Family Pet Dog Portraits Worthing West Sussex
Pets often come with families. As a portrait photographer who undertakes family photography I would always encourage the inclusion of pets. Assuming the pets would like to join in of course. However if the focus of the shoot is about the pet then my advice is that we undertake a dedicated pet photography session and photograph the family on another occasion. But sometimes the flavour of the photo shoot is such that there is a decision to give everyone equal weighting.
This was very much the case when I undertook this lovely family photo shoot in Worthing, West Sussex. The brief was that the portraits should be very relaxed and not overly staged or primped. We started at their gorgeous beachfront home from which it was a short hop to the water. I completely fell in love with the family dog, a gorgeous chocolate cockapoo. What made this shoot so special is that I discovered on the day that I had gone to school with the mother. And we had lived about a mile from each other when we were young. It just goes to show what a small world it is. It was a happy day, filled with fun and laughter.
The photographs were destined for an informal album so I shot a wide range of pictures in the home, the garden, and at the beach. In fact two albums were products - a classic and robust 10” heirloom album with simple black overlay mounts and a cover in corded tulle. And a flexible linen bound A3 magazine style book to sit on a coffee table and to be shown to friends. Below is a small handful of the portraits.
today’s tip:
Sometimes the light is quite strong and harsh when everyone meets for their shoot. Light is more even on a beach because it scatters up from the sand and there are fewer shadows. If you have access to a building, look for overhands where you can place your subjects just out of direct sun.
