The one photo I wish every dog parent would take
You know that one photo on your camera roll – blurry, spontaneous, not “frame-worthy” but full of heart – where it’s just you and your dog, maybe snuggled on the couch or mid-laugh after a clumsy paw swipe? That’s the one.
Every session I photograph starts with the same quiet truth: these moments won’t come again.
And yet, so many dog parents tell me, “Oh, I don’t need to be in the photos. Just the dog.” I hear it often. Maybe you feel the same way. But by the time we reach the image reveal, it’s almost always those tender, in-the-frame moments together that make my clients pause, breathe deeper, and sometimes, cry the good kind of tears.
So let me gently say: yes, you can (and absolutely should) be in the photos too. Here’s why.
Not sure you want to be in the photos? You’re not alone.
You might worry that you’ll feel awkward, or that your dog will be too distracted, or maybe you just don’t love being in front of the camera. I get it. It can feel vulnerable to be seen so openly. And when the focus is supposed to be all about your dog, it’s easy to think stepping behind the camera is the simpler choice.
But here’s what I’ve seen again and again: your presence changes the story. When you’re in the frame, something remarkable happens.
Your dog relaxes – because you are their person, their safety, their heartbeat. You stop worrying whether they’re “behaving” and settle into the moment. The camera becomes invisible. It turns into something else entirely: your story, unfolding.
I always tell my clients during our planning calls: dress as if you’ll be in the photos, even if you’re unsure. Because we can always create images that are subtle, soulful portraits where you’re holding your dog’s paws, or they’re leaning into your shoulder. No formal posing, no forced smiles. Just real connection.
4 Reasons to Be in the Photos with Your Dog
1. You’re a part of their story too
Your dog doesn’t see what you might see in the mirror. They see home. You are their comfort, their constant, their joy. Being in the photographs together lets us capture the world as your dog experiences it – full of affection, touch, and trust.
That look they give you? The way they melt into your arms? It matters. And you deserve to be in the frame of the love you’ve built.
2. You’ll thank yourself later (even if you’re unsure right now)
So many clients didn’t initially plan to be in the photos. But the moments they almost skipped — the unexpected laughter, the quiet hand against a muzzle, the way their dog leaned in — become the ones they treasure most.
Those are the images that become framed artwork above the fireplace. The ones beside the bed. The center of a gallery wall. Because these photographs aren’t just for today.
They’re for the day you’ll sit quietly and whisper, “Remember that?”
3. Your dog will feel more at ease
It’s amazing how much calmer a dog becomes when we’re capturing genuine interactions between you two. Snuggling on a blanket, walking together under the trees, sharing a gentle moment… it gives your dog something familiar and reassuring.
And truthfully? It gives you something too. You stop fixating on whether they’re sitting or staying or looking at the lens. Instead, you get to just be with them. Which is where the most meaningful images come to life.
4. It doesn’t have to mean a full-on photoshoot
Maybe you’re camera-shy (totally valid). That’s where we embrace the magic of candid connection – the “in-but-not-in” images, as my clients now lovingly call them.
- A close-up of your dog looking up at you
- Their chin resting against your shoulder
- Your hand gently holding their face
- Your dog nestled between your legs, framed by the shoes you picked specifically for this session (yes, those shoes — the “shoe shot” has a fan club now)
These aren’t traditional portraits. They’re glimpses. And sometimes the moment around the face tells the biggest story.
Capturing your love, not a pose
Photography with Unleashed With Love isn’t about performing. It’s about preserving something real – your ordinary, extraordinary bond. These images aren’t stiff portraits; they’re windows into the life you share.
You don’t need magazine-ready outfits or the perfect everything. You just need to show up with your dog, as you are, together. That’s more than enough.
If your heart feels quietly tugged today, let it pull. You don’t have to plan every detail or feel ready for the spotlight. You just have to be willing to step into the frame of a moment that already matters.
Because this deserves a place on your wall… not just your phone. And that one image? The one with you in it? It just might be the one you return to, over and over again.
