Provided by Your Pet Magazine

If you're looking for an unusual gift idea for a pet lover that will have them purring with delight, consider a portrait of their furred, feathered or finned best friend.

Dogs and cats have long found their way into our houses and onto our sofas. Now our candid canines and photographic felines are also hanging on living room walls as their photos feature alongside - and in - the traditional family portrait.

Today, many pet lovers are engaging professional photographers to capture the personality and spirit of their fur babies. Options range from photography sessions in the home - where the animal is most comfortable and relaxed - to location shoots and studio sittings featuring special props and background screens.

Some owners bring the family pet into the traditional family portrait while others opt for a classic shot, featuring just the pet.

Freelance photographer - and photographer for Your Pet Magazine - Giulio Saggin, began taking pet portraits 18 months ago after photographing a friend's wedding where the pet dog was in attendance. Along with capturing the radiance of the bride and groom, Giulio snapped a great photo of the dog and his "pet portraits just took off from there".

To get the best from his subjects, Giulio prefers to photograph a pet in its home "being natural and doing what it wants to do".

So what makes good pet talent? Giulio says every pet has its own personality so that dictates the shoot. "I just let the animal be itself. Sometimes I will get assistance from the owner but I haven't had to use treats yet."

Giulio recently photographed an 18-month-old German Shepherd that was full of beans and took more than an hour to calm down following Giulio's arrival.

"It usually takes that long for dogs to settle down so I interact with them and get them used to me ... then they get bored with me and go off and do their own thing. That's when the magic happens," he says.

"Cats will do what they want to do anyway, but generally dogs will start to do their own thing within an hour and that's when you see their true personality."

Although most requests for Guilio's pet portrait work have come from woman, Giulio says there is no particular demographic evident among his clients. He is contacted by all types of people who love their pets.

For Gold Coast-based Tracey Bradley, photographing animals is a passion that began in her childhood when she dressed up her dog, photographed him and entered the photo in the Tennant Creek Show. She won first prize and knew she wanted to combine her passion for photography with her love of animals.

After graduating from the Queensland College of Art three years ago with a bachelor of photography, Tracey was among the first to offer pet photography on the glitter strip.

Tracey says the response to her work has been very good. "I have all types of clients, from people living at Sanctuary Cove and Hope Island to people in the suburbs...clients include everyone really, just people who love their dogs or animals."

Tracey says her clients request pet portraits for their own home or as gifts. Some people, who have older or sick dogs, wish to capture their pet before the inevitable happens.

Like Giulio, Tracey photographs her subjects in an environment where they can be themselves. This includes their home, at the park or at the beach, with many owners opting for the off-leash area at The Spit or Tullebudgera.

While it takes patience to get the good shot, it helps if the talent turns up! Tracey recently arrived at a house to photograph a Siamese cat only to find it had gone missing. It eventually came home after she and the owner spent 15 minutes searching and calling.

Tracey loves working with animals and says she is constantly challenged by the not so obedient client - including the puppies that cocked their legs on an easel she had erected to display her work at the local puppy school!

In East Brisbane, the team at Katrina Christ Photography has found the family pet is well and truly working its way into the business, which specialises in designer black and white portraits.

"We do family portraits including pets," Katrina says. "Years ago we didn't automatically think of including pets but people started asking to include their pet. Now we always say to people do you have pets? Do you want pets in the photos? Most people want to include their pet once they see the photos."

Katrina and her team of photographers will usually photograph the family first and then bring in the pet for additional photos.

"We just did a series the other day featuring about 12 photos and there are two single shots of the dogs - this is how much love there is. There were children and grandchildren and the dogs played a really big part in the photos.

"Another family that just lost their dog wanted photos taken with a new puppy."

Not only do cats and dogs appear in the family portraits produced by Katrina and her team, but several staff members are in the process of choosing the dog breed best suited to their lifestyle.

Photographer Nami loves Pugs and Katrina is looking for a breed that will be compatible with her three young daughters.

"Pets are such a part of childhood, they teach children so much about responsibility as well as playtime," says Katrina.

"Pets have been part of the family for so many years it makes sense to have pets in the photographs."

For more information visit traceybradleyphotographics.com.au

Provided by: