back in 2018. This year it trended #2 on Twitter despite stiff competition from the Olympics! It’s talked about in national and worldwide press, and celebrities join in too so it’s pretty incredible to me to watch the day unfold.

August 2021

With the offer on the house being accepted, August was a bit of a whirlwind sorting out the logistics of moving over 350 miles away, as well as getting in some of my favourite walks and trying to see as many friends as I could. I managed to get some shoots in though thankfully as it was another of my favourite times to shoot, heather season!

September 2021

September saw me packing up a massive van and driving half way across the country on my birthday, what a way to celebrate! I moved into a house which needed completely stripping, was filthy and had some fairly big issues to deal with. But it was mine. September was also about taking a bit of time to breathe. The emotions of the year had been intense and sometimes overwhelming so I took time to walk in nature, and wonder where the heck I was going to start on the house. I hardly took my camera out in September, but just appreciated the moment….also, it rained a lot!

October 2021

This month there was a mini shoot for the lovely ladies at Country & Twee, a foraging day and a walk with someone who I can call a friend even though until October, we had only met briefly, the fabulous Rachel Spencer and Patch! Rachel (who helps pet businesses with PR) and I met at a conference, became business accountability buddies and the rest is history. I love the fact that I’m still meeting amazing people in my 40’s!

I travelled back to Sussex for a couple of shoots and caught up with friends which was fantastic but I felt drained for days afterwards! I think the toll of the year was starting to get to me a little.

November 2021

My trip down south was at the end of October, so at the start November I popped in to see Debbie again and photographed some of her gorgeous new products in beautiful light. The rest of November was buckling down doing things on the house and exploring.

It was also the month that my divorce was finalised, a very strange feeling.

December 2021

December saw a mini “Petrepeneur” Christmas party with the lovely Rachel which consisted of much hilarity as we turned up to a ‘pod’ with no bedding, cutlery or plates! We hadn’t thought to check! So after a quick stop at B&M, we drank too much champagne from £1 mugs while we ate our microwave meals and sandwiches with a £3 cuttlery set. It was an absolutely brilliant night!

It also saw me back in Surrey for shoots and catching up  with friends, revelling in the practically balmy southern weather – the hounds were even coatless at one point! Unfortunately, it also saw me having to self isolate over Christmas, a pretty sorry affair and I saw the old year out with one of my best friends over Zoom.

There are things I wish hadn’t happened last year, and situations I would have liked to avoid, but mostly I tried to do what I thought was best knowing I don’t want to look back with regret. The positives are, I have still managed to make some incredible memories, I unexpectedly met someone who I really rather like, I’ve learned a lot about forgiveness and not holding on to negativity, and that you can’t always do what’s right for everyone.

I’m starting 2022 happy, healthy, healing and motivated. I’ve got some pawesome plans for the business which I can’t wait to share with you. If you have got this far, congratulations, and THANK YOU!

I sincerely hope that you are starting 2022 happy and healthy too!

Kerry x

Hi there, thanks for visiting! Are you constantly frustrated with the images you take of your dogs? I can help!

In case you didn’t know, I’m Kerry & I have been a been photographing professionally for 11 years and started specialising in dogs 7 years ago.

The the idea behind this course was to help you understand what makes a good image and give you the knowledge to implement it; there’s no technical jargon and you don’t need a fancy camera.

It will take place in a private Facebook group & the cost is 135.00 GBP. This will include the weekly practical challenges for you to work on, I’ll be there to answer any questions, help with any frustrations and give feedback on images.

Course Content

What do you get?

• An exclusive, closed FB group, or an Instagram messenger group.
• Weekly tasks to help improve your skills.
• Trouble shooting.
• Weekly round up & image assessments.
• Regular Q&A Sessions.
• Money back guarantee. If you have completed each element and don’t feel like your dog portraits have improved, you will be refunded.

What do you need?

• Any kind of digital camera, whether phone or DSLR.
• Enthusiasm!

Booking

If reading this you are getting excited about the prospect of improving your skills & knowledge, then I can’t wait to have you on board! Drop me a message in the comments and I’ll add you to the pre-register list.

If you are looking for something a bit more advanced – check out Furdography F2.0 here: https://www.furandfables.com/furdography-f2-0