the Puptrait Studio

22 Apr 2019

dog photography golden wearing a crown made from colorful scraps of paper

Pet Portraits Are Better When They’re Solo

Dog portraits are generally not something that many dog owners commission often – high quality professionally shot pet portraits, even less so. While we are happy to accommodate client requests and photograph multiple dogs at the same time, it is not something that we generally recommend. If you are serious about commissioning a one-of-a-kind custom art portrait of your dogs, we strongly encourage you schedule pet portrait sessions for each of your pups.

18 Apr 2019

Photo of a cute and smiley English Golden Retriever wearing a colorful top hat made from newspaper clippings.

How to motivate dogs during pet portraits

Written by J.B. Shepard, a professional pet photographer and founder of the Puptrait Studio. Handling a dog during a photoshoot presents some fairly unique requirements. It differs from most approaches to training and behavioral modification in that a photographer is less concerned with compliance and more focused on engagement. More often than not, professional pet photographers seek to trigger facial expressions and moods, rather than encourage any specific behavior, trick or action. Consent is the key to great dog portraiture […]

Advanced Dog Photo Tips / Authors / Dog Behavior / J.B. Shepard

16 Apr 2019

Infrared view of the Washington Monument, Washington, D.C.

Do you need a permit to photograph dogs in DC?

Written by J.B. Shepard, a Washington D.C. based professional pet photographer and founder of the Puptrait Studio in Baltimore, Maryland. Washington D.C. dog owners area have a wealth of options when it comes to on location pet portraits. Some of the most iconic backdrops in our country are located just a short drive from Baltimore and Northern Virginia. Between all of the national monuments, the iconic buildings and the National Cherry Blossom festival, it’s no wonder why the National Mall […]

Authors / Dog Photography Tips & Tutorials / Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) / Intermediate Dog Photo Tips / J.B. Shepard / Pet Portrait Session Info

13 Apr 2019

Action shot photo of a cute American Bulldog Terrier running along the Baltimore Inner Harbor at the Canton Waterfront Park. This photo was captured by the professional dog photographers at the Puptrait Studio in Hampden and is featured in a tutorial teaching aspiring pet photographers how to photograph running dogs like a pro.

How to Photograph a Running Dog

Written by J.B. Shepard, a professional pet photographer and founder of the Puptrait Studio. Photographing a running dog isn’t a simple task. In fact, taking great pictures of running dogs consistently can be down right difficult — as it requires a photographer to understand dog behaviors, how to use artificial light sources / light modifiers, how their camera functions in extreme conditions, and how to frame less than optimal scenes. But with proper understanding of the hurdles specific to these […]

Advanced Dog Photo Tips / Authors / Beginner Dog Photo Tips / Dog Photography Tips & Tutorials / Intermediate Dog Photo Tips / J.B. Shepard / Pet Product & Service Buying Guides

07 Apr 2019

A black staff wearing a golden crown. He is lit with specular highlights in a studio against a clean white background.

How to Photograph Black Dogs

Written by J.B. Shepard, a professional pet photographer and founder of the Puptrait Studio. Photographing black dogs can be tricky. But it’s not as difficult as many aspiring dog photographers have been led to believe. In fact, with a better understanding of light and reflections it is possible to take great photos of black and dark furred dogs consistently. Black Dog Photography Tips & Tricks We’ve put together a collection of tips and tricks to help pet photographers create better […]

Authors / Dog Photography Tips & Tutorials / Intermediate Dog Photo Tips / J.B. Shepard

04 Apr 2019

Photo of a smiling pit bull dog next to the highway sign for the Jones Falls Expressway in Hampden located on Falls Road near the Hampden Skate Park and the dog friendly Puptrait Studio.

Submit Dog Friendly Events

Are you planning a dog friendly event held in Maryland, Washington D.C., or Virginia? We would love to hear all about it! If your dog friendly event sounds like it would be fun and safe to attend, we would be happy to promote it in the events section of our dog blog. Dog Friendly Event Submission Cost There is no cost to promote dog friendly events on Puptrait.com that are either hosted by nonprofits or are free to the general […]

Baltimore & D.C. Dog Friendly Events / News & Announcements

01 Apr 2019

Wizard of Oz Themed Chihuahua Portrait | Step-by-Step Photo Composite

Whimsical photoshoots, especially surreal composites and digital paintings, are some of our favorite styles of dog portraits to create. Which is why we were so excited to have an opportunity to work on this private Chihuahua portrait commission recently. As these projects tend to be rather open ended and a little less straight forward to commission in comparison to our standard photo shoots, we thought it might be fun to walk through each step. Surreal pet portraits move beyond possible […]

Cute Puppy Pictures / Dog Photo & Pet Art Showcase / Intermediate Dog Photo Tips

28 Mar 2019

A black and white photo of a cute pug beagle mix (Puggle dog) in front of the pagoda in Patterson Park in Butcher's Hill Baltimore.

Dog Portraits with Baltimore Landmarks

Best places for dog photoshoots in Maryland Photographing dog portraits on location and in front of landmarks in Baltimore can be difficult. It’s one of the main reasons why we maintain a dog friendly photo studio. Half the battle is just finding the right location and angle to set up for your pup’s photoshoot. Baltimore (like most large cities) is filled with sights, sounds and smells that can be extremely distracting for even well trained dogs – including other furry […]

Cute Puppy Pictures / Dog Rescue Photos

22 Mar 2019

Cute pitbull puppy pictures from the Puptrait Studio in Washington D.C., featuring the lovable foster dogs of Bella's Bully Buddies. Our favorite foster and dog rescue group in the Mid Atlantic region.

Cute Puppy Pictures from Bella’s Bully Buddies

Dog photographers will give all sorts of reasons why they volunteer so much of their time to rescues and nonprofit foster groups. But this recent puppy photoshoot with Bella’s Bully Buddies proves without a doubt any of us signed up to take dog portraits in the first place. It’s all about the puppies! Photographing puppies and younger dogs can be a little more difficult than working with adult or even senior dogs. They’re generally less well trained (they are babies […]

Cute Puppy Pictures / Dog Photo & Pet Art Showcase / Dog Rescue Photos

15 Mar 2019

Do Yappy Hours Need to Be Awful?

Yappy Hours are often promoted as a great advertising tool for up-and-coming pet photographers. Community liaisons and community members clearly seem to be fans – they are everywhere after all. But are they a good deal for pet photographers, dog owners and event hosts? In all honesty, most Yappy Hours are a massive failure. But they don’t have to be. Keep reading if you’d like to learn why these dog friendly events are usually a huge failure, common pitfalls to […]

Pet Advice / Pet Product & Service Buying Guides

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