How to Plan a Dog Photoshoot in Maine To Capture Images You'll Love for a Lifetime
I think every dog owner has imagined what it would be like to have photos of your dog that capture them exactly how you see them every day. You've probably pictured your water-loving dog at the ocean, chasing waves, rolling in the sand, and the Maine Sunrise something worthy of remembering forever. Or, for your hiking-loving dog, adventuring through the Maine woods in October during peak foliage, surrounded by color, and your dog soaking up every second of it.
If you’re like every other pet parent out there, these seemingly normal, but incredibly memorable moments mean something. You've thought to yourself ‘Man, I wish I had a photo of this’. A photo of that very second in time, capturing all of the emotions, the feeling of the sun, and the joy of watching your dog zoomie down the trail. From one pet parent to another, we’ve all been there. And maybe you've even tried to capture that photo yourself, with some success, but something just wasn’t quite right to fully capture everything you imagined.
Planning a dog photoshoot, whether you're doing it with your phone, or working with a professional photographer, is more intentional than most people expect. And when it's done right, the results aren't just nice photos. They are the thing you reach for when you’re having a bad day, and eventually, they’re the thing you’ll reach for to relive these moments even long after they’re gone.
If you're in Maine, or considering traveling here for a session, this guide will walk you through everything you need to know: how to choose a location, what time of year works best, how to prepare your dog, what to look for in a photographer, and what the experience actually feels like from start to finish.
Why a Dog Photoshoot Is Worth Planning Carefully
As pet parents, we never want to admit it, but the reality is that dogs move through their life stages faster than we move through ours. The dog who is bounding through the surf today will, in what genuinely feels like a blink of an eye, will be slower, speckled with gray, and appreciate the quieter moments sooner than we want to imagine.
At its heart, a professional dog photoshoot is about about capturing what makes your dog so unique and special during this season of their life. It is about capturing the way their ears perk, the way they look back at you, and the kindness in their eyes. It is about creating memories that you two can share, because while they are your best friend for part of your life, you are their best friend for their entire life.
Planning a session that reflects you and your dog’s favorite things: from your favorite trail you always hike together, the beach you visited together for their first ocean trip, or even the blocks you walk downtown every day, allows you to incorporate meaning, sentiment, and joy throughout your images. Through a carefully tailored and fully guided planning process, we are able to incorporate all these seemingly small details, to create image with not only big impact, but undeniable emotion weight and meaning.
Choosing the Right Location for Your Dog Photoshoot in Maine
Maine is one of the most visually varied states on the east coast, which means you have real choices when it comes to backdrop. The right location depends on your dog's comfort/personality, your aesthetic preferences for your images, and the kind of story you want to tell.
For dogs who love water, the beaches along the southern and Midcoast Maine coast offer some of the most iconic conditions in New England. Fortune's Rocks Beach in Biddeford is wide and relatively uncrowded outside of peak summer weekends. Short Sands Beach in York has a beautiful rocky framing at either end and stays accessible in every season. Old Orchard Beach has that sweeping stretch of sand that photographs beautifully, especially with wide dramatic compositions. Pine Point in Scarborough and the tidal flats near Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge in Wells give you a different kind of coastal feel, quieter and more painterly, especially in the off seasons.
For dogs who are more forest creatures than beach dogs, the inland options are just as strong. The way the light trickles through the Pines and Foliage along the trailed of Wolfe’s Neck Park Preserve in late September/early October creates a backdrop that is so unmistakeably New England. Summer time open fields edged with wildflowers, old stone walls lined with ferns, Maine has all of it.
When considering a location, we also want to consider the is light. This is something that I always research if I am unfamiliar with a location, to ensure we time everything perfectly for your session. The best sessions happen in the hour after sunrise or the hour before sunset, during Golden Hour. During this time, you can literally see the warmth of the lighting, creating the most flattering gorgeous backdrop for your session!
The Best Time of Year for a Dog Photoshoot in Maine
Every season in Maine produces a completely different kind of image, and there is no wrong answer for the timing of your session! What matters most is knowing what each season provides for image types, and choosing the one that not only fits your vision for your images, but also which your dog prefers!
