Maternity Photoshoot with Puppy in Surrey Hills

Dogs are such a big part of family life; we share our experiences with them including big family milestones. That is why this couple decided to mark the arrival of their baby with a puppy and maternity photo session in the Surrey Hills. They wanted to have family portraits for their home, but also photographs which they can send out as cards to family and friends for Christmas.

Working with dogs is great fun! They are all individuals and their character comes through early on in the pet photoshoot. I love working with dogs because there is an element of unpredictability and freedom. I need to adjust my working style quickly to suit a particular dog. If it is an energetic dog, I would choose to take action shots first, then focus on portraits later. If it is an old dog, then the pace needs to be slower and the focus different. Puppies require special consideration, as they behave differently at different ages and have different energy levels. This particular puppy was few months old. He wasn’t particularly energetic but he was sweet and full of character. There was a comedic quality about him, which I wanted to capture.

In addition to puppy portraits, I wanted to capture the puppy and my clients together, for their family portraits. This is something I am putting a lot more focus on these days, even if it is a dog or puppy photoshoot. I am interested in recording the connection between people and their pets, capturing special moments for them which they can cherish as their family grows. Since this was a combined puppy and maternity photo shoot, it was even more important for me to capture everyone together. I wanted my clients not only to have the memories of the changing times in their lives but also the special bond they had with their new puppy, just as their lives were about to change, yet again.

If you are expecting a baby, and would like to arrange a maternity photo session with me, or you have a new puppy and would like to arrange a puppy photo shoot, please get in touch - either through the contact page on my website or email me at info@minamilanovic-photography.com

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Dog Photo Session in Wandsworth

I so am behind with my blog posts! This one is from earlier in the summer which seems long long ago. The days are getting short and the evenings are drawing in, perfect time for sitting by the fire and reminiscing about summer photo sessions.

This couple and dog photo shoot took place in Wandsworth, South West London. The photoshoot was a Christmas gift and was meant to be a puppy photo session, but because of puppy health issues we had to postpone. By summer time, the bulldog puppy didn’t quite look like a puppy but it definitely had the puppy spirit about him.

We started the dog photo session in the communal gardens where I took a few action shots and portraits of the puppy alone. We then headed out by the river for a walk, which has some beautiful backdrops which I was keen to incorporate in the portraits of the couple together with their dog. I love including the landscape into the photograph, it gives a sense of a place and reminds the clients of the places they visited or where they lived.

Bulldogs are such expressive dogs and it is great fun and a pleasure to photograph them. Their grumpy face makes for a great pet portrait but they are also playful and cheeky, and some of my favourite photos from this pet photo shoot are the action shots.

Christmas is coming once again. If you need a Christmas gift idea, head over to my gift voucher page where you can find a selection of photography gift vouchers available to purchase. Photography gift vouchers are available for one year from the date of purchase and come with a complementary 8x6’’ print. Please contact me if you would like to add credit towards digital files or prints, or if you would like to have a chat about your photography gift idea.

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dog photography, pet photography Mina Milanović dog photography, pet photography Mina Milanović

Puppy Photoshoot in Wimbledon

I have been photographing dogs for a number of years but for some reason I never had a request to photograph a small puppy - until now!

This was my dream job! I could hardly contain my excitment when I first met Wendy. She was sweet and small and soft and so lovely! I probably spent as much time cuddling her as I did photographing her.

For this puppy photography session, I wanted to capture a bit of Wendy’s character and also the first days in her new home. This was a great challange for me photographically because we were contained to a small space - a room and a balcony, so it really pushed me to think creatively. After a few group shots with mum and dad, I let Wendy choose what she wanted to do and followed her around, making sure to capture moments of play, rest, intrigue and exloration. I set myself a challenge to include a few rainy shots as the weather was very autumnal on the day. I had an image in my mind of the dog looking through the window, rain droplets dripping down. I executed this shot by taking a photograph from inside the apartment looking out, and also from outside looking in. I love how moody and sentimental one of the images turned out.

I enjoyed photographing Wendy so much that I started a new photography project called Puppies. The project will exlore the life of puppies with their new families, and try to capture memories in those first few special weeks. If you live in Surrey and own a puppy, please get in touch for more information and possibility to participate. If you own a puppy and don’t live in Surrey then drop a line to book your puppy photo session!

You can also buy a photography gift voucher as a lovely and unique Christmas present for someone who’s recently got a puppy. Please visit my gift voucher page or contact me directly to make a purchase. I offer one hour and two hour gift certificates, and with both you will receive a 8x6 print and a beautifully handwrapped voucher. You can also feel good about your purchase - not only you will be giving a meaningful long lasting present, but a portion of the voucher sale will go towards protecting nature. I will be donating 10% of the sales to WWF-UK. Gift vouchers are valid for one year from the date of purchase and you can also add credit towards digital files or prints.

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