A Sweet Studio Dog Photography Session with Gus
Some dogs walk into the studio and immediately know exactly what they're supposed to do.
Gus was not one of those dogs.
And honestly? I loved him for it.
I had the sweetest studio session with Jessica and her rescue pup, Gus, and this little guy was basically just trying his absolute best to figure out what the heck I wanted from him.
There were treats. There were toys. There was a camera. There were lots of opportunities for Gus to make adorable faces.
And, most importantly, there were pets.
So. Many. Pets.
Meet Gus
Jessica adopted Gus after her oldest child went away to college and she was really feeling the loss. Luckily, she still had two other kids at home, but apparently there was room in the family for one more furry baby.
Enter Gus.
And Gus is just the sweetest.
He is an absolute cuddle bug who loves kisses, loves getting attention, and seems to think that pretty much every human he meets should probably be petting him.
Including me.
This actually presented a bit of a challenge during our session because Gus would wander right off my shooting area whenever he decided he needed some more attention.
He'd come over for some pets, get his fill, and then I'd put him back into position...
...only for him to wander right back over.
But here's the thing:
I really didn't mind.
Getting to steal some cuddles from a sweet rescue pup is hardly a hardship.
Gus Has a Wardrobe
And then Jessica arrived with an entire box of Gus's outfits.
Apparently, Gus and Jessica like to dress up for walks around their neighborhood—and especially for walks around the local elementary school, where all the kids know and love him.
Which makes perfect sense because Gus is approximately the most adorable neighborhood celebrity you could imagine.
They have clown wigs. Holiday outfits. Costumes. Collars. Headbands.
Basically, if you can put it on a dog, there is a good chance Gus owns it.
We did manage to squeeze in two outfits before Gus decided that being a studio model was exhausting:
A ridiculously cute Thanksgiving headband ...
and a little Christmas outfit with antlers and a festive collar.
And yes, he looked absolutely ridiculous.
In the best possible way.
Unfortunately, by that point Gus had reached his limit for the day. Between the new surroundings, the treats, the excitement, the photo session, and all the attention, he was officially done.
And honestly, that's one of the things I love about photographing dogs: we work with them.
There is no prize for making your dog push through a session when they're tired. Sometimes the best photos happen in the first twenty minutes. Sometimes we need a break. And sometimes your dog simply decides that they're finished being a model.
Gus had given us plenty.
A Little Studio Dog Photography, A Lot of Personality
One of my favorite things about photographing dogs is that I don't really want them to behave like perfect little models.
I want their personalities to show up.
And Gus gave us plenty of personality.
He was energetic and curious and clearly very invested in figuring out what he was supposed to be doing. You could almost see the wheels turning as he looked at me, looked at Jessica, looked at the treats, and tried to piece the whole thing together.
Fortunately, Gus is also very food motivated.
Which meant we were able to get some really fun jumping-for-treat photos.
Because sometimes the easiest way to convince a dog to cooperate with your creative vision is to remind them that there are snacks involved.
And Then I Got Jessica in Front of the Camera
I convinced Jessica to jump into a few photos with Gus, too.
I'm always glad when I can talk people into doing this.
Because while the obvious subject of a dog photography session is, well...the dog, the relationship between a person and their dog is often the most meaningful part of the story.
And it was incredibly sweet to see these two together.
Gus clearly adores Jessica, and Jessica clearly adores Gus right back.
There were cuddles, kisses, lots of affection, and a few moments where Gus seemed much more interested in loving on his person than cooperating with my camera.
Which, frankly, is exactly how it should be.
Rescue Dogs Deserve Their Moment in the Spotlight
There is something especially meaningful about photographing rescue dogs.
You don't necessarily know everything about their story before they became part of your family.
But once they're yours, they become such an important part of your life.
Gus is energetic, affectionate, curious, and just a giant sweetie.
And I'm pretty sure he left the studio believing that the whole purpose of his photo session was actually to receive as many pets as possible.
He may not have been wrong.
I'm so glad I got to spend some time with this sweet boy—and I'm especially glad I got to steal a few cuddles along the way.
Dog Photography in My Sugar Land Studio
My Sugar Land studio is a great option for dog photography when you want clean, simple portraits that really keep the focus on your pup.
We can do classic portraits, personality-filled candid images, action shots, photos with their favorite people, and even a few silly costume portraits if your dog happens to arrive with an entire wardrobe.
And because we're indoors, we don't have to worry about Houston heat, rain, muddy paws, or your dog getting distracted by approximately 4,000 interesting smells.
There is no requirement that your dog knows how to model.
There is also no requirement that they sit perfectly still.
We'll work with who they are.
Some dogs will sit beautifully and stare straight at the camera.
Some will spend half the session trying to figure out what we're doing.
Some will jump for treats.
And some will repeatedly leave the shooting area because they would like more pets.
Honestly, they're all welcome.
If you'd like to capture your dog's personality—and the relationship you have with them—I'd love to have you and your fur baby in the studio. Learn more about my Pet Photography.
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