In show business there is a saying Never work with children or animals. As a photographer I love working with both!! It was 8 AM Sunday morning, 85 degrees in the shade and we were being eaten by mosquitoes. We had a 2-hour window to photograph the Redig family before the older boys headed off to college.
I knew the humans could hold their own, however I was a little concerned for Ruby, the family dog. Her tongue was hanging out and I knew she was over heating quickly. Luckily I brought lots of water and my assistant tried to keep her well hydrated. At this point the trick was to trying to get a picture of her with her tongue somewhat in her mouth.
Fast forward a couple of weeks when I was sitting down with the family for their presentation and ordering session. I learned they had a 22-year-old cat that wasn’t doing well. I immediately stopped what we were doing and asked them to meet me in 2 hours with the cat.
Jack the cat was the coolest most chill creature I’ve ever met. I feel so fortunate we were able to capture some family photos before his passing. Like most cats, they do what they want and he couldn’t care less that we were trying to photograph him. The family has fond memories of Jack, but the youngest son seemed to be the closest to him.
Pets play such a huge part in our lives. If you have a family pet, let me know. I will be happy to incorporate them into our photo sessions.