Q: Why would I hire you to take portraits of my pet when I can do it myself for free?
A: It’s true, anyone with a camera can take snapshots of their pets, but taking a great portrait is much more difficult. It saddens us how often we meet people who regret not having had professional photographs taken of a beloved animal who is no longer with them. This is what makes our jobs so rewarding – creating lasting memories that we know will be cherished forever.
Q: Your portfolio is mostly of dogs and cats. Do you work with other animals as well?
A: For sure! We love all animals and would jump at the opportunity to photograph most of them. Unless your animal is really dangerous (think angry venomous snake or charging hippopotamus) then we’d be thrilled to take portraits of them. In addition to our work with dogs and cats, we have photographed snakes and birds in studio and a wide range of animals in their natural setting.
Q: How much does your service cost?
A: Portraits sessions start at $150. Print prices begin at $50 for gift prints (up to 8” x 10”). The average client invests between $1200 and $1600 in their custom fine art photography. There is a minimum investment requirement of $350.
Q: I have a black dog and haven’t ever been able to take a good photo of it. Can you take portraits of black pets?
A: We take portraits of all colours of animals, including black ones. The trick to taking great photographs of animals is knowing how to light them properly. We tailor the lighting we use in each and every photo session to the individual animal we are photographing to make sure your pet looks like a star.
Q: Do you ever shoot pets on location?
A: Jason’s passion is for studio photography, so we normally prefer to work out of our studio in downtown Toronto. Having said this, we do occasionally travel within the Greater Toronto Area for outdoor and in-home sessions. Please enquire about our rates for on location photo shoots.
Q: My dog has never been trained and doesn’t even know how to sit. Are you able to photograph untrained animals?
A: You bet! Some of our absolute favourite portraits have been of dogs that had never been trained. Jason and his assistant work with each and every pet owner to figure out the best ways to photograph their individual animal. It’s important to remember that patience is the key to success when photographing animals, so try not to get frustrated or angry with your pet if they aren’t performing as you’d like them to.
Q: Will I receive a CD of the photographs from my session?
A: All our clients receive a web-ready (low resolution) digital version of all the images that they choose to purchase as products. We also sell full resolution digital negatives, which are great for the do-it-yourselfer or for archival purposes.
Q: Do you shoot multiple pets at once?
A: It would be our pleasure to take portraits of your entire animal family! We have taken photos of as many as seven (yup SEVEN) dogs at once and lots of mixed families of cats and dogs. The standard session fee includes up to two animals. There is a charge of $50 for each animal in addition to this. This fee covers the extra shooting time during the session as well as the extra time required to select images and edit them.
Q: Do you take portraits of humans as well?
A: We sure do. Many of our clients want portraits of themselves with their pets. We also shoot humans on their own from time to time.
Q: I guess my question hasn’t been asked frequently enough to make it to this list. How can I get answers to more questions?
A: We’d be thrilled to answer any of your questions. Feel free to send us an email, or better yet give us a call (416-805-8529).