FAQ

The 6 most important questions in choosing a pet photographer for YOU

Through photographing hundreds of beloved furkids, there are 3 main reasons pet lovers choose Puppy Tales Photography:

  1.  While you might have 1,000’s of photos of your pets, none are perfect for displaying on your walls.
  2.  You haven’t found a dog-whispering photographer to bring out the best of your pets personality and all the things that you love about them.
  3.  You want a beautiful lasting tribute to always remember your pet by.

Puppy Tales Photography delivers photography that pet lovers will adore.

Our Photography Services

Puppy Tales Photography offers a wonderful variety of pet photography experiences – from in-studio with simple elegant neutral backgrounds to beautifully coloured backgrounds and stylish props, through to on location photography at meaningful spots and incredible destinations.  These locations may include your favourite beach, the farm you holiday at or the field where you walk your dog.  Destinations include spectacular spring gardens in the mountains and at the snow!  

This versatility means that your much loved pet is going to be photographed in surroundings that best match their temperament, breed and personality. It also means you can uniquely capture the depth of your connection to them in stunning photography.  

A look through our portfolio and products will clearly show you the beauty of what we create.  We know that the quality of the finished product, and the story and memories they capture are the most important aspect of your professional photography experience. You love your pet and you want to best, that’s why you want Puppy Tales Photography.

Our Experience

Kerry Martin is a Master Photographer and multi-award winning professional photographer who specialises in pets and the people who adore them. Kerry’s work regularly features in magazines newspapers and online – given her renown for working with pets and animals, and for capturing the uniqueness of each of her subjects. What’s more, Kerry’s personal passion for travel and incorporating beautiful landscapes into photography results in incredible location photos with the retreats.

Must love dogs, cats, pets & animals!

Kerry adores pets & animals.  Her own furkids are a central part of her life, her daily inspiration, and her every present reminded of  the bond we have with our pets.  Kerry grew up on five acres with horses, cows, dogs and cats, bunnies, guinea pigs, birds, and sheep.  She completely understands the depth of the connection you have with your pet.   She is always looking for ways in improve her own life with dogs (through outings, experiences and travel).  When on overseas holidays she can be found treking with Mountain Gorillas, on safaris in Africa with the hope of seeing a leopard or cruising to the North Pole to see Polar Bears & Arctic Foxes.  You only have to check out the Puppy Tales photos on social media to know that Kerry LOVES animals, loves her pets and loves the pets she photographs.

Service & Attention to Detail

We set limits on the number of sessions we photograph.  This allows us the time to really get to know the pets and people we photograph. It is important to us that we understand what is most important to you and your pet. We pride ourselves on outstanding service and attention to detail to deliver the most outstanding experience.

The quality, durability and finish of our product is incredibly important to us. We work with the best photographic labs and suppliers who likewise ensure a focus on detail and pride in delivering outstanding photography products.  

Professional Memberships

Kerry is a fully accredited member of the Australian Institute of Professional Photography (AIPP) and of the Wedding and Portrait Photographers International (WPPI).  This means that Kerry must meet the required photography and business standards to be determined a professional photographer and is required her to adhere to the AIPP Code of Conduct, undertake ongoing training and education and deliver consistent standards of service and quality.

Be Delighted!

If you’re not delighted with the photography captured by Puppy Tales Photography, we offer the straightforward guarantee that we will photograph the session again at no further cost to you.  We are proud to say that this hasn’t happened yet – in fact, the far bigger problem our clients generally face is that they love more photos than they have the display space for!

Design Consultation  – Here we meet in person and chat about you, your pets and your home.  We discover what is going to mean the most in your photography and pair that with the places you have for displaying the results.  At the end of the design consultation we will have created the perfect photographic experience for you.

Click here for more information and frequently asked questions for the Design Consultation. 

Preparation – Where we both make the arrangements necessary to bring your photographic experience to life.  This may include making arrangements for a location, locating props or accessories or a visit to the dog salon to ensure they are looking their best.

Click here for more information and frequently asked questions about Preparing for your Session.

Photographic Experience – It is the photographic experiences that we offer thats sets Puppy Tales Photography apart.  From in studio to on location.  From individual dogs to groups of up to 10.  From a colourful studio background to the snow.  We customise the photography experience to give you the best time with your pets, the best memories and incredible photography of them.

Click here for more information about our Photographic Experiences.  And for further information, including the frequently asked questions for the photography sessions, head here.

Preview & Artwork Consultation – Together we view the photography that we’ve captured and select your favourites.  Puppy Tales Photography offers both traditional presentation and finishing options, as well as unique artwork options.  

Click here for more information and frequently asked questions about the Preview & Artwork Consultation.

Delightful Delivery – Your photography wallart and products are ready to be displayed in your home and enjoyed for many years to come.

Click here for more information about our Photography Products. And for further information, including the frequently asked questions  about the Photography Products we offer head here.

The cost for a photography session and your photography products depends on the photography session experience, the photography results you want to achieve and the photography wallart and folio prints you wish to have. All of our products are custom designed  in line with your Design Consultation and decided on in the Preview and Ordering Appointment.  

Session & Experience Prices:

  • Studio Weekday – $228
  • On Location Weekday / Studio Saturday – $268
  • Location Saturday Session – $298
  • Destination Sessions, Playdates and Retreats – These vary in price based on the retreat location and inclusions, please refer to the Photography Experiences for further information.

Photography products start at $228 for folio prints and $548 for finished, ready to hang photo wallart.  The cost of photo wall art is dependent on the finish, size and customisation involved. For this reason, the options, design and pricing for photography products from your photography session will be presented and discussed in detail at the Design Consultation.  

* All prices are GST inclusive.

