Newborn Family Photos With Dogs: Baby Delilah

Newborn family photos capture the sweetest, earliest moments of a new child’s life. Baby Deliah had an extra-special session, and even though newborn family photos with dogs aren’t a standard package I provide, I’m delighted with the outcome. Delilah’s parents, Madonna and Ricky, found me the way most people find me, via Google Search. 

I’m glad that this little local photography website can provide a beautiful showcase of my work for families in Gainesville and surrounding areas. North central Florida is a great place to call home, and I’ve built my photography studio and photography business here for decades. I love meeting fresh faces, as well as people who have lived and raised a family here, like I have.

Spending time on my website, and especially browsing my categorized photography portfolio pages, is a great way to get familiar with my work. I specialize in newborn photography, maternity photography, and family photography, and my work is typified by expert use of lighting, color, arrangements, props, and tirelessly working to find all of the tiny moments you will cherish for years to come.

As you can imagine, including animals in photo shoots gets very tricky. Family photos with dogs add a layer of complexity, and of course, simplicity is the name of the game when working with little ones. 

That said, I couldn’t resist showing you how precious these newborn family photos with this beloved family dog came out. Every so often, for families with pets that are truly family members, I will make an exception and dedicate extra time and effort to making it work. In this case, the results were wonderful.

Newborn Photos With Pets

Newborn photos with pets can still capture intimacy and memorable moments. In this case, family pup Olive joined the crew. The family explained that Olive was family first, and is a caring “big sister” figure to newborn Delilah. With pup in tow, the family sat for photos that served the purpose of providing both professional newborn photos of Delilah as well as a family holiday photo. 

The photo pose with Delilah and Olive was the perfect balance to meet both requirements, and made for a lovely holiday family photo to send to family and friends.

Newborn Family Photos With Dogs

Any time I host a newborn photo shoot, I have numerous accommodations in place. Newborns are sleepy, tender, and have ongoing needs. My photo studio is equipped to facilitate those, with spaces for changing, feeding, and even short rests. Ideally, we schedule the newborn photo shoot so that the baby has some waking time and some sleeping time. Both states make for great photos.

Some of the tips I would offer if you want a newborn photo shoot with pets include the following:

• Remember that a pet is not a photo prop; their motion will require extra shots and more time for posing.
• Set reasonable expectations: pets will enter a new environment and could experience an array of feelings and reactions. Extra time and space should be added to the session.
• Pose the baby first, then the pet. Newborns will stay put, whereas animals may roam, so set the most controllable factor first, as it were.
• Be flexible! With babies and pets, things often don’t go according to plan. Parents of newborns already know the level of adaptability required: you may get some great candid shots, you may get some posed photos, or (to be honest) you may get very little if the pet is uncooperative. It is what it is!

Newborn Photo Ideas With Dogs

Thankfully, we were able to capture some great newborn photos with dog Olive, as she did sit still and snuggle up close. With pets, there are a few attention catching tricks a photographer can use, but for the most part, you should consider your dog’s disposition before factoring them into professional photos. If they tend to be excessively hyper, easily excited, or anxious, it may be best to keep the pet photos as candids you take yourself, and reserve the professional session for baby or other family members.

In no way do I want to discourage people from pursuing an experience they want, and creating the perfect photo of their dreams. The bottom line is one I mentioned a moment ago: the best newborn photography is simple. This is an important idea to keep in mind even for anyone who wants to have dogs be in newborn photos.

Find a Family Photographer in Gainesville, Florida

My Gainesville, Florida photography studio is the perfect fit for families of all shapes and sizes. While it isn’t standard practice to provide newborn family photos with dogs, I’m always happy to have an open discussion about what you want. It’s my aim to serve, offering up my professional photography skills to craft something you will celebrate for years to come.

Please contact me here with any questions or to book a newborn photo session. You can follow my Instagram or Facebook account for updates or view my portfolio for examples of my work.