Do you love summer themed portrait sessions? Are “lush” greens your thing? Maybe your dream is to have a picture of your dog nearby the wildflowers. Is there a specific style or color that works best? How does one choose?
First of all, I hope that your photographer is by your side to help you choose the perfect frames for your pet portraits! (Yes, photos are meant to be framed and on your walls!) It’s a service worth looking into. I offer and in-home design session for all of my clients that is included. Yes, I offer to come right into your home! We look at different sizes, styles, colors, ect that complement your space and home decor.
Be sure to check out my portfolio page for types of images that pertain to each of our New England Seasons with dogs. Do you have a favorite?
Ok. You have made the decision to brave the heat and do summer portraits with your dog! Woohoo!
Rule number 1:
I am going to highly recommend scheduling early in the morning because of this heat and humidity. As I write, sessions are currently at 5:45 AM. If you are not an early bird, you may be pleasantly surprised at how peaceful things are! You might just hop on the early train!
Darlene…. can’t I just choose my favorite frame?
Yes, you could! I do want you to be happy! But…. if you have a deep burgundy colored living room and that is where you would like to display your framed portrait of Fido, I won’t be recommending a location with bright orange tulips and green grass and then going with your favorite gold frame. We will choose the location to complement your home decor, and add that perfect frame!
I put together a few of my “go to” summer locations, and added in some of my favorite frames for you to see how the work together.
Water
Unfortunately the beaches aren’t dog friendly during the summer months. I offer beach sessions mid October through April. If you still love the cool tones and the idea of water in your portraits, we do have other options!
Allyn Cox Reservation in Essex, MA, offers beautiful marshes with rocks alongside parts. There is also green grass and some stone walls the make a nice backdrop.
Sehiki the Aussiedoodle is one of my Tails of the World Book project participants and we did our session at Allyn Cox Reservation just recently. I love the barn in the background. This image does have a mix of some warm tones with above the water. I think the white washed finished frame is perfect to complement Sehiki’s coloring. The frame is both rustic and delicate, perfect for this sweet girl.
Next is Anya, one of last year’s Tails of the World Book participants. We also did Allyn Cox Reservation. With the white in the clouds and the coolness of the water and sky, a white washed frame goes perfectly!
Another great water spot is the Harborwalk in Newburyport. (this is also part of the Clipper City Rail Trail) There is a walking path along the harbor with views of the boats. There are also areas of flowers and concrete structures that make nice backdrops. Adorable Kiki was part of last years Say Paws 2023 calendar contest and this is where we did her session.
With her coat being white, along with the boat, and the blue backdrop of the sky, a cool colored frame in black in white goes nicely. The contrast with the black gives her a nice “pop”.
If doing a single color frame without matting, I would choose black over white. The contrast definitely brings all the focus on this cutie patootie.
Vineyard
The vineyard is my “go to” place all year long. Zorvino Vineyards in Sandown, NH, being my favorite! If you have followed my blogging over the years, you might have heard me mention it a few times.
They keep the grounds pristine all year since they do weddings there all year – it’s a win for me!
This picture was taken in July a previous year. I adored this little nugget, Daphne! I wanted to share an example of a dog that has some warm tones in the the summer. Daphne, with her light brown and white coat, goes nicely in this Oak frame with white matting.
Backyard or Front yard
Do you have beautiful flowers right on your own property? You don’t need a lot of space! Maybe you have daffodils near your front porch. Maybe you have wildflowers growing along your property line. This is a perfect spot for summer portraits!
I grabbed Halo for a few seconds (that’s all she can handle during this heatwave we are having.) I photographed her right in our front yard next to the steps. I put on her yellow collar to complement the yellow daylilies. (click on this link if you want to see what the collar actually says: Andreas Custom Collars)
With her being black and white, a simple black frame works great for this image.
Park
Parks are great locations for summer sessions! I recently came across this cute little park in Newburyport, Atkinson Common, that had great flowers, a water fountain, and cute footbridge.
I photographed sweet senior, Isle-bee here with her mom. My favorite images were her in front of the flowers. With Isla-bee being a Rhodesian Ridgeback with that stunning golden coat, this round frame was the one! The brown tones match her fur, the black adds that contrast to bring out her eyes, and the round style perfect for highlighting her lovely face.
As you can see, there are so many styles and colors of frames to compliment your summer portraits! If we work together, we not only work on the frame styles that compliment your dogs color and the tones within a location, we look at the colors of the decor in your home.
There are perfect locations throughout the year. You don’t have to wait for a specific season. My goal is to find that perfect spot for you and your dog! When the thought of doing portraits with your dog comes to mind, contact me right away and let’s start the planning process so your portraits will be on the walls this fall!
Around the Circle
This post is part of a pet photographer’s blog circle with a new topic each week! This week is all about “frames”, so click on the link at the end of each post and follow along. Next up is a look at the process of how Atlanta dog photographer Courtney Bryson created a Top 20 image for the Framed challenge with Unleashed Pet Photography Education. Enjoy!!!
Beautiful images and frames Darlene. Love how you work with clients to pick the perfect location and frame for their decor.
Love your photos, especially the one of Halo and your explanation on how you choose the frames to go with each of those particular photos.
Beautiful framing options, with great planning from the get-go. I love the photo and framing of Halo.
Holy moly those fames! Absolutely gorgeous, just like all of your images. I love your seasonal portfolio, your seasons are all so beautiful. You have some lucky clients!