Ozy and Luna, practicing their Sit Stay Photography.

Today, Ozy and I met up with our good friends Luna and Maddy (and the lovely cat Muff). Luna, with her beautiful seal grey coat, is an 110-pound beloved snuggle bug, who is a bit unaware of the impact her size and voice may have on others. Despite this, Ozy adores her dearly (as do we all). 

After a hill-filled urban hike through their neighborhood trails, Luna and Ozy got a bit of structured free time to play. With Luna’s size, it means we often step in to re-direct attention and keep Ozy from having to tell her off. With tasty treats to inspire attention, we used photography as an engaging game for with the two dogs.

Using photography as a game serves as both an enrichment experience for the animals and a way to practice new commands. I’ve found it enhances my connection with Ozy, and once any dog (or kitty) figures out the “pose for photo for treat” routine, it becomes fun for everyone.

Practice Session Portraits

This was a practice session in preparation for our family photo session we’ll be doing together this spring. By practicing ahead of time, it helps the animals be more comfortable and relaxed during the full family experience.

Luna is learning quickly, and having Ozy there to show her the ropes definitely helps. The little cat, Muff, needed no training, she was the instant Photo Session Boss. 

Photographs captured using a FujiFilm XT5 and 33mm FujiFilm lens. I have been studying with a good friend of mine, Lindsay Baca, who is an expert pet photographer and taught me her Sit Stay Pet Photography style. Ozy quickly learned the fun of it and we’ve been turning it into a game that he loves. Luna and Muff enjoyed it too!