Pets Plus Us

Last spring I was approached by Pets Plus Us, a new Oakville-based pet insurance company, looking to create imagery for their brand.  The company’s mission is to be a champion of pet owner happiness by providing peace of mind to clients who purchase insurance for their cats and dogs as well as acting as a community resource for all pet owners.  Pets Plus Us wanted their brand imagery to capture the happiness found in pet owners and tasked me to the create this for them.

For most commercial photography campaigns I make use of professional models – both human and animal – who are used to being photographed and know how to pose for the camera.  In this instance though Pets Plus Us wanted to make use of their own staff members, their staff members’ families, and their very own pets.  They thought this would be a great way to capture the true bond between pets and their owners.  The Pets Plus Us team is comprised of a dedicated group of animal lovers who were eager to take part.  I loved the idea and was excited to get started on the project.

I knew going into the shoot that it wasn’t going to be easy to get our amateur human models to look comfortable in front of the camera and to simultaneously get their animals into position, but I was confident in my ability to pull it off.  With lots of treats and toys Angus, my resident animal handler, was able to work his magic with the dogs and cats while I coaxed the humans into natural poses and captured photos that highlighted the special bond between them.

Throughout a very long weekend of shooting at my Toronto studio, I met lots of great dogs and cats along with the friendly Pets Plus Us team.  I successfully created a wide variety of photos that encompassed the company’s vision for its brand.  The company has used the photos in print advertisements, on their website, and in social media, to build their client base and work towards their mission of being a true champion of pet owner happiness.  Be sure to check out their website, which has lots of great resources for all pet owners across Canada.