You most likely love animals if you’ve made it to this article. But did you know that combining your love of photography and animals you can save or make hundreds of dollars?
Whether you just want to capture your own pet portraits to display in your house or you want to start a side hustle that you love, this guide will help you out.
We’ll start with those that want to do their own pet photography and then cover details for how to earn extra cash by doing pet portraiture for others.
Whether you want to share a great photo of your beloved pet on social media or display a stunning photo of them in your house, there are a few simple things to improve your photos.
With some simple tips you can get your own photos that you’ll be proud of and save a bunch of money in the process.
By doing the photos yourself you can save from 60%-80% compared to a standard pet photo session. That’s even if you have to rent the gear!
Pet Portrait Sessions
If you are only planning to get a few shots of your pet to display around your house, renting a camera and/or a lens for a few days can be much less expensive than paying someone to come take portraits for you. You know your pet better than anyone else and often are the one that can capture their personality the best.
If you’ve done pet portrait sessions in the past, any good photographer will spend the first part of a session asking questions about your pet. This is so they can get a feel for your pet’s personality and figure out the best way to capture that in their images.
So right off the bat you have an advantage over any other photographer since you know your pet so well. Their habits and tendencies, quirks and mannerisms.
A pet portrait session typically costs between $500 – $5000. You may be able to find a student photographer to do it for less, but at that point why not just do it yourself?
Often the only things keeping someone from doing pet portraits themselves is time and equipment. So let’s address each of those concerns
But I Don’t Have the Right Gear
The right lens for pet portraits makes a huge difference in capturing a high-quality image that you’ll love. If you don’t have enough other reasons to justify buying that new lens you need, then consider renting it.
As a price comparison, I checked on the cost to rent a new model Nikon camera along with a sweet fast lens (the kind we dream of owning). Surprisingly there was over a 60% savings compared even the lowest-cost pet portrait session.
So, the barrier of not having the right equipment is a pretty easy hurdle to step over.
If you already have the right gear then it’s a no-brainer.
I Don’t Have Enough Time
First off, a pet portrait session is probably going to require you to be there for about 1-2 hours. If you can make time to do that, then you can clearly use that same amount of time to get the pictures yourself.
Also, with most lens rentals you get the equipment for a few days. That gives you plenty of time to get pictures. Plus additional opportunities to get some candid or intimate shots of your pet that you’d never get from a pet portrait session.
Not only will you be saving money on the shoot itself, but you’ll also be getting pictures you’d never get otherwise.
If you want even more time and flexibility, you can just rent the gear for a longer period of time. Adding a few extra days to your rental is really pretty inexpensive.
Even though the cost of renting a lens is really affordable and will save you a lot compared to paying someone else to do it, make sure you schedule time for when you’ll take the pictures.
Life always gets busy, so just make sure you set time aside, just as you would if you scheduled a portrait session with someone else.
Getting Paid to Do Pet Photography
If you read the section above for DYI pet photography, then you say that we mentioned that a pet portrait session typically costs between $500 – $5000.
If you’re doing this as a side-job to earn some extra money you will definitely need to start near that lower range.
While a $500 price tag will make some consider doing it on their own, you should be jumping up and down that people are paying that for photos of their pets.
Not everyone loves photography like you do and so there are plenty of people willing to pay for something they can’t do themselves.
So if you can combine your love of animals with your love of photography you’ve got a sweet companionship.
Of course, there’s more work that goes into a pet photography session than the time it takes to shoot the photos. So let’s break that down.
- 1 Hour: Scouting out a location and working out details with the client
- 1 Hour: The photo session itself
- 2 Hours: Post-production and processing the photos
You could extend the photo session to an hour and a half if you wanted, especially when you first start. That will give you more time and help you not feel so rushed. However, for some clients and pets an hour might be more than they can tolerate.
Either way, even if you spend a bit more time than what we have notes above you can see that for a $500 session fee you’d be making over $100 an hour.
Often the only thing keeping from someone starting their own business is feeling like they don’t have the skills or the tools to do it.
I Don’t Have the Skills to do this Professionally
For most that are just getting started, you may be working with family or friends. Feel free to give them a discount, even 50% off if you want. You’ll still be making a great hourly wage while working out the kinks.
Imposter syndrome is also something you’ll probably deal with. Don’t be afraid to set your standard rates as high as the market in your area will bear. But if you need some confidence in being able to charge that give some significant discounts to the first clients you work with.
You’ll be getting some valuable experience, but you’ll also be giving them a big value in saving hundreds of dollars compared to others or having to try and do it themselves.
You’re not a perfect photographer, but that’s not what you’re being hired as. You have more to learn, but we learn by applying what we know.
No professional photographer started as a professional. So it’s true that you will need to get better but you are more than good enough to get started right now.
I Don’t Have the Gear I’d Need
While feeling like you don’t have the gear you need is an obstacle, it is far easier to overcome than feelings of doubt. If you need a pep talk or have other questions about overcoming that obstacle, feel free to reach out and ask us a question.