You love your pets as members of your family. Our clients consistently tell us that photographs with their pets are some of the most important and precious possessions they have of their pets. Your pet photographs are a visual reminder of the way you feel about your pets and the way they make you feel about yourself.  You want to capture the fun of their personality and of the great times you have together.  You and the family want to be in the photos with your pets.  You want for their memory to endure long after their too short time with you has passed.

Our pets are also gorgeous and for that reason they also make stunning photography subjects ~ perfect for gracing the walls of your home!  Most likely, you can’t create this beautiful photography of your pets to do all of this, and that’s where a great professional photography experience with us comes in!

All photography sessions include

  • The Design Consultation, Photographic Experience and Preview & Artwork Consultation
  • Information and guidance as you prepare for your session
  • A photographic experience for all members of the family that you’d like to include
  • Kerry’s time, individual attention and talent throughout
  • The professional editing of your photography
  • Customised artwork generation for your Preview & Artwork Consultation
  • Professional display advice and information on caring for your photography

With some photography session experiences including the playdates and retreats, the fees paid may include permits for or entry to locations, accommodation, meals, and additional planning and guidance.

Photography wall art and products, digital files and travel outside our area are not included in your session fee.

It is definitely a wise idea to see what others have thought of their experience with a professional photographer.  The comments we receive from our past clients are wonderful and we’re happy to share them.  Find them here!

MORE PUP-ULAR questions about Dog & Pet Photography with Puppy Tales

Yes we will!  While we are dog specialists, we’ve photographed much loved cats, birds, horses, frogs, rabbits, guinea pigs, fish, goats and a cow.  These other pets have been photographed both with their families or with the family dog, and by themselves.  We’ve also photographed Australian Wildlife including wombats, wallabies and possums.  If we haven’t photographed it yet – we’d certainly love to!  There’s definitely a thrill in photographing an animal for the first time.

If you have any questions about how we might approach photographing your unique pet family, then contact us to have a chat about the options we have.

If you’re looking to capture all the adorableness and sweetness of a puppy, then you want to have them photographed as soon as you can!  Puppies change incredibly quickly.

If you’re thinking of a Growing Tales or Four Sessions Experience where your fur babies growth is documented four times over a year, then you want that first session as soon as you can in order to capture the full range of their development from puppy to dog.

You may be surprised the number of times that we hear this!  To look at the photos we capture, people think that other people’s pets must be very well trained or great performers in front of the camera, and that in comparison their’s is not – that incredible photography of their pet isn’t going to be possible.  It’s very rarely the case that we photograph perfectly well trained pets and even good pets can behave differently when having their photo taken as its something new from the everyday.

Through photographing pets every week and being animal lovers we understand their nature and can well relate to them.  In our design consultation we will discuss any unique or special requirements that your pet might have, so that we are well prepared for your session.  On the day of the session, we’re super patient, take the time needed and work with your pet to achieve the results you want.  This enables us to create the best opportunities for many great photos and to quickly learn to predict their behaviour so we know just when to click the shutter to capture a perfect moment.  Whether you have a crazy excitable dog or a timid and cautious pet, we’ve worked with that nature before and have delivered gorgeous photos to their humans.

Absolutely.  We encourage for you to be part of the session with your pets.  Your time with your pets is never going to be as long as you’d like so it’s an important part of both your stories to capture the connection that you have.  We know that not everyone loves to have their photo taken, but there are many ways for you to be included in the photo and the bond you share with your pet to be captured.  We’ll chat about them at your Design Consultation.

Certainly are.  We know that not everyone has only one or two pets in their household and for them their photos must naturally include all the ‘family’.  We don’t charge a fee for ‘additional’ pets because to us that just doesn’t seem fair when all your pets are your ‘furkids’ and equally important to you.  

We frequently have sessions of 3 and 4 dogs.  On occasion, we’ve had sessions with 5, 6, 7 and once 8 dogs!  

With a larger number of pets, a group photo of all them all together will depend on a number of variables including how the pets get along in close proximity, their level of training and the location.  We would discuss these for your pets at your the design consultation and, if you’re wanting a large group photographed together, on the day of your session we’re certainly going to try for it.  

We’re happy for you to invite anyone else that has a meaningful place in your pet’s life.  We are often photographing the pets of siblings or extended families in the one session because they spend so much time together it was only fitting that they be in a photography session together.  In fact, it was through these larger groups of pets from extended families that the ‘Playdates’ sessions grew – the Playdate gives us more time, space and options for capturing more pets together.  

Puppy Tales Photography is based in Botanic Ridge, in the South East of Melbourne and on the edge of the Mornington Peninsula.  We’re also not too far from the Dandenongs.  We think it’s a wonderful spot to be for this range of locations that we have nearby – beaches, open grasslands, mountains, forest, urban – and close for people living in Melbourne, on the Peninsula or in Gippsland.  The studio photography is conducted in Botanic Ridge.  

Throughout the year we also travel for sessions in incredible locations.  We’ve have sessions each year in Sydney and Canberra (contact us if you’d like to know dates for the next time we’ll be there).  We head to various great dog friendly and beautiful locations for our seasonal retreats, including Dinner Plain in winter for the Snow Dogs Sessions and Retreats.  

In 2018, as we travel for our Dog Tales of Australia trip we’ll be offering photography in all the destinations we visit (but it will be limited by the amount of time we will be there, so you want to book ahead!)

If you have a destination in mind, get in touch – we’ll certainly discuss the options with you.

How beautiful that you’re thinking so thoughtfully for the intended recipient! Photography of a beloved pet is such a gorgeous, personal gift – I’m sure that they’ll appreciate the time and effort you went into and, we would love to make it work for you. However, there are a few questions…

Will your friend or family member want to enjoy and be a part of the photography experience? I’m not just talking about whether they will want to be in photos with their best buddy, although that is an important consideration. Their pet is a precious part of the family and no one knows their them better than their people.  That’s why we have the design consultation to find out what they’d love us to capture and have forever immortalised in photo art. While we can have a similar chat, we may miss important details, simply because neither of us had an idea that that is what they wanted photographed.

