Surely choosing a photographer for your pet business is fairly simple? Find someone who takes lovely photos, check they’re available and book them. I’m afraid not! At least that’s my opinion, and here’s why….

Firstly, let me say, I am not dismissing other photographers, far from it. I work with and recommend some very talented commercial photographers who work in the pet industry.

But photography is a huge industry with lots of different specialisms. Someone can be an incredible wedding, portrait or landscape photographer but that doesn’t necessarily mean they understand commercial photography, working with animals, or what those images actually need to do for your business.

You’re not just paying for pretty pictures – those images could be the first thing someone sees when they land on your website, spot you at an event or discover you on social media. They could end up in a catalogue, press article, product launch, award entry or even blown up across the side of your trade stand. These images will be representing your business, sometimes for years after the shoot has finished. So choosing the right photographer matters.

Your pet brand photography is telling a story

If you’re an outdoorsy brand but everything feels overly polished and staged, there’s a disconnect. If your whole ethos is centred around happy, relaxed dogs but the animals in your imagery look uncomfortable, that’s a BIG disconnect. And if the photographs don’t show how your product or service fits into real life, you’re making your customer work much harder to understand why they need it. None of those things necessarily mean the photographs themselves are bad – they could be technically brilliant. They are just not right for your brand.

That’s why I think one of the most important things to ask when looking through a photographer’s portfolio is whether you could imagine your own brand within it. Does their style reflect how you want your business to feel? Would it connect with the people you’re trying to reach?

Why understanding the pet industry makes a difference

Working within the pet industry brings another layer of understanding to a commercial shoot, you start to understand the little details pet owners notice, the conversations happening within the industry, the ethics that matter and what customers are likely to connect with.

I work with pet brands I’d happily buy from myself, and quite often already have. I think that makes a difference because I’m not coming to a shoot completely cold. I understand the world my clients and their customers live in. Your photographer doesn’t necessarily need to own pets themselves, but I do think they need to understand the audience they’re creating the imagery for.

Does your photographer understand animal behaviour?

Then there’s the very important matter of actually understanding animals. I’ve seen examples where a photographer has allowed a situation to go too far because they haven’t recognised that an animal is stressed or uncomfortable. Aside from the obvious welfare issue, that discomfort is going to show in the final photographs too. Your customer might not be able to tell you exactly what’s wrong with an image, but a dog with a tense face and uncomfortable body language probably is going to make them stop and question why it’s making them feel off.

There’s also the reality that animals aren’t able to read the shot list 😂 You might have a beautifully planned shoot and a dog who normally has the obedience of a Crufts champion, only for them to decide on the day that they’ve never heard the word “sit” before in their life – and that’s normal!

Working with animals means knowing when to adapt, when to pause, when to try something completely different and occasionally when to accept that the shot you had planned simply isn’t happening and just going with the flow if the dog decides that stealing the treats is more fun! Knowing the limitations of the animal in front of you is just as important as knowing how to use the camera.

Commercial photography needs to work for your business

This is another area where choosing someone with commercial experience can make a huge difference.

Before a shoot, I always discuss and check to see what the images are going to be used for. Do you need website banners? Images with negative space for text? Portrait crops for social media? Something that can be enlarged for an exhibition stand? Are you launching a product, pitching to the press or creating a catalogue? All of that influences how I approach the shoot and the shot list.

A beautiful photograph isn’t particularly useful if the composition means your website designer can’t put any text over it, or you’ve got 50 variations of essentially the same image when what you really needed was a versatile image library.

It’s also worth asking about licensing and usage before you book. Make sure you understand where you’re allowed to use the photographs and whether that matches what you need them for.

The shoot itself might only last a few hours, but the right images can support your business for years.

The opportunity cost of choosing the wrong photographer

It isn’t only about the damage poor or unsuitable imagery might do, it’s also about what the right imagery could have done for you.

I’ve had clients use images from our shoots for websites, social media, product launches, PR, magazine covers, award entries, catalogues, email marketing and trade shows. They’ve appeared in major publications and helped businesses show up professionally when opportunities have come their way.

If you’re investing in commercial photography, you want to come away with imagery that can do as many jobs as possible. That’s where planning beforehand becomes so important.

How to choose the right commercial photographer for your pet brand

So how do you choose?

Basically, reverse all of the above!

Look for someone who understands commercial photography and has experience working with animals. Spend some time looking through their portfolio and ask yourself whether you can imagine your products or services being photographed in that style.

Read their client testimonials too. A portfolio tells you what a photographer can create, but testimonials tell you what they’re actually like to work with.

I’d also look at their ethos. Do their values align with yours? If animal welfare is central to your business, does the way they work reflect that? Do they seem genuinely interested in understanding your products, your customers and what you’re trying to achieve?

And importantly, do they ask questions?

I don’t think a commercial shoot should start with “what photos would you like?” It should involve conversations about your audience, your marketing, where the images will be used and the story you’re trying to tell. From there you can think about the right locations, animals, people and shot list to bring it all together.

Because the right photographer shouldn’t just make your products look good. They should understand your business, your audience, your animals and the story you want your imagery to tell. And preferably know that when the dog says they’ve had enough, they’ve had enough.

If you’re planning a commercial shoot for your pet business and would like a photographer who’ll help with the thinking before the camera even comes out, feel free to get in touch. I’d love to hear about your brand.

Drop me a WhatsApp to 07810 541 685 or pop me an email to kerry@furandfables.com