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
Socially Distanced Maternity Photo Session in Surrey
I first met Harriet when I was pregnant and working for Sharp Shots Photo Club, teaching kids and teens photography workshops and DofE skills awards. Some time later, and it is Harriet who is now pregnant and expecting her first child with husband Rich. Harriet is a fellow photographer, specialising in wedding photography - check out her amazing work and colourful website. For this socially distanced maternity photo shoot, I chose a location close to home. During lockdown, I discovered a lovely local walk with varied countryside which I thought would provide some nice backdrops and a quiet location.
I find couples photography sessions tquite challenging in terms of creating images which look relaxed and natural. I aim to capture a real connection between the couple but this can be hard to do if people become too self conscious. A really helpful piece of advice which I find works very well is to give people specific directions on where to stand, what to look at, where to place their hands etc . During this process, your clients focus on the task at hand, relax, become less self conscious and often start laughing which creates an opportunity for a genuine, natural looking photograph. I use this approach for couples and sometimes in my family photography. I find it works very well and the resulting photographs are natural looking and relaxed.
This sweet couple was easy going and up for experimenting with different poses and locations. , which made my job easy! There were so many lovely genuine moments which made it choose which ones I put up on my blog. So, here it is - an extended selection of some of my favouirte photos from the day, I hope you enjoy viewing them.
if you are expecting a child and would like to mark the special time with a set of photographs, please get in touch to arrange your maternity photo session with me.