Spring sessions, from early May through June, offer soft green foliage, wildflowers along the roadsides and fields, but can also be accompanied by mud and sparse foliage at the start of the season. This is where careful planning and location choice can really help!
Summer sessions incorporate the warmth of the season, and gorgeous full foliage. If your dog loves to swim, Summer is the perfect time to get those water action shots! I’ll be in the water with your dog, capturing every water-filled antic on camera. The tradeoff to the Summer prime season is that popular beaches are busier and have dog restrictions, the bugs our out (I’ll bring repellent for both you and your dog!) and temperatures can be very warm. For heat intolerant dogs, careful session timing and planning, as well as frequent water breaks are not just a necessity, they are a must.
Fall is, for many clients, the season they come back for year after year. The lighting in September and October in Maine is unlike anywhere else on the east coast. Longer shadows, warmer tones, the foliage color the perfect backdrop for your images. If you are from out of state and love the foliage, or a fellow Mainer who also thinks Fall is arguably the best season, I always suggest booking early for this season because it is the most popular time of the year for a session!
Now, let’s talk Winter. Yes, Maine Winters are cold, but Winter sessions as a whole are the most underrated session time of the year. Snow adds a magical quality to images that other seasons simply cannot produce. There is a stillness and quietness throughout the woods that no other season possess either. There are no bugs, minimal to no crowds (often times we don’t see anybody else), and the dogs always get excited to romp through a fresh layer of powder on the trail. The beach is also a great spot for Winter sessions, however, we don’t always get that gorgeous sunrise or sunset like is present in the warmer months. If you dog is cold tolerant, and you don’t mind being bundled up for your session, this is the time for you!
How to Prepare Your Dog for a Professional Photo Session
The single most effective thing you can do before a dog photoshoot is to let your dog get acquainted with our location. A walk or a play session 15-30 minutes before our session time, but at our meeting location, will help your dog to get comfortable, acclimated, and ready for their photoshoot! With a comfortable dog comes a dog that is more engaged and responsive, allowing them to be themselves on camera!
Bring high-value treats. Not the everyday biscuits, I mean the things your dog genuinely LOVES. Cheese, small pieces of chicken, dehydrated beef liver, Maine Dehydrated Cod Skins, whatever your dog finds very high value. This helps them to be really excited, and is another small thing to help make it a great experience for them! As a professional dog photographer, I have engagement techniques that don't require bribery to help assist your dog, but treats provide another way to ensure your dog’s enthusiasm. Your dog’s happiness (and safety) are always my number one priority, so a lot of planning goes into making sure we have everything they not only need, but what they love too!
If your dog is reactive or anxious around other dogs, I promise this is zero problem! From one reactive dog mom to another, your dog’s comfort will be protected during our session, and a lot of planning goes into ensuring this. We will choose a location and time that minimizes encounter with other animals/people, and we will always make sure boundaries and space are given to your dog. I always ask clients about this during our planning session, and how we can best plan to make sure your reactive dog is supported in whatever ways they require. Please remember, that as a professional dog photographer, I’ve worked with dogs of all personalities. Shy, reactive, untrained, you name it, I’ve photographed it. These behaviors areneverreasons that would prevent your dog from having a session, because the session is designed around who your dog actually is as an individual!
And then, genuinely, sometimes the hardest part for pet parents, is to let yourself relax during the session. Your only job is to enjoy this experience with your dog. The energy you carry into a session becomes the energy of the photographs. Dogs read their people with incredible precision, so if you remain calm and happy, they will too!
What to Look For in a Maine Dog Photographer
Not all dog photographers are the same, and not all photography businesses operate in the same way. Dog photography is a specialty type of photography. It requires an entirely different skill set than family portrait or landscape work. From dog body language and reading stress signals, flattering angles, and careful planning, a specialty dog photographer has to go above and beyond since the dogs cannot speak for themselves.
I always suggest to look for a photographer who works exclusively or primarily with animals. Look at their images; does the dog look engaged, happy, excited, can you see the dog’s personality in the shots, or does every dog look like stiff and worries? Or are they not engaged with the camera? Are the eyes and/or nose sharp, and is there true connection between the owner and dog in the portraits they share?
