What’s the best season for a dog photo session in NB?

Featured SessionsDecorating With DogsPlanning Your Session

Sep 16

Have you ever wondered what’s the best time of year to schedule your pet’s photo session in New Brunswick? The truth is…it depends on several factors, like:

your dog’s breed, size, colour and comfort
whether you want to be included in photos and, if so, how you want to be dressed
your aesthetic preferences, and the existing colours and decor in your home
the location you are considering for your session

Your Dog

Our first consideration is always the dog’s comfort, and that can depend on a lot of factors, including breed, coat length/type, age, mobility, and individual preferences.

Brachycephalic (squishy-faced) breeds like pugs and bulldogs can really suffer in summer heat, while small and short-coated breeds like Chihuahuas may be perfectly happy at the same temperatures. Thick, double-coated breeds like huskies and collies typically love playing in the snow, while breeds with short, single coats, like greyhounds and pitbulls, tend to be less tolerant of the cold.

Does your dog typically wear a coat, sweater, and/or booties in winter, and if so, do you want those in your portraits? If they aren’t acclimatized to being “naked” in winter, they will get chilled quickly without protective gear.

Do you dislike photos where your dog’s tongue is hanging out, panting? If so, then a cooler season may be best for your session.

Good luck getting a bulldog with his mouth closed in July 🤣🐶

Senior dogs, or those with injuries or mobility issues, may struggle more on ice, mud, or any slippery surface.

Even your dog’s coat colour may be a consideration. For example, black dogs can be difficult to photograph in the snow, due to the high contrast. Brown, red, and tan dogs can make for beautiful colour harmonies in autumn leaves.

What kind of weather does your dog prefer? Some dogs are bothered by wind, while others can’t stand even a light drizzle. My Chinese crested, Iris, surprisingly doesn’t mind cold as long as she’s bundled up, but a fly landing on her causes a full meltdown that can only be overcome by spending the next 3 days hiding under a comforter, so she actually hates being outside in summer even more than in winter!

Fluffy breeds like poodles won’t look their best if they get even the slightest bit damp, so rain, wet grass, and melting snow must be avoided at all costs. A summer beach session may not be ideal if they are going to be frantic to go in the water the whole time.

Your Preference

What season(s) do you like best? If you’re a sun worshipper who hates the cold, you probably won’t have fun during a winter session. Do you want to be in photos with your pets? If so, what do you want to be wearing? Do you want to flaunt your beach bod or hide it under a parka? Do you turn into a lobster after 5 minutes in the sun, or do you hate when your cheeks and nose get red in the cold? There’s no right or wrong answer, just what’s best for YOU!

Your Decor

Many clients default to wanting fall sessions, but those vibrant reds, oranges and yellows don’t necessarily fit with every decor. If you have the neutral decor that’s so popular at the moment, you may welcome a splash of colour, but if you are committed to greige, you’ll prefer to wait until the more muted tones of winter.

At the other end of the spectrum, if you already have a lot of bold colours in your decor, we’ll have to plan the season and location around them.

Lesson Learned…

One of my very first sessions was with this handsome greyhound in vibrant fall leaves. The family loved the portraits, and ordered two large prints for their entryway.
The problem was, the client confessed to me later that the fall colours clashed so badly with the colour of the walls in the room, that they ended up having to paint the walls!
Now, I always ask about the colours in the rooms where you are considering displaying your finished artwork, and that’s the reason.

Ok, maybe I’m a slow learner, because even though I’ve been asking my clients about colours in the home for years, when I did my OWN family portrait, I did it when there were a lot of red autumn leaves in my yard, and it looked awful in my lavender/grey living room. A few years later, I redid it in spring when the lilacs were blooming, and now it hangs over my fireplace and looks incredible. Sadly, a few of the original pets were gone by then. (But the original portrait looks great on the black wall in my office, so it all worked out in the end!)