Who owns the pet? Before I can photograph anyone’s pet, I need the pet owner to sign an agreement allowing me to do so. If you’re planning this session for your spouse or the pet lives in your household and you’re over 18, you’ll be able to sign. But…if this is for a friend or involves a pet who lives outside your home, you can’t give me permission to photograph their pet.

So what should I do if this isn’t an option for me? Rather than surprising someone with images, I suggest you surprise them with the experience itself by purchasing a Photography Gift Certificate. Your friend will be thrilled at the thought of designing the session and being a part of it with their pet.

We’re so very sorry that you’ve reached this time in your pets life.  They are such an incredibly important part of your life and we know that it’s a tough time.  We understand that getting photos before it’s too late is now one of the most important things for you and we have the ‘Forever’ Sessions for this time.  

Where we can we will shift what we can or book a session outside our normal hours to accommodate a very sick or terminal pet.  Please give us a call right away so we can work out how we can best assist you.

Yes.  We’ve worked with many timid pets.  Through taking the profile of many rescue dogs we’ve gained great experience with dogs of all different natures.  At the most timid, we’ve photographed a dog which would not look at your when you had a camera anywhere in the area, little lone when you brought it up from hanging by your side.  In these situations, we had to work quickly to establish our trustworthiness with the dog and use different approaches to capture photography for their profile photos – as this finds them their forever family, it’s incredibly important.  In a non-creepy way, Kerry has been known to hide in bushes and peak around corners in order to capture photos with eye contact.  

Also, Kerry’s own dog Keiko can be timid with new people and new situations so we also know first hand how it can feel trying to do something new with a timid dog and the gentle approach required.

Yes.  We will design your photographic experience around what your dog is able to do.  

Absolutely.  All black and all white pets can be some of the most tricky to photograph.  Often when people do this themselves they end up with blobs of white/black that have no details.  Great lighting control is required to bring out the best in these pets.  If you check out our portfolio you will see that we capture the gorgeous of these pets, to the same wonderful quality as all other pets.  

Yes.  We’ve photographed many rescue pets that have shaved patches post desexing or that have scars from an incident prior to coming into care.  We can certainly pose them so that it can’t be seen or, if need be, remedy in post production.  But if you have the benefit of time then it’s probably better to wait so that we are not placing limitations on what we can do with your pet during their photography session.  If your pets scar or shaved patch is going to improve, it might be better to wait a month or two for your photography session.  

For their safely, quite a number of dogs can’t go off lead and that’s completely fine – there’s a range of options available to you.  These options may include a studio session, a home location session, a fenced or contained location or having your dog on their lead in another location.  Leads and collars can be removed in post production.

In our work with Siberian Husky and Arctic Breed Rescue, none of the profile photography of those dogs were ever photographed without a lead.  Most dogs of these breeds don’t have the best recall and with rescues it’s often unknown how they will respond in a new location, it was just not a safe option.  From those photos though you can see the results that we achieved for dogs on lead.

While some pets are more photogenic than others in terms of the poses they give you, we’ve never met a pet that hasn’t we haven’t photographed well!  Through our approach to photographing pets and our experience we know we can take gorgeous photos of your pets!

We’ve met many camera shy pets and we’ve photographed them all beautifully.  We know that eye contact in some of the photographs taken of your pet is an incredibly important aspect of a professional photography experience.  We have techniques and tricks that we use throughout a session.  We’re also quite persistent when it comes to capturing the very important things like this.  While we won’t push your dog if they become uncomfortable, we will return to trying to get their eye contact several times and with different approaches throughout your session.

Included in your session fee is travel up to 30 minutes from Botanic Ridge.  Outside this travel fees might apply.  The exception to this is the playdate and retreat destinations that we offer and when we offer sessions ourselves in a different City.  For example, we don’t charge travel costs for the sessions at Dinner Plain or when we’re visiting Sydney.

Feel free to get in touch to discuss the location we have in mind and we can advise you on any travel fees that might apply.

For you – yes, depending on what you want in your photography!  If you are wanting photos of your dog at the snow, then winter is obviously going to be the best time for that!  Similarly if you want the colour of autumn or the joy of your dog racing along the beach then there are going be certain times of the year when it’s better to capture this than others.  If however, you’re looking at a studio location or a session in your home, then the time of year isn’t as important.

For us – no.  We have options year round.  The studio is an option all year and we can advise you on the best options on location for a particular time of the year.   

Of course!  Gift certificates are the perfect gift for the special pet-loving person in your life.  Puppy Tales Photography offers beautifully presented gift certificates for gift giving. They’re printed on thick art paper, include a handwritten message and delivered beautifully boxed with a bow.  Gift certificates are available for any value and can be:

  • used towards sessions or products,
  • posted to you or the recipient,
  • personalised for the recipient, occasion or with a special message.

Puppy Tales Photography is available Australia wide for commercial, editorial and commissioned pet and animal photographic requirements, both through agencies and directly to clients. We have further information about our commercial dog and animals photography services here.

Many of the images on this website are available for purchase and commercial licensing.

Feel free to get in touch to discuss your project and see if Puppy Tales Photography is the perfect fit.

Certainly! At Puppy Tales Photography we get to meet many amazing pet loving business owners and work with the great brands behind many fabulous dog products, services and experiences.  If you think you have an idea for us to work together, partner or collaborate, then we’re all (puppy dog) ears!   Get in touch or send us a message {[email protected]}

Yes we can and we’d love to!  Everyone should have wonderful photos of their pets.  They are our best friends and like any other family member they should be photographed well and often.  These photos will go on to be the lasting memory we have them.

