Pet photography is equal parts rewarding and challenging. 

The challenges arise as follows: 

1) Pets have a mind of their own, especially that beautiful cat pictured to the left. That is Vladimir, my Siberian cat. Glorious to look at, and a pretty good model for me to practice on. That said, when he does not want to be photographed--he isn't. 

2) Sometimes pets can be a little skiddish around a new person... especially a new person with a camera in their face.

3) Keeping their attention for a photo shoot for more than a minute or two at a time is more difficult than photographing a newborn baby who missed his afternoon nap and needs to be fed.

Luckily, there are ways around all of these obstacles, that leave everybody--especially your pet, feeling at ease and happy with their beautiful new portraits. 

When I meet my furry clients, I find it extremely important to let the pet come to me. In no way do I try to rush the process. Gaining the trust of pets is essential to a successful photoshoot, so a lot of sniffing, rubbing and playing with their favorite toys helps all parties equally. Ivan, my other feline friend, was a rescue from Long Island and barely came around for six months. To this day, he is still very difficult to photograph, and because of his reserved nature, I tailor my photos of Ivan to activities and places that he is perfectly comfortable with. The approach to pets is everything, and the pictures of shy little Ivan are the proof. 

I was blessed this holiday season with a new lens from my lovely future mother-in-law. My first reaction was to throw my hands up in the air and scream "Oh my goodness, THANK YOU!" My second reaction was to get that baby on my camera and start shooting. Of course my favorite model, my cat Vladimir, helped me even more pet photography practice with a holiday twist. Enjoy!