You can start with what you have. And that’s a great idea if you want to see if this is something you really like. One caveat is really will need to have a camera with an interchangeable lens. No smartphones!
It’s true that people can get great photos with their smartphone. However, if someone is going to pay you to take pictures, they are not going to feel like they are getting their monies worth if they see you show up and take the camera out of your pocket.
Value is all about perception and having a DSLR or Mirrorless camera around your neck creates instant value in the eyes of your client.
Whether you have the camera but not the lens, or you have nothing at all, it’s not a problem.
For some, buying the lens will be the best option. If you’re not able to purchase the gear yet, then you can simply rent it.
As mentioned in the other section of this article, camera gear rentals are surprisingly affordable. Particularly if you are getting someone to pay for the pictures you’re going to take.
At first it may seem like, ‘hey I’m not going to make as much money that way.’ The reality is ‘hey someone else is paying for me to rent this cool gear.’
The cost of your rentals is just going to be covered by the price you charge for the photo session. Later on you can purchase the equipment you need and make more money, but having someone else pay is pretty great.
Camera rentals usually are for 3-7 days. If you are able to fit 2-3 clients into that period of time it really makes it worth it.
Getting Great Shots
While we scroll through social media seeing beautiful photos the truth is there’s some work and patience going into making those gorgeous shots.
Here we’ll cover some basic details on getting great shots, but we also have an article for other tips to improve your pet photography.
Depending on the demeanor of the pet it may be challenging to get them to stay still for a staged shot. So you may consider getting some candid shots of the pet doing what they love.
If the pet you’re working with is more domicile, then break out that tripod and try a more ‘studio-like’ session.
For those trying to earn some money with pet photography, then you’ll want to spend some time getting to know the animal. Try to get a feel for how the animal reacts to different stimuli and if you can ask lots of questions of the owner.
These questions can also be something you address before the session so that you have time to plan and focus on the shoot once you’re there.
Make sure you know their favorite treat too!
Although you can always work with what you have, personality of the animal is a huge factor in selecting the best type of lens to use.
If you’re planning on candid shots a good Zoom lens will help you quickly frame a shot as you react to the moment. While a Prime is generally going to give you a sharper image if you’re able to slow down a bit and move into the position you need to.
Either way, you’ll want to make sure you have a good autofocus. You probably won’t have a lot of time to dial in with a manual focus.
Time for the Photo Shoot
First check to see if you have the right lens specs. Here’s a quick reference guide for what makes the best lens for Pet Portraiture.
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR PET LENSES
| FOCAL LENGTH | APERTURE | TYPE | LENS |
| 70mm – 200mm | f/2.8 or Larger | Telephoto | Zooms & Primes |
After confirming you have the gear you want choose the time and place for the shoot.
For something personal and intimate choose the home or yard. If you’re doing this professionally you should have 3-4 areas scouted out, like parks or trails, that are pet friendly.
Pre-scouting the area for lighting, backgrounds, and crowds is crucial. Scheduling a shoot when there’s usually a soccer game and very little parking won’t reflect well with your client.
We don’t address lighting here other than a quick reminder that you need to be able to work with the lighting you have based on the time you schedule any outdoor shoots.
Get a good mix of different types of shots and angles. Even if you have something in mind try out some different views. I’ve often gone in with a particular vision in mind but ended up liking something more that I hadn’t planned on shooting.
Wide Shots
Start wide and take some shots that capture the environment and surroundings. This helps set the scene and tell a broader story
Try a Variety of Angles
Get your move on! Don’t just ‘stay’ put. Trying some different angles will help you capture something unique. It may not always work but it will help you spark some creativity. Just make sure you’re aware of what’s in the background to make sure it doesn’t ruin your ‘purrfect’ angle.
Get Close
It might feel a little uncomfortable getting so close to people, but with a pet it’s much easier. If it’s not your pet just make sure to watch for cues that it might not want you there, so that you don’t get scratched or bitten. Close up shots capture the unique features of any animal and can have a powerful energy.
Final Thoughts
Combining your love of photography and love of animals will not only save you money, but if could also be a source for some added income.
Taking pet portrait photos is a great side-hustle because you can make it work around the hours that you’re available. It can expand your photography skills while also providing a tremendous value to others.
If you’re not ready to purchase the gear, then renting is a really low-cost option and allows you to get started right away.
Whether you just to take your own pet portraits to display or you want to finally start that side hustle that you’ll love, it’s easy to get started right now.
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First and foremost, I’m a husband and father. Then professionally I’m photographer, designer, blogger, and Esty store owner. My homebase is near the stunning Wasatch mountains in Utah but I love traveling with my family as part of our homeschooling journey. I also love teaching and helping out others. My faith is one of the biggest aspects of my life and brings be a consistent joy that I haven’t found in anything else. My main blog is BestPhotographyGear.com and I strive to make photography simple for anyone looking to learn or find gear for their individual needs. By nature, I like to study, research, and analyze things and I use that help provide the best advice and reviews I can.