There is considerable information available on the blog as to how to take better photos of your pets and our free e-book ‘Phodography’ includes over 30 tips for taking better photos of your dog.

If you’d like individual mentoring then please feel free to get in touch to discuss what it is that you’re looking for help with.  

Design Your Session

This is the first step in creating the pawfect photography experience for you and your dog!

Yes, we are available only by appointment.  To book your photography session, you need to get in touch with us – send as a message, email us {[email protected]} or give us a call on 0405 131 016.

Your session fee is due at the time of your Design Consultation to secure the date of your photography session.

For the retreats, where the session are booked further in advance, the session fee is due at the time of booking to secure your place.  This is due to the demand for these sessions and so that you can make the necessary arrangements for your trip knowing your session is confirmed.

The Design Consultation is an appointment we set prior to your photographic experience.  During your Design Consultation, we quickly go over your completed Pre-Session Questionnaire, chat about you, your pets, your home, the things you love to do, the things you love about your dog/pets and anything else that will help us to best understand your wants in a photography experience.  We discover what is going to mean the most in your photography and pair that with the places you have for displaying the results.  At the end of the design consultation we will have created the perfect photographic experience for you.  The Design Consultation appointment is made for one hour.

You are welcome to bring your dog or pets so that we can meet them.  This can be perfect opportunity if your pet is timid or shy to see how they respond to meeting Kerry.  If your dog is particularly energetic and is unlikely to sit still at all, then you’re welcome to bring photos of them instead.

You are also encouraged to bring any ideas or thoughts you have for your photography session and photos of the wall spaces you have in your time where you are thinking of hanging your photography.  

Our clients have told us that this is the most beneficial aspect of their photographic experience because they leave the Design Consultation having a full understanding of what will happen next, with all the information they need for preparing for their session and their photographic experience, knowing the costs for what they want and as they’ve met the photographer.  This allows them to feel far more comfortable for the remainder of their experiences with Puppy Tales Photography.

If we look at the example of ‘simple photos’ that could mean many things to different people.  For some, that might be a white background headshot.  For others, that might be their dog relaxing on a couch at home.  We never want to assume that our view of a ‘simple’ photo is the same as what you have in mind.

Sometimes when our clients have chatted with us in the Design Consultation and seen the examples of our finished artwork their initial ideas of what they wanted, changes.  We wouldn’t want for you to miss out on the benefits of the Design Consultation, our experience and seeing examples of finished artworks in person prior to your photography experience.  It is often too late at the Preview and Artwork Consultation to then see a finished piece and realise that is what you would have really preferred.

Our only preference is ensuring that its the right setting for you and the photos that you want to have at the end of your experience with us.  We love both in the studio and on location for different reasons and recognise that one is going to be better than the other depending on your individual requirements and wishes.  

In the studio can be perfect for an older pet with decreased mobility or poor eyesight, a dog that is distracted by everything when outdoors or with pets where it might not be safe to go on location with.  It’s also a simple background that we can easily change the background colour or the accessories we use.

On location can be perfect for an incredibly active dog, larger animals at home in a paddock and is a lovely natural environment that many love in photos on their walls.  

During your design consultation we will discuss all of these things and more to find out which is the perfect setting for you and give you the photos you are going to cherish.

The photography from studio and natural lighting sources will have a different feel.  Which you think is better for your pet is mostly a personal preference.  In the studio we have 100% control of the lighting which means it always delivers consistent results.  On location with natural lighting, we are at the mercy of what nature delivers – it might brilliantly sunny, full cloud or somewhere in between.  While we can photograph in any lighting condition, there will always be differences in the lighting in your photos because of the differences in natural lighting.

It’s a very small percentage of pets that don’t quickly adjust to the strobe lighting in the studio.  We introduce it gradually and calmly to allow them to become accustomed to the flash.  Most don’t even blink the first time that the flashes are fired. With a small percentage it might take the firing the flash 3 or 4 times and then they ignore it and focus on everything else that is exciting for them.  
In photographing hundreds of pets in the studio, there has been only one that responded beyond a short initial period to the flash being fired. She was a small, incredibly high energy dog and her response to the flash was the same response she had to other stimulus like noises.  If this is a concern that you have for your pet in the studio, then during the design consultation we can quickly test your pet’s reaction to the flash lighting.  

Absolutely we do!.  We’ve photographed in many location types so we know what to look for and what location type will deliver you the results you want.  As part of our Design Consultation when we understand what it is that you are wanting we can make suggestions as to some of the best locations for your photographic experience.

This depends on where your photographic experience and the time of year.  To give you an example, when book sessions in the studio can be anytime of day.  For on location sessions, we’ll be scheduling for the best lighting conditions in which to photograph.  Typically this is at sunrise or before sunset, the times of which will vary between the different seasons.  As part of our Design Consultation we will determine the best time for your photography experience and schedule with that in mind.

Yes.  At your Design Consultation you’ll be given a copy of the Model and Liability Release for your photography session which you can take away to review.  You’re welcome to ask us questions about the Release prior to your photography experience.  The Release needs to be signed prior to commencing your photographic experience.  We won’t photograph without this paperwork having been signed.

Session Preparation

This is the time we make all the arrangements for our date, location, and styling for your pawsome session.

