STORYTELLER AND FAMILY ADVENTURE PHOTOGRAPHER
OH HEY THERE. . .
Book Nerd
Caffeine Addict
Chick-fil-a addict
Playlist stuck in the 80's
F.R.I.E.N.D.S. Obsessed
COULD I BE ANYMORE INTERESTING?!
hot.mess.
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Creative
Soul
Hey Friend! If you don't already know I am Janel
I absolutely love pets and truly believe they are part of our family. They bring us so much joy when the world takes so much away. This here is my puppers Bentley. He is such a light in my world and loves me like no other ever could. I try to take pictures of him as often as possible because I want to remember his sweet personality forever. I always say you can't trust people who don't have pet fur on their clothes lol. I think that people who have pets are generally happier people also. I really can't recommend it enough. That being said I always encourage clients to bring their pets to the sessions because they want to be in the pictures too. I also, offer on-location sessions because some pets are to big to travel.
“When people look at my pictures I want them to feel the way they do when they want to read a line of a poem twice”
― Robert Frank
Our pets are cherished members of our little family, and if you’re here, that means yours are too! I want you to smile every time you catch a glimpse of your pet’s images on your wall. Custom photography is one of the best ways to immortalize that special bond between you and your furry companions. Each pet session is specifically designed to create lasting memories of your pets, as well as tangible reminders of your love for your pets, whether through photo albums, framed prints, or beautiful custom wall art.
What is a Pet Session and
What does one look like with me?
Depending on the animal this will differ some. For instance, for a horse, I always recommend that you have someone with you to try and get the horse's attention so I can capture the picture with their ears up and attentive. This is super helpful to me as sometimes it's hard to get the horse's attention, keep the shot straight and in focus all at the same time. If your animal is cows or farm animals a good time to schedule the session would be feeding time to pique the animals' interest. If your animal is a dog I highly recommend choosing a location where we can let them run free and play if your dog is good off a leash. No matter what your animal may be I suggest bringing some little snacks or treats to help with grabbing their attention. With any animal, they have a shorter attention span so it's easy for them to get distracted. Don't get discouraged and think they have to look at the camera smiling for every picture. I want to get some of you interacting with them, some of them playing, some with yall walking together, and then we will also get some of those posed shots of them looking right at the camera. We will have a good time and get some great shots all in the process.
Pet Packages
“Animals are such agreeable friends they ask no questions, they pass no criticisms.” – George Eliot
On- Location
Pet Session
The custom pet portrait session fee includes:
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Up to 60-minute photo session focused on your four-legged friends at the location of your choice, including up to 2 pets. There is a $50 fee for each additional pet from the same household.
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1 Outfit with Styling Inspiration and Advice
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Location Scouting with Personalized Location Guide
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Travel within 50 miles of Blacksburg, VA. A travel fee applies to sessions outside of this area.
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30 high-resolution images presented in an private online gallery
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Personal Client Portal
$300
This session is ideal to capture images of your elderly or terminally ill pet. The package includes everything in the on-location pet session with a few bonuses to help you cope with upcoming loss of your best friend. I will send a questionnaire to help choose the perfect location, even if that is your house. I will make sure to include activities that are safe and fitting for your pets needs.
Please note: the Cherished Companion Session is designed to address the needs of one pet. There is a $50 fee for each additional pet from the same household.
“Until one has loved an animal, a part of one’s soul remains unawakened.” – Anatole France
Cherished Companion Session
Includes everything that the on-location pet session has plus
Some of the bonus perks:
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Priority scheduling – I always do my best to make time to fit you in for a session
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10% discount on your prints/products ordered
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Keepsake Video to the song of your choosing
Inquire to see if you qualify
When will the session take place?
I love to shoot pets when the sun is working to my advantage, so usually during golden hour. In summer this means evenings work best, but in the spring and fall, both early mornings and evenings may be possible! I even book sessions in the winter (with snow!!) so if that is something you are interested in, don't hesitate to ask about scheduling for that!
They are so much fun!
For any of the cherished companion sessions, I generally try to schedule in when the pets will be most comfortable. That way we get as much natural photos as possible without disrupting their comfort too much.
Location, Location, Location
I love to shoot in a variety of settings and have favorite spots always picked out, and I am finding new locations constantly. If you have a certain preference as to the location setting, I will do my best to accommodate that. I generally base locations based on whether your pet is good off leash, needs to be pinned in and places that allow pets. Then I tell them to give me the feeling they are wanting for the session. After I get this info I will give some options that I think will work great to capture that. They will come in a personalized location guide.
If you have a certain location in mind that is absolutely fine with me just let me know upfront. Especially for larger animals that can't be moved from their pin.
There is a travel fee for any session that takes place more than 50 miles from my location in Blacksburg. Inquire to find out more information. Mini Session Days will always be in a pre-selected location.
Other Tips...
A few other tips to help the session run smoothly...
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Relax! You may be stressed out and worried that your pets are going to act wild and not sit still for a minute. But if you set the tone for your pet that this will be a fun, relaxed, stress-free session, your pets will feel that vibe too.
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I'll get a few "everyone smile and look at the camera" shots, but if you've looked at my work (hopefully you have) you'll see that I love to capture authentic, honest family moments, and that's usually achieved when having fun and just playing and loving on your pets!
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Bringing snacks with you may help should your pet need extra incentives, but only use them if they are needed! If you do bring snacks make sure they aren't sticky or make a mess. A favorite toy or something to play with may also come in handy.