FAQs

What’s the format of a photo session?

When you book a photo session we will discuss the most suitable day and time for you. We will also talk about your dog and you will give me a quick insight to what they like, where they like to go and their personality. This gives me an idea of how to approach the session so that your dog feels the most comfortable and therefore we can get more out of our time.

When we meet I will spend a little bit of time getting to know your dog. Some dogs won’t care less whether I am there pointing a camera at them or not, but others may be a little more wary. You know your dog best and so we will discuss all of this prior to the session.

Once we are all acquainted I will make an assessment of the situation, with regards to what your dog is likely to do and together we will work out the best way to get a variety of interesting images given the constraints of where we are and also the lighting conditions. I may ask you to ‘throw the ball here’, ‘stand there and ask them to run towards you’ and various other methods to enable me to get the most interesting photographs. It’s always best to photograph your dog without them really being bothered by us atall, but a little bit of ‘stay’ or ‘sit’ will make for a nice variety. We certainly don’t make any dog do anything they are not happy about!

What’s the best time of year for a session?

There really is no best time of year and I take bookings all through the year. Each season has it’s merits and drawbacks. Summer for example is great for long days and sessions during the warm evenings, but it’s way too hot and bright in the middle of the day. Winter is cooler, but often more dramatic, and much better for the dogs in the day because of the cooler temperatures. With the sun being lower in the sky this means I can shoot for most of the day and not have to wait until the evening. Either way, there are always opportunities all year round.

What is the best time of day for a photo session?

Lighting conditions are most often best for photography early in the day or a couple of hours before sunset. In the middle of the day lighting can be quite harsh, especially if it’s a blazing hot day. If you have a dog with dark fur, it is best that we have less harsh lighting conditions. Also, when it gets warmer, the middle of the day can become too hot for some breeds if we are not under any cover. Basically, I will make an assessment of your breed of dog, the time of year and where we are due to go for the session to decide what is the most appropriate time. Any time of year is great for dog photography, depending on the weather of course.

Can the whole family come to the session?

Well yes of course you can bring along who you like, but try to keep numbers to a minimum so your dog doesn’t get too distracted by too many people. Two is an ideal number for my purposes because you can call your dog between you.

I live out of Brighton, can you come further afield?

Absolutely. 10 miles from Brighton I charge a 45p per mile travel fee, so for example if you wanted us to meet in Littlehampton which is a 22-mile drive from Brighton (44 in total there and back) I would charge 44 miles minus 20 miles x 45p = £10.80 extra on top of your session fee.

What if the weather is bad?

Yes, this is Britain and we can’t always rely on the weather. My basic rule of thumb is that I am happy to photograph in all weathers apart from heavy rain. This is no fun for you, your dog or for my camera. So, in a situation whereby we meet up for a session and the weather suddenly turns sour, I will decide if the weather is not suitable and we will rearrange another time to meet. Basically, until you get your allocated and paid-for time for photography we will meet up until you have received it, and this won’t cost you any extra.

How many dogs can I bring to a session?

This depends on the session. Please see my prices page for the different options.

What happens after the session?

Once we have completed the photo session/s, I will upload a gallery of images to my Photoshelter site. From here, you can choose your free print/s and also order and pay for any others you would like. If you don’t want to use Photoshelter I am happy to do this for you at no extra charge, although obviously you will need to pay me for the orders you want first. I can go over the options for you after the session on the phone or in person at the session.

Then I may blog about the session on my website and put a small selection of the best images on my flickr page and facebook page so that others can comment on your photos and say how cute your dogs are! I find it invaluable feedback.

What is Photoshelter?

Photoshelter provide a fantastic service for photographers, enabling us to build websites that are great for our customers to browse and purchase images. All orders come through myself.

Are the images expensive?

Prices of my prints of images that I have taken of your dog are incredibly reasonable, starting at £3.95 for a 6×4″ print. Prices of goods vary from this small price to £89.95 for a 22″ x 22″ canvas and there are many options between these two prices. Have a look at my ‘What you can get’ page.

How long do my images stay on Photoshelter?

I will never take them down, unless Photoshelter or I cease to trade (which is not on the cards!). This way, you don’t have to worry about rushing through an order, others may want to order, or you may want to order products at a much later date and then you can without worrying about having to order quickly. After your session you will be given a 15% discount code to spend at the site, which is valid for two weeks.

I want to buy an image through my Photoshelter gallery but there isn’t the option for what I wanted

There probably is but I haven’t included it in my gallery. There are literally hundreds of available options and I didn’t want to confuse clients with too many options. Let me know what you want and I can probably add it just for you.

Can I have the images on a CD?

I am happy for you to post low resolution images of the prints that you have purchased from Photoshelter on to Facebook to share with your friends. Once you buy your prints you just need to let me know you want facebook files and I can email them to you. I don’t offer low res images other than those purchased within my shop on Photoshelter. These images will contain my logo.

I want to make a Calendar of the images of my dog, can you do this?

I am not able to make individual Calendars for clients. Your options in this case are to buy the images as digital downloads or to buy individual prints and put the Calendar together yourself. It is important if you are thinking of creating a Calendar to let me know before the session so I can try and take lots of suitable shots.

Who owns the copyright?

I own and retain the copyright for all of my images. If for any reason you need to purchase the copyright to your images please contact me for further information.

I want a photo book but don’t want to book such a long session

The best photo books are those with a wide variety of images in them, which I would recommend you only choose if we have been to two locations together. This is to keep the book as interesting as possible. Those clients who have booked Options 4 and 5 will have given me ample time and opportunity to get a wide variety of images. I am happy to create books for an additional cost of £45 for those who have had Options 1-3, but only if you have booked two sessions on separate days. Basically, I require two shoots in two different locations to make a book.

What are the best places for photo sessions around Brighton?

Well, lucky for us there are so many great places! Personally, I like Stanmer Park, Sheepcote Valley, Devil’s Dyke, Newtimber Hill, Withdean Park,  Hove beach huts and of course the beach. These are ideal because the dogs can go off the lead and run around safely and of course the scenery is lovely. Preston and Hove Park are also good locations, but they are enclosed by roads so we need to be sure your dog won’t run off, and also there are more distractions (ie other dogs muscling in on the action!). Anywhere on Brighton Beach is good, although some dogs don’t like the pebbles, other dogs absolutely love them and the water, so it’s whatever suits you and your dog best. We can also go further afield, just let me know your ideas, although after 10 miles out of Brighton I charge an extra 45p per mile fee.

Will you do a photo session at my home?

Yes, absolutely.. or at your work, or on holiday. The only place I don’t take photos is in a studio.

Will you take a photo of me and my dog with my dog on the lead?

Although I do prefer for dogs to be off the lead I understand this may not always be possible. If you want your dog to be on the lead, you will need to be in the photos too, because pictures of dogs sitting still with a lead flying out of the picture don’t look so good. There is plenty we can do with the both of you together. If you have a nervous dog perhaps a shoot at your home would be more suitable, where they are most comfortable and chilled out.

Do you offer Gift Vouchers?

Yes, of course, these make for great gifts. I offer vouchers for all of my sessions and you can purchase them by contacting me in the first instance and I will send you an invoice with details of how to pay and then once paid I will post you the voucher.

Any other questions?

If you have any other questions that I haven’t answered here, please comment below and I will answer your question immediately.