Every session is different but to get the best of your photographic experience there is going to be preparations that you and that we do.  Some of the preparations you might do before your photographic experience include

  • Groom your pet or booking them in for a bath and blow-dry with their groomer.  Don’t forget clipping toe nails and cleaning your dogs eyes.
  • Maybe you’d also like a little ‘grooming’ or pampering yourself before you’re photographed with your dog.  Book in with those who are going to make you feel gorgeous!
  • Purchasing new toys (particularly if your dog’s favourites are a bit old and grungy)
  • Purchasing new accessories for your session.  A brand new sparkly collar perhaps?  Or something that you know is going to elicit a great response when it comes out!
  • You may want to fine tune some of their basic training – sit and stay being good ones.  Some teach their dog a new trick to have that captured at the session.
  • Clear your schedule around the session – it’s going to be more fun if you’re relaxed, have the time to prepare and enjoy and aren’t worried about an appointment after your session.
  • Spend time with your dog and thinking about what you love in them the most.  Often after we’ve had our design consultation you’ll think of a look, expression, mannerism or relationship that you also would like from the session and hanging out with your dog, seeing them do something in particular, will most often be the catalyst for that thought!
  • Pack a bag!  So that you have everything that you want on the day and haven’t forgotten or left anything behind.
  • If your dogs collar leaves an indentation or mark around your dogs neck, if its safe to do so, then leave it off around home in the lead up to the session.  Then that mark won’t be showing up in your photos.
  • Read and sign the Release paperwork so that we start with the photography when you arrive.
  • If you have a highly energetic pet, taking them for a walk or exercise prior to their session.
  • If its an at home location session – tidy up beforehand.  We don’t want the pile of washing that includes your bright green socks to be seen in the background and we don’t want to spend any the session time with you having to put that away.

We’ve more extensive information on preparing for your pet photography session here.  We will also discuss the preparations that you need to do prior to your session specifically at the Design Consultation.

Don’t have your dog groomed the day of the session.  For many dogs this not their favourite experience so they might turn up for their photo session ‘out of sorts’.  For others, even if they don’t mind the groomer, it’s an activity that can sap their energy so they arrive for their photo session, ready to sleep.  

If you don’t love your dog appearance the immediately post clipping, then don’t do that the day before their session!  Or tell your groomer what you are doing and ask for a longer clip than normal.  With lighter coloured dogs, there skin colour may also show through coat with a recent clip.  

Also on grooming, after you’ve prepared them for their stunning close up – be mindful of where you walk them or allow them off lead.  You don’t want them running through mud or muck the morning of their photo session and undoing the previous day’s efforts at the groomers.

We recommend not feeding them immediately before their session and if they are fed a breakfast, reducing the amount they receive prior to their session.  They are going to receive treats during the session and will be more responsive to them if they don’t already have a full belly.

Puppy Tales Photography will undertake the following preparations (as needed) for your photographic experience:

  • Research for something we’ve discussed during the Design Consultation – particularly the photographic experience is conceptual in design.
  • Help source props or accessories for your photographic experience
  • Location scouting
  • Organise permits or other location requirements.
  • Purchase background or other requirements for your session
  • Setting up the studio
  • Monitor the weather and conditions forecast
  • Arranging an photography assistant

Not every space within any house will be ideal for photography.  But in 98% of homes there will be somewhere that we can photograph.   Ok – we’re actually guessing the percentage but there’s probably a couple of homes in existence were it’s just not ideal to photograph there.  We’ve not experienced this to date.

We may need to open blinds or shutters to give us extra light, move some furniture or head into the backyard so that we can photograph in the best light available but we can make it work.  Like anything that might be a concern for you in the lead up to your session, it’s best to discuss it with us prior.  Together we can work out a solution or the best approach for you.

This is a frequently asked question indeed!  We will talk about the what to wear at your design consultation.  We also provide ideas and guidance on the website on What to Wear.  If even with this you’re still not sure, lay out a couple of options, send us a photo and we can give you further guidance on this.

We can assist in arranging makeup and/or hair styling however any costs associated aren’t included in your session fee.

Things your may want to think about bringing along:

Favourite Toys
Favourite Treats
Favourite Outfits and Accessories
Favourite blankets or rugs
Anything else that you pet loves
Anything that has been custom or hand made especially for your dog.
Any people that your pets responds particularly well to – they will be invaluable in helping during the session.
It’s far better to have packed something that we don’t end up using, than to have left something at home that you needed or would have liked to have included.

Yes!  While we have treats, we don’t have every treat available.  And that may mean, we won’t have your dog’s personal favourite!  We definitely want for this to be a great experience for your dog/s so bring their favourite treats along.

Please let us know in advance of any allergies your dogs has.  While we use treats that are safe to most dogs, we would still prefer to know and discuss this with you in advance.  While it’s unlikely that anything we have will be a potential hazard, we can then triple check just to be safe.

We highly recommend grooming your dog prior to the photography session – you want them looking gorgeous for their photos.  A white dog or a dog with white areas – you want for them to be white! Whether you do this yourself or seek professional services is a personal preference.  We recommend organising this for a day or two prior to your session.

If you’ve not travelling with your pet in the car before, we recommend you doing this prior to on the day of their session.  While most dogs are fine with car travel, if your dog is one of the few who don’t like or get car sick then they are not going to arrive feeling their best on the day.

If you know your dog doesn’t like car travel – then there are a couple of options. These include an on location session at home or within walking distance of home, arriving well in advance of your session and heading out for a walk in our neighbourhood prior. We’ll discuss the options you have and work out a plan for you at your Design Consultation.

Don’t forget your dog’s safety when travelling a car – a harness and seatbelt or a crate is going to be far safer for them than being loose in the car or on your lap.

We have lots – Kerry is often finding and buying things that she thinks will be great for photography.  We don’t have much clothing or outfits though as the range of sizes we would have to have makes it difficult.  Often your own props and accessories are going to be great in your photography session – they will have deeper meaning to you and your dog in the photos we capture.

For getting a dog’s attention we have a range of different squeakers, toys, clickers and noise makers.  What we use will depend on your dog and what they respond to.  Sometime the novelty of a particular squeaker sound will wear off but introducing another with a different squeak sound will rouse their attention again.

Yes!  We are always keeping our eyes open for new accessories or props that would be perfect for including in a photography session.

We love dogs and have a close eye on what’s available and new in the dog product world.  

Your Photography Experience

Whether it’s a weekend away, an outing in a park or a studio session, you and your dog will be able to relax and be yourselves while we capture their magic.

Photography sessions last typically last between 1 and 2 hours.  The time taken will depend on the number of pets and people involved, the location, the time we have available and any special requirements for your pets.  When we have discussed your requirements and designed your photography session, we will be able to advise if there is any likelihood of your photography session requiring additional time.

Most typically the length of the photography session will be decided by the pets we are photographing. Some need a little extra warm up time at the start.  Older dogs may not have the same stamina as younger dogs, so we will be working within their constraints.  We are guided by how your pet is going when they are having their photo taken as to how long the session lasts.  We will always prioritise our time to ensure that we get the most important photos to you.

We don’t book back to back appointments, so if extra time is required on the day for your photographic experience then we can easily accommodate it.  There are no additional changes if additional time is required.

Photography Playdates will last approximately 4-6 hours including time for lunch.

  • Groom your pet or booking them in for a bath and blow-dry with their groomer.  Don’t forget clipping toe nails and cleaning your dogs eyes.
  • Maybe you’d also like a little ‘grooming’ or pampering yourself before you’re photographed with your dog.  Book in with those who are going to make you feel gorgeous!
  • Purchasing new toys (particularly if your dog’s favourites are a bit old and grungy)
  • Purchasing new accessories for your session.  A brand new sparkly collar perhaps?  Or something that you know is going to elicit a great response when it comes out!
  • You may want to fine tune some of their basic training – sit and stay being good ones.  Some teach their dog a new trick to have that captured at the session.
  • Clear your schedule around the session – it’s going to be more fun if you’re relaxed, have the time to prepare and enjoy and aren’t worried about an appointment after your session.
  • Spend time with your dog and thinking about what you love in them the most.  Often after we’ve had our design consultation you’ll think of a look, expression, mannerism or relationship that you also would like from the session and hanging out with your dog, seeing them do something in particular, will most often be the catalyst for that thought!
  • Pack a bag!  So that you have everything that you want on the day and haven’t forgotten or left anything behind.
  • If your dogs collar leaves an indentation or mark around your dogs neck, if its safe to do so, then leave it off around home in the lead up to the session.  Then that mark won’t be showing up in your photos.
  • Read and sign the Release paperwork so that we start with the photography when you arrive.
  • If you have a highly energetic pet, taking them for a walk or exercise prior to their session.
  • If its an at home location session – tidy up beforehand.  We don’t want the pile of washing that includes your bright green socks to be seen in the background and we don’t want to spend any the session time with you having to put that away.

We’ve more extensive information on preparing for your pet photography session here.  We will also discuss the preparations that you need to do prior to your session specifically at the Design Consultation.

We will monitor the weather and conditions forecast in the lead up to your photography session.  If, on the morning of your session, it’s looking likely that the weather won’t be suitable for your photography session we will be in touch with you.  Options in the event of unsuitable weather may include rescheduling for a different date, changing to a location where inclement weather doesn’t matter, changing to a studio session or deciding to go ahead…. but dressed in our raincoats and gumboots!

If you don’t love your dog appearance the immediately post clipping, then don’t do that the day before their session!  Or tell your groomer what you are doing and ask for a longer clip than normal.  With lighter coloured dogs, there skin colour may also show through coat with a recent clip.  

Also on grooming, after you’ve prepared them for their stunning close up – be mindful of where you walk them or allow them off lead.  You don’t want them running through mud or muck the morning of their photo session and undoing the previous day’s efforts at the groomers.

We recommend not feeding them immediately before their session and if they are fed a breakfast, reducing the amount they receive prior to their session.  They are going to receive treats during the session and will be more responsive to them if they don’t already have a full belly.

We let dogs be dogs!  And we ‘talk dog’ – in first meeting them we will quickly develop an understanding of what motivates them and what they will respond to.  Some require a gentle approach, others a calm approach and some a highly animated approach in order to get the best of their personality in their photos.

Include a moving portrait as part of the photography experiences and products we offer is something that we’re working on.  If this is of interest as an add-on for your photography experience, please let us know and we will see if we can accommodate this for you.

We love to travel!  We regularly travel interstate to photograph dogs throughout Australia.  We will announce upcoming trips in our News & Events on the website and also on our Puppy Tales Photography Facebook and Instagram pages.  You’re also welcome to drop us an email to let us know that you’d be interested in a session in your home town – and when there’s sufficient interest for that destination, we’ll plan a visit.  

If you’re international to Australia and would love for us to travel to you – then feel free to get in touch. We’d love to plan an international tour!

As soon as you know that one of the people or pets involved in the session won’t be able to attend, then please give us a call to reschedule.

Chances are that you will have your mobile with you and may want to post a quick insta-pic of you dog the star and that’s fine – just tag us!  Please bare in mind though, you won’t have much opportunity for taking photos – that’s what we are there for!  And we want for your dog to be focussing on the right camera. You’ll also be in front of the camera if you’re part of the session and mostly your assistance will be required with your dog’s behind the camera.

In the studio, nope!  We schedule so that we don’t have dogs (other than yours) crossing paths.

On location – possibly.  It will all depend on where we are headed.  Obviously we can’t prevent anyone else accessing public areas so we have to go with what we find when we arrive on location.  If the presence of other dogs is a concern, then it’s something that we will discuss and plan for at your Design Consultation.  

The Snow – Hands down my favourite!  It’s just so much fun and it’s so beautiful a backdrop!

Studio – The simplicity, flexibility and consistency of the studio makes it a great location for your pet to truly shine.

