Lifestyle Portraits with pets in Santa Fe | Maya + Bambi

Last fall, Maya reached out looking for a new set of portraits that she could use for her professional profiles, but she also wanted to include some playful portraits in the mix. We scheduled a photoshoot in downtown Santa Fe, and invited her adorable pup, Bambi, to come along.

Can I bring my dog to my portrait session?

Including Bambi in our photoshoot was so much fun, and there were some aspects we took into account when preparing for these photos.

• Even the bestest dog may not be able to follow cues like a human. We had extra time to allow for Bambi’s playfulness and for any unexpected surprises.

• We didn’t forget treats and water for little Bambi.

• We had a leash to make sure that Bambi was safely with us the entire time. Bambi’s leash was extra an extra-cute turquoise one, to match with the Santa Fe theme.

One of our main goals was to get Maya some portraits for her LinkedIn profile, and other professional uses. For this, Bambi had to be in her best behavior while we focused on her mom. When deciding whether to bring your pet to a portrait session like this, it helps to know your pet’s personality. When focusing on Maya, I held Bambi’s leash on my wrist while taking photos. Bambi sat quietly by me while Maya had her time in the spotlight. If you don’t think your pet could do this, it doesn’t mean we can’t do a mixed shoot like this. In cases like that, we split the shoot into parts. During part of the photoshoot, the pet gets to chill somewhere safe, with treats and toys, and when it’s time for pet photos, we call them out to play.

What if my pet can’t pose?

Pet’s don’t know how to pose, but thankfully they are cute from every angle. When taking portraits with pets, I keep posing at a minimum. Pets can sense when their humans are tense, so we focus on normal play and interactions and we take candid photos. No smile is as genuine as that of a person looking at their adorable pup. And doggies love their owner’s undivided attention.

This focus on just documenting the relationship as it is, results in the sweetest, realest photos.

Gone are the days when serious professional studio portraits with plain background were necessary to be taken seriously in your career. While that type of photography still has a place today, it is often taken by employers. Many companies will regularly hire a photographer to take photos of their employees, for the company website or other business materials. Warmer, more casual headshots are now the perfect way to show yourself as a professional human in your own personal website, or LinkedIn profile. Instead of a plain backdrop, we got to use beautiful Santa Fe as the background for Maya’s headshots. This made for playful portraits full of personality. By the end of our session, Maya had both new headshots, and some frame-worthy photos with Bambi that she can love for years to come.