Do pets make good photo subjects?

This one is easy to answer, yes. Pets are always welcome at my photo shoots. There are only a few animals (that people tend to keep for pets) that I'm not good with dealing with and for the most part if I don't have to touch them I am just fine. And to make the experience easier for everyone, I've got some pointers and items to think about.

Some things to let your photographer know about your pet:

• What kind of animal your pet is?
• How long do they take to warm up to new people?
• Should we avoid populated areas?
• Will they let me move them?
• Any other items that would be good to know?

Another important list that will help your photo shoot go smoothly is some items you may want to bring with you.  Pets are like kids and some times need extra stuff to get them through a couple of hours in front of the camera or a nice distraction.

Some things to bring for your pet:

• A few poop bags for the dog
• Restraints of some kind
• Treats
• Their favorite toy or one that gets their attention
• Anything that helps your pet be calm and relaxed
• The biggest thing is to have fun and relax your self

My pets are considered family members, so we alwasy try to get them in the pictures.  The cat doesn't always want to play nice and love to run off and hide. I'm sure you consider your pet a family member too and they belong in your photo too.  The best advice I can give you for any photo shoot is to remember to have fun with your photo session and you'll have the best return on your investment.

Have you done photos with your pets? If so what advice do you have?