Girls meets dog (and 6 vets). Girl falls in love with vet branding session
I recently got a DM on my Insta from the owner of the Pearl Animal Hospital asking if I’d be interested in coming to the clinic to take photos of her team in action so that they could update their website and social media photos. Of course I immediately said “yes!!!”.
Not only would I be taking photos of the DVM’s (that’s fancy speak for vet) but also their PETS!!— Literally a dream come true!
I have been obsessed with dogs since as long as I can remember. When I was little, I owned a large dog breeds book and would sit under our dining room table (don’t ask why) for hours memorizing all the different dog breeds and their traits. I’ve actually retained a lot of that info! (…is that a Bellingham Terrier across the park I see? lol)
And then, as if things couldn’t get any better, the owner tells me that she just got a new puppy and wants to include her in her staff photo! Uh yes, please!
With everything set and organized (including a Pinterest inspo board), the session day finally arrived! I was so excited! I’d never had free reign in a vet office before.
I started off by setting up a room where I would take the DVM headshots. It was the perfect space with a couch and neutral background.
Soon after, I got to meet everyone that worked in the clinic, from the DVM’s, the clinic manager, the vet techs and hospital assistants. Everyone was so friendly and hilarious. You could tell that they loved their job!
I saw such a wonderful work culture at Pearl Animal Hospital, I briefly thought about quitting my job and becoming a vet tech. Kidding, not kidding.
This is one of my favorite photos I captured. The doggo is perfectly healthy and belongs to one of the vet techs. I used him as a model and he nailed the “poor puppy” look.
The first hour of the shoot was capturing in-action shots while furry clients were still there during office hours. It was heart-warming to see how much the staff genuinely cared for their patients.
Normally when your pet has a procedure you have to sit in the waiting room and anxiously worrying what is going on so it felt pretty special to get a first-hand, behind the scenes look. I chose a journalistic-style edit for these photos since they were different and more serious from the rest. I love how they turned out. They capture moments of teamwork, compassion, and expertise.
The “Vet and Pet'“ individual headshots were actually the most fun and hilarious part! I was able to capture the owner-dog relationship and silliness in it’s spontaneity.
By the way, I know what you’re thinking, and yes, the vets do look like their pets!
Last came the group shot but also the rain. Courtney, the owner said she didn’t want the typical stiff, posed group shots and I think I delivered. We had to hustle to beat the raindrops but in the end it worked out!
So my question is: can I be a professional vet clinic photographer? Like do this every day? If your vet clinic needs fresh, new photos for the it’s website and social medias then hit me up if you want to also have fun while doing it!
