What Happens When Your Dog Portrait Vision Looks Nothing Like My Portfolio?
If you've spent any time looking through my work, you probably know one thing about The Dog Photog:
I love color.
Bright backdrops. Bold choices. Vibrant portraits that make you stop scrolling.
Color has become a big part of my signature style.
So when Kelly sent me inspiration images for her dog portrait session with Teddy, there was one thing that immediately stood out.
They looked nothing like my portfolio.
And I mean that in the best possible way.
A Different Kind of Dog Portrait Session
Teddy is a nine-year-old Golden Retriever who has been through a lot with Kelly.
From our conversations before his session, it was obvious that this wasn't just about getting a few updated pictures of her dog.
Teddy has been her constant companion.
Her family.
Her steady presence through different seasons of life.
The goal wasn't simply to photograph a Golden Retriever.
It was to capture the relationship between two beings who had spent nine years choosing each other.
After booking her session, Kelly sent me four inspiration images showing the kind of feeling she wanted to create.
They were:
Minimal
Neutral
Modern
Editorial
Timeless
They featured black and grey backgrounds, and black-and-white imagery.
Not the colorful, playful style people typically associate with The Dog Photog.
But I understood exactly what she loved about them.
Inspiration Photos Are About Feeling, Not Copying
When clients bring inspiration images to their dog photo shoot, I don't see them as a request to recreate someone else's work.
I see them as a way to understand what matters to you.
Maybe it's the mood.
Maybe it's the emotion.
Maybe it's the way the image makes you feel.
In Kelly's case, the inspiration images showed that she wasn't looking for a bright, playful portrait.
She wanted something quieter.
Something timeless.
Something that reflected the deep bond she shares with Teddy.
My job wasn't to take those exact images.
My job was to take the feeling behind them and translate it into something that felt like Kelly and Teddy.
Kelly’s Inspiration (left). The Dog Photog portrait (right)
Trusting a Photographer With Something New
One of the biggest compliments a photographer can receive is when a client trusts you to create something you've never shown them before.
Kelly hadn't seen this style throughout my website.
She hadn't seen black backdrops.
She hadn't seen neutral, editorial portraits.
She hadn't seen black-and-white images as part of The Dog Photog experience.
She simply trusted that I understood her vision and had the experience to bring it to life.
That kind of trust is a huge part of the creative process.
Because the best portraits don't happen when a photographer simply copies what they've already done.
They happen when the client and photographer create something together.
Choosing Gray and Black
When I sent Kelly her Hue + Hound color recommendations, I initially suggested Blue Mist, Lavender, and Gray.
After seeing her inspiration images, Gray became an obvious choice.
She ultimately selected Gray and Black.
And I'll admit...
I was nervous.
I hadn't photographed on black in my new studio yet.
The setup is different. The lighting needs to be intentional. The way the dog's coat separates from the background changes completely.
So I arrived two hours early.
I tested.
I adjusted.
I problem-solved.
Then I took one test photo.
And immediately knew we were going to create something special.
Creating the Images Kelly Imagined—and More
There were a few portraits from Kelly's inspiration images that she specifically hoped we could recreate.
And we did.
But once we had those, we let the session evolve.
Some of my favorite portraits weren't the ones that came directly from her inspiration board.
They were the moments we created after we had established the feeling of the session.
A quiet moment between Teddy and Kelly.
The way he rested his head near her.
The way he looked at her.
The tiny expressions that showed exactly who he is.
Those are the images that can't be planned.
They're created through trust.
[INSERT PHOTO: Kelly and Teddy together, ideally the image of Kelly facing away with Teddy looking toward camera.]
A Style Can Change Without Losing the Story
This session looks very different from the colorful portraits I usually create.
And that's exactly why I love it.
The colors changed.
The mood changed.
The editing style changed.
But the heart of the work stayed the same.
I was still creating portraits that captured a dog's personality and the relationship they share with their person.
That is the foundation of every session.
Whether we're photographing a dog on a bright Marmalade backdrop or creating a timeless black-and-white portrait, the goal is always the same:
Create something that feels like your dog.
What If Your Vision Doesn't Look Like My Portfolio?
Bring it.
Seriously.
If you've saved inspiration images, have a specific feeling in mind, or have been wondering if your idea fits with my work, I want to see it.
Your inspiration helps me understand what you're drawn to.
Then together, we'll create something that feels personal, meaningful, and completely yours.
Because your dog has never existed before.
Your portraits shouldn't either.
