One of the things I am often asked is why I got into photography. Truthfully there are lots of reasons: I have always been drawn to artistic endeavors, I love nature and capturing it, I so enjoy the process of photographing someone or something that I lose myself in the moment, etc. But one of the key motivations was the loss of my dog Oliver.

I do not live in Annapolis, but I travel around Maryland a lot. Still, when a client suggested we meet on Annapolis for pictures of her two adorable dogs, I wasn’t sure where the best place would be.

Most cell phones these days can take good photos of your pets, but there are some things you can do that can help you to get better pet photos. Here are a few suggestions.

If you want to remember your pet and have a artistic reminder of them on your walls, one choice is photographic wall art, which I have written about before, but another choice is a digital painting of your pet. I can paint your pets to create for a you a unique piece of art of those you love.

All dogs, all pets, no matter where they come from, deserve love and care, kindness and a future with people who love them. It is up to us to encourage practices that will allow that to happen.

Many pet owners know how hard it can be to get really good images of a pet. They often won’t stay still or look where you want them to look. This is why hiring a photographer who specializes in and loves pets is a good idea. But even when you do this, there are still some things you need to do to get pets ready for photos.