Frequently Asked Questions
Are dogs the only animals you photograph?
Do you photograph people too?
My dog (or child!) won’t sit still for a second. Is that
a problem?
Are all your photos black and white?
Where do the photo shoots take place?
Can I purchase my proofs?
I love the dog t-shirts in your shop - can you put my dog on a t-shirt?
Have a question that isn’t here? Contact me via email or
call 303-808-5554.
Are dogs the only
animals you photograph?
No. I do mostly dogs because I’m just naturally a dog person and they know it. I can create a rapport with them more easily than with other critters. However, I have done portraits of cats, rabbits, ferrets and even an iguana.
Do you photograph people too?
Sure, mostly together with their pets. I like to shoot candidly, which means I follow the subject and try to capture who they really are on the move. That's hard to do with humans, at least adult humans. So the portraits with humans in them are almost always posed.
My dog (or child!) won’t sit still
for a second. Is that a problem?
No problem! It’s my preference. Like I said, I shoot candidly, which means I try to follow the subject and capture their personality in motion. That’s what makes these portraits so interesting, the personality that comes out when they’re allowed to just be themselves.
Are all your photos black and white?
Not at all. I shoot digitally, in color, then upload all the photos to Photoshop where they can stay color or become black and white or sepia or pretty much any color palette you choose. I happen to prefer black and white (I feel it allows you to see the subject’s character without distractions) so most of the photos in the Galleries here are black and white or spot-colored. Spot coloring is when color is applied to one small area of a photo such as making the eyes a vivid blue while the rest of the photo remains black and white.
Where do the photo shoots take place?
We almost always go outdoors to a favorite comfortable locale. I use natural lighting whenever possible to avoid flashes which can upset the dogs. As a result, shoots usually take place in parks, on trails, or in back yards – yours or mine. Several favorite Boulder locales are: Chautauqua Park, the Flatirons, Mount Sanitas Trail, the CU campus and Marshall Mesa Trail. All of these work wonderfully and provide varying degrees of solitude.
Can I purchase my proofs?
You can have them for free! They will come to you in a handmade keepsake album and they are yours to keep and do with as you please. I’m not fussy about copyrights so you may have reprints made from them if you like. I'm happy to make as many prints as you like above and beyond the 8x10 or 5x7s that come with your portrait package (for a tiny fee) or you may purchase a disc with all of your proofs in jpeg format for just $15. The discs are great for sharing your photos online or having holiday cards printed.
I love the dog t-shirts in your shop - can you put my dog on a t-shirt?
You bet! Just send me an email or call me with the number of the photo you want to use (all the photos in your album will be numbered). I'll email you back to let you know when you can purchase your t-shirt. Or mug or calendar or apron or boxer shorts or tile or pillow...