The Beach – For active dogs nothing beats a sprint along the beach and into the water!  They love it and the action photos are a wonderful reflection of their exuberant personality.

Parks, especially in autumn & spring.  We love the colour and fun of parks at these times of year.  Your dog bounding into a pile of leaving and springing back out or racing around in an open park of flowers are just going to be such lovely moments to capture.

Anywhere that is meaningful to you.  While we have our favourites, it is also wonderful to accompany you to a place that has meaning in your life. Your connection to and experience of these places means the photography we capture is going to be extra special.  We’ve visited grandpa’s farm, the park where a dog has been walked nearly every day and favourite holiday destinations.

We all know that puppies grow up far too quickly!  All those adorable things about puppies – their role polly walk, the new discoveries, the clumsiness and the tininess – don’t last for long.  The Puppy Tales photography is four sessions over your puppy’s first year – from the first days you welcome them to the family through to their first birthday (maybe a bit after for bigger breeds that are still growing past their first birthday!).  From these sessions we’ll have an incredible collection of photographs that capture all the changes as your puppy grows.  We will design an beautiful piece or collection for your walls.  You’ll also have many gorgeous photos for a folio box collection or an album.  

The playdate experience is a wonderful day out and the photographic memories of that time spent together.

The playdates include extended time for the photography experience and allow us to best cater for a larger group of people and dogs.  We can capture dogs individually, the individual groups or families and the whole group/family at a relaxed pace.  Lunch is included in the playdate.

The playdates are perfect for extended families, a group of close dog loving friends, a close knit group from a dog obedience or training club, or a dog social group.  We cater for up to 10 dogs on our Photography Playdates.

We will head somewhere that is special to the group or that is gorgeous at a particular time of year.

We’ve had playdates at the snow in Winter, in the Dandenongs in Autumn and Spring and in some of the larger beautiful parks in Melbourne suburbs.

We offer several playdate locations – Check out our Playdate Page for any upcoming locations we have planned.  You can also contact us to organise your own Playdate time and location.

The Snow Dog Retreats are a truly wonderful opportunity to get away with your dog to the snow and have the fun and memories of your experience there photographed and preserved.

The Snow Dog Retreats & Photography Sessions are held in Dinner Plain in the Victorian Alps.  Dinner Plain is a small gorgeous village about 10km from Mount Hotham and our best friends are permitted to accompany us there!

For further information please head to our Snow Dogs Page.

The Fall Dog Retreats are a truly wonderful opportunity to get away with your dog to one of the amazing dog friendly destinations that are especially beautiful this time of year.  Here we’ll have a wonderful time playing amongst the leaves, exploring the destinations and capturing memories of your experience there.

The Fall Dog Retreats are held in Beechworth, Bright & Mount Macedon (and maybe other destinations in the future!).  

For further information please head to our Fall Dogs Page.

The Blossom Dog Retreats are a truly wonderful opportunity to get away with your dog to one of the amazing dog friendly destinations that are especially beautiful this time of year.  Here we’ll have a wonderful time playing amongst flowers, petals and long lush green grass, exploring the destinations and capturing memories of your experience there.

The Fall Dog Retreats are held in gardens and farms in Mount Dandenong.  

For further information please head to our Blossom Dogs Page.

The Water Dog Retreats are a truly wonderful opportunity to get away with your dog to one of the amazing dog friendly destinations located along the coast.  Here we’ll have a wonderful time playing along the beach with your dog, exploring the destinations and capturing memories of your experience there.

The Fall Dog Retreats are held on the Mornington Peninsula and at Inverloch (and maybe other destinations in the future!).  

For further information please head to our Water Dogs Page.

The Four Sessions is our most opulent photographic experience.  We will plan four photography sessions for your puppy or dog over the course of a year – with one of those sessions being an Aussie Snow Dog Retreat. You will have stunning photography of your dog in each of the sessions and from these we’ll create a stunning wall art collection.  You’ll also be able to purchase any of our other photography products in addition.

Preview & Artwork Consultation

At this step, you view the photos, choose your favourites, and decide on presentation style.

You will get to see the photos from your session at the Preview and Artwork Consultation.

Your Preview and Artwork Consultation will occur approximately one-two weeks after your photographic experience – depending on your and our availability.   For those from around Melbourne joining one of destination photography retreats, this consultation might be a little bit longer after your session as the appointment will happen once we’ve returned from the location (allowing you to spend your time enjoy your holiday).

At your Preview and Artwork appointment you will be shown a gallery slideshow of all your photos.  This allows for you to see everything that we captured.  You will also be presented with some example collections and display ideas for your walls.  Our clients love this as it allows for them to visualise their photography in their home. Following this we will go more slowly through each photo to narrow down your favourites.  From these we will consider the artwork finishes, size and style we discussed at the Design Consultation and perfectly match your favourites of the photos captured for these preferred options.

At the end of this appointment together we will have designed your artwork, decided on any additional products or folio prints for yourself and as gifts and finalised your order.   

Your appointment is scheduled for 60 minutes. While it won’t always take that much time, I don’t want you to feel rushed while selecting your favourite photography to turn into stunning display pieces. Your artwork will be enjoyed forever.

As purchasing decisions for your photographic wall art and products will be made on the day, it is important that everyone who may want to purchase and the decision makers in the family are at this appointment. If required, please call to change the appointment to ensure this can happen.

If your kids or pets might become bored and restless during this consultation, you may find it easier to concentrate if alternate care arrangements are made for them.

We offer a range of gorgeous photography products from contemporary acrylic and metal prints to traditional fine art and framed prints to rustic stone prints.  Our range of photography products means that there is something to suit your style, and importantly will match the surroundings where your artwork will be displayed in your home.

All finished artwork are customisable in size and finish so that it will perfectly suit your wishes.

Head to our Photography Products, for more information on the products we offer.

