Frequently Asked Questions and De-Tails About Your Pet Photography Experience
1. How do Pet Photography Payments Work?
The reservation retainer is $195 and must be paid in full before your photoshoot. Don’t worry—this fee will be applied toward any collection you decide to purchase later.
If you’d like, we offer flexible interest free payment plans for the remaining balance on any collection, including products, photos, or digital files. Your gallery will be available once the full balance is paid.
If you choose not to purchase a collection, please note that the $195 session fee is non-refundable.
We accept Venmo, credit cards, PayPal, and cash. Sales tax is included in all our collections, so there are no surprises!
2. Are Payment Plans Available?
You can book your photography session up to 6 months in advance! If you’ve already purchased a collection when booking, the $195 reservation retainer will be applied to the total cost of your chosen collection. The rest of the balance can be spread out over those 6 months, so everything is paid off by the time of your session.
Products, photos, digital files, and galleries will be available once the full balance is settled.
3. Do You Print My Pet Portrait Artwork?
Blue Merle Photography designs and sells beautiful artisan images on gallery-wrapped canvas for display on the walls of your home in all sizes, as well as, luxury albums, and even jewelry! These artisan works are individually priced. I also offer museum-quality framed artwork that would look perfect in your home or office. In fact, I have had several of these pieces on display at the Cleveland Photo Fest.
4. Does My Pet Need to be Groomed?
If you prefer a well-groomed look for your pet, please have your pet groomed and/or bathed a week or so before the photography session. This is completely optional. I personally prefer my own dog to look a bit “scruffy” in his pictures, so grooming before the session is entirely based on your personal preference.
5. How Should I Prep My Pet for the Session?
Taking your pet for a gentle walk or light exercise before the session helps expend nervous energy and rambunctiousness so that they are calmer.
Please feed your pet their usual meal at the usual time prior to the session and allow your pet to go potty before the session so that they are comfortable. Please bring a plastic bowl and water for pet to stay hydrated throughout the session.
Have their favorite treats, toys and blanket handy. Things with familiar smells are comforting to an animal.
6. What to Expect During the Session?
Be patient with your pet and children (and yourself) during the session. Animals have short attention spans, very much like young children, so they will get distracted and need breaks. Most of the session will involve repositioning pets and people. This is normal, and I expect it to happen.
7. Does My Dog Need to Wear a Leash?
Leashes: For your pet’s safety, we will keep them on a leash and edit the leash out in the editing digital enhancement process.
8. What Should I Wear?
I encourage you to be in some of the pictures with your pets and family so we can capture the special bond you have together. The most important thing to consider when deciding what to wear is choosing something that you feel most comfortable and happy in. I typically recommend wearing capri pants or long pants to protect your knees from the ground and dirt when you’re kneeling down for a portrait with your pet.
Wear something easy to move in so you can be close to your pet and family. Avoid wearing dark colors like black or navy. You may want to choose colors that contrast your pet's coloring so that you do not blend into your pet. And, it never hurts to have an extra lint brush handy.
Family groups are encouraged to wear colors that are in the same color family (ex: light blues, aquas, teals, or reds and pinks). Avoid colors that contrast with each other (ex: black and white, red and green, blue and yellow). If you need help deciding what to wear, please contact the studio for ideas.