Pet Portraits: Hercules

This beautiful boy is Hercules, a 90-pound 16-month-old Rhodesian Ridgeback. I photographed Hercules while he was staying with us for a few days because he and his mama had just moved to Florida and didn't have their living arrangements settled yet.

We did Herc's pet portrait session at the Landing Park in Fort Walton Beach, which is close to where we live. He was a little nervous at first, as I find a lot of dogs -- and people -- are when in front of the camera for the first time. My approach for camera-shy doggos is to ease into it, take breaks, and of course, use lots of treats! (In my experience, most dog-related problems can be solved one way or another with treats.)

So we started slow and rewarded a lot and let him sit or lay or look however he wanted. We also took little breaks so he didn't become overwhelmed or stressed out. I was photographing Riley at the same time, so I'd spend a few minutes with Hercules and then a few minutes with Riley. Switching back and forth allowed both dogs a chance to sniff, mark, or generally take in the sights, sounds, and smells of the park.

Hercules' session is a great example of what a "pet-only" session looks like. Herc's mama was with us at the park, but as the shoot was a bit impromptu, she didn't want to be photographed that day. So if you're camera-shy, a pet-only session is the perfect way to capture the uniqueness of your furry family members and let them be the star of the show!