This will vary depending on the photography experience we had with you – so the number of pets and people photographed, the location and what you told us you wanted during the design consultation.  We are going to show the most incredible photos that match what you wanted.  We will also show you any awesome additional photos that were captured on the day.  You’ll typically see between 25 to 30 photos at your preview, sometimes more if you have a big pack.

In all our experience, more photos at a photography preview is not necessarily better, especially if there are many photos that are essentially a very similar variation of one another. We do the hard work of selecting the best from many great photos to present to you and those that give you the best variety.  This will allow for you to concentrate on picking your favourites and makes deciding on your photography artworks and products simpler for you.

We much prefer to show you all the products, finishes and options in person as you can then truly appreciate the fine quality of the photography products.  We also love to be able to offer you our expertise in designing beautiful wall art and immediately answer any questions you might have as you are finalising your order.  This makes decision making much easier and quicker for you.

We’re happy to offer both colour and black and white versions of your photos at your Preview Appointment giving you the option to select the finish that you love most.

We will add though, the majority of the wall art we deliver is full colour – our clients love having the colour of the dog’s (their eyes, their coats, their little details) in their photos and the warmth and joy that colour photography brings.  We will also have selected a background colour or a location selected at the Design Consultation to produce colours that will suit your home.

We specialise in finished artwork and products – giving you something beautiful to put on your walls and that brings you joy every day when you see it.  We feel it’s an incredible disservice to give only digital files – they never get finished, they never end up on your walls in the quality of finish they deserve, to be admired by you and showed off to your visitors.  Despite great intentions with digital files, most people don’t have the time, knowledge and expertise to produce stunning photography from the files.  They also don’t have the access to professional quality printers, craftspeople and products to get the best products available.

We’ll gift you complimentary internet files of the photos that are purchased as folio prints or wall art for sharing online and having with you on your mobile device.  Options for purchasing/receiving high-resolution files start with a minimum order of $1000.

Initial editing is performed for all the photos you will see at your viewing.  Fine tuning editing is also included for photos purchased as prints or wallart.  Editing requested on images that are delivered only as digital files may incur additional editing fees due to the time taken, sometimes across all the photos captured.

Absolutely!  From you Design Consultation you will have an idea of what is possible and even if we haven’t 100% decided on a specific finish we will have narrowed the options so that your session will deliver the best photography for these options.  At your preview, we will have crafted previews of artwork and collections that will assist you in making your final decision.

We retain and backup copies all of the photographs you purchase.  This ensure that you have lasting ‘digital negative’ of the photos captured, just in case.

Due to the volume of photographs taken and the requirements of maintaining these and backups, it is not possible for us to keep all of the photographs that were taken.

We offer wall collections and products customised to your requirements.  Due to the personalised catering to each person’s desires we haven’t found that there are any orders that are identical so developing packages wouldn’t be likely to meet your requirements. We don’t see the point in you purchasing products that you don’t want in order to fit within a predetermined package.

We can honestly say that’s never happened!  Through our design consultation we are photographing to deliver to your wishes and expectations.

If you’re not delighted with the photography captured by Puppy Tales Photography, we offer the straightforward guarantee that we will photograph the session again at no further cost to you.

We accept payment by cash, bank transfer and credit card (Visa, Mastercard & American Express).

Yes we do.  If you are thinking that you would like to spread the payments for your photography products out then please discuss the payment plan options with.  An initial payment at the time of your Preview and Artwork Consultation will be required to commence your payment plan.

There is no minimum spend.  

Of course you may order additional products or prints after this consultation. Please note that only files for photographs ordered at your Preview & Artwork Consultation are guaranteed to be retained by the studio and prices are subject to change.

Artwork Delivery

Where your photo wall art and products are delivered, ready to be displayed and enjoyed!

The time until your photography is ready for collection will depend on what you’ve ordered.  Some products will take a little bit longer to produce than others.  At your Purchasing appointment we will let you know for the products you’ve ordered.  

If you need photography for an upcoming event or by a particular date, please discuss this with us.  We will be able to advise you as to whether it’s possible and/or what products optioned you will have for your timeframe.

We use several professional production laboratories and artisans around Australia for the products we offer.  We have spent considerable time locating the best quality and service in the businesses we work with to ensure that we can deliver the most beautiful, archival and enduring photography to our clients.  This is an incredibly important part of a professional photography experience and it’s our pleasure to provide it to you..

Yes they are.  We expect that all Puppy Tales Photography Wall Art will be for you and family to enjoy for a long time and will provide you with instructions to help preserve and care for your photography.  We also guarantee all our work for a full 5 years against faulty workmanship.  If wallart, albums or prints, frames or albums purchased with us is deemed faulty due to a manufacturing process, simply return it, we will repair or replace them free of charge.

We are happy to help find an expert to assist you with this.

Want to upsize a folio print to wall art?  Want to purchase another print as a gift for Christmas or a birthday?  That’s no problem.  We keep the files for any photograph you’ve ordered so that you can always come back to us for purchasing more of those photographs.

 

If it wasn’t a photograph that you ordered at your Purchasing Appointment but you’ve later seen it (perhaps on social media which has happened!) and you’d now like a copy, then please get in touch to ask.  We don’t keep all files from a session but if we happened to think it was a particularly great photo then we may have kept it.  It certainly won’t hurt to enquire.

You’ll receive internet versions of the photos you’ve purchased.  These will contain a watermark for your and our protection – we don’t want for your photos to be end up advertising a brand or product that you wouldn’t personally endorse or otherwise used without your permission which unfortunately happens all too frequently online.

Yes there are.  We provide detailed instructions on the care of your photography products.

If you have a question not answered here, please book in a Creative Visioning Call with Kerry and we’ll happily answer your questions about a photography experience with Puppy Tales (and add your question here!).

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