When planning a dog photography session, one of the most important factors to consider is the location where the photos will be taken. “Where should we take our photos?” is a very common question.

With that in mind I will spend a considerable amount of time scouting both new and already known locations.

One of the first things I look for is a place that has a variety of backgrounds.

If all photos are taken with only one background the choices that my clients have could be a little boring.  So I may look for a location that has forested areas of trees, open fields, benches, pathways, and colours all within walking distance.

I make sure that the lighting is correct

I don’t want to be shooting in very dark shade or too bright light. I also want to check the direction of the sun. Although much of that is taken care of by the time of day we shoot, it is still an important factor to consider.

I prefer places that are not too busy or have a lot of other dogs.

If the dog I am going to photograph is reactive, aggressive towards other dogs or fearful then I’ll definitely look for a location that is as quiet as possible with few dogs and people expected to be there.

I ensure that you and your dog will be safe

Locations must be dog-friendly and allow you to control your dogs. Don’t be concerned if your dog can’t be taken off-leash. Most of the dogs I photograph are kept on leash all the time. Leashes and people are always edited out of the final image.

I also re-scout locations that I have used in the past if I haven’t been there is a while as things change with the seasons and over time.

One of my frequently used locations for a dog photography session is High Park in Toronto.  I recently went there to check it out for a photoshoot as I hadn’t been there since winter and wanted to check the conditions and lighting for a spring session.

So with camera in hand for some test shots I headed out to High Park one evening to scout the best spots in the park for an upcoming dog and owner photography session.

I found a stunning old tree that I had never noticed before even though I had done many photo sessions there in the past.  Here’s just one of the photos we took at that tree.

I also checked out the flowers that had been planted there and how the grasses were growing at that time - were they a nice length to use as foreground or just too long?

The scouting paid off as my clients ended up with a great variety of photos and were thrilled with their session!

Here’s that log I showed you in the video.

Update: May 2023, I recently found an amazing location for pet photography in North York! Here are some photos and a description.