save the date … with the dogs

Engagement photography with dogs at Milton town hall by Toronto pet photographer photo.

Move over wedding photographers, this pet photographer is now shooting engaged couples! This mini Milton engagement session with dogs was a first for me, and I loved it! One of the wonderful things about photography is the creativity it allows … I can open myself up to new challenges and opportunities and learn from all of them.

I photographed weimaraners Buckeye and Zoey last year, and since then I’ve occasionally kept in touch with their mom Kim. When she contacted me last month to tell me her boyfriend had popped the question and then asked if I could photograph the happy couple with the dogs for their Save the Date card, I was pretty excited.

This is why I love dog people … rather than immediately thinking of a people photographer for the job (Kim says her wedding photographer would have run away screaming at the thought of dealing with dogs, lol!), they thought of a pet photographer.

Kim had a very specific shot in mind: a horizontal image of the couple from the waist down with Buckeye and Zoey wearing signs around their necks annoucing the wedding date. Kim wanted the dogs to be the main focus.

Since I had worked with Buckeye and Zoey before and know what goofs they are (I say that with total affection!), I wasn’t sure how they would do with the signs.

I thought this would be a good opportunity to give you a glimpse of the “behind the scenes” bloopers that go on at a typical session. Note that Zoey got her sign muddy after about 10 seconds of wearing it!

Modern Toronto engagement photography with dogs photo.
From top left: The “Is it over yet?” yawn, Buckeye showing me what he REALLY thinks of this whole photo shoot nonsense, the always awesome curled lip, the “Do we get treats for this mom?” look, and the “Saddest-eyes-ever, woe-is-me, where is my cookie?” expression from Buckeye alongside the classic stink-eye from Zoey.

Although Kim only wanted one shot, which I actually got right at the beginning, I took them to three locations in close proximity to try a few different looks. In the process I discovered an urban gem of a spot in Milton that I will keep in mind for future sessions.

I usually don’t talk to the dogs much during my typical pet sessions (usually I’m just chattering to myself!), but this time I was talking to Buckeye and Zoey constantly to keep their attention and have them look directly at the camera. I have never said “Who wants a cookie?” more in my life! But it worked, and this is the shot Kim ended up choosing:
Engagement photography with dogs at Milton town hall by Toronto pet photographer photo.Congratulations Kim and Nathan! I hope your Save the Date card is a big hit and I loved being part of creating it!