In Maine, the market for photographers that include dogs in their sessions has grown over the past few years, and there are now several photographers offering dog or dog-inclusion sessions throughout the state. What truly separates the field is a photographer having a specialty in animal photography, credentials to back this up, consistency, and investment in their craft. A photographer who has spent years studying specifically the art and business of animal portraiture, and who exclusively photographers pets, will approach your session much differently than someone who has added dogs/pets to their general portfolio.
I've spent the last six years photographing dogs as my sole specialty. In that time, I've earned over 100+ international photography awards and publications, hold the Master Level credential as the only pet photographer in Maine to do so, and have been named Maine Animal Photographer of the Year every year since 2021, including Overall Maine Photographer of the Year twice. These awards are purely a display of my dedication to my craft and my clients. My work has been submitted, rigorously judged by panels of the world's best judges, and held to a standard that allows me to make the guarantee that my client’s images will be technically perfect and emotionally captivating.
What Happens During a Professional Dog Photo Session
Most people arrive at their first dog photoshoot with some combination of excitement and nerves about whether their dog will cooperate, as well as a bit of not knowing fully what to expect. However, five minutes in, and all of these worries have melted away.
I pace every session around your dog; they lead the way! There is no rushing, and no pressure for your dog to do anything other than what they way to do. An experienced dog photographer will always follow the dog's lead rather than reroute it. Your dog have a serious case of the zoomies mid-session? We capture that! Your dog want to sunbathe and take a breather? Perfect time for you to hop in there and to grab some really amazing shots of the two of your. Your dog just dying to go swimming? I’ll roll my pants up and wade through those waves with them!
My sessions typically run between 60 minutes and 90 minutes depending on the dog, the lighting, and how the session is progressing. If we have all the shots we need, the dog is tired, or the weather abruptly changes, we don’t ever push things. However, if you and your dog are both still having a great time, and we still have good light, you are my only session for the evening so we can keep going until we no longer have adequate light!
Frequently Asked Questions About Dog Photoshoots in Maine
How much does a dog photoshoot cost in Maine?
Professional dog photography sessions in Maine typically range from a few hundred dollars on the lower end to several thousand for full fine art packages. The investment range can reflect the full overall experience, the level of expertise of the photographer, and how the images are delivered (think digital gallery, verse full service fine art creation). There are also different models of sessions, including all-inclusive or a la carte, both of which can dictate overall investment.
For my business, I offer both a session fee with product credit and a la carte artwork creation, or an all-inclusive model with included product credit. This allows clients to choose their investment, and their images, and how they would like to enjoy them, ensuring you are only ever investing in what you truly love.
How long does a dog photoshoot take?
Most sessions run between 60 minutes and 90 minutes, however they can go up to 2 hours. The exact length depends on the package you choose and the pace your dog sets on the day. Some dogs enjoy a lower pace of exploring and walking, while others very quick. We follow their lead, and the lighting conditions, both of which can affect the length of your session.
Can I be in the photos with my dog?
Yes, and I encourage this! This experience is to celebrate you AND your dog, together. Images of the two of you are of the bond you both share.
What if my dog doesn't listen, can’t be off leash, or gets too excited?
This is the most common concern from pet parents, and it is never an issue. I have worked with every version of dog behavior you can imagine and I will adapt to whatever happens. Your job is to laugh off the funny moments and enjoy the experience.
Where is the best place for a dog photoshoot in Maine?
Honestly, Maine is one of the most scenic states, and you don’t need dramatic backdrops to create amazing images. You can choose someplace meaningful, or based on the imagery you’d like in the background of your images, and leave the rest to your photographer!
Ready to Plan Your Dog Photoshoot in Maine?
If a dog photography session is something you’ve been thinking of for a while now, especially during this season of your dog’s life, I am here to help.
You can view session details and send a booking request directly following the link below. You can even indicate your preferred method of contact, to make the process as seamless and easy for you as possible.
Currently, I offer sessions throughout Southern and Midcoast Maine and select other locations throughout the state. If you have a specific location in mind, or a specific season you're planning for, please reach out and I am happy to start helping with the planning process!
