FAQ's

Each session includes the photographer and an animal handler. By working in this way we try to make the environment as stress free as possible. If the people in the room are anxious or nervous, your pet will find it harder to relax and show us their personality. Your pet is in a new environment and will be looking to you for “PAWSITIVE” praise, guidance and motivation.

It is important to make the session fun and casual. Healing touch massage can be used to help make your pet more relaxed and ensure a “PAWSITIVE” experience for all. We take lots of breaks for hugs and treats to keep your pet(s) happy and motivated.

Pets with fur should be brushed before their session. Eyes, teeth and ears should be checked and cleaned. NAILS SHOULD BE TRIMMED AND FILED. Bathroom breaks before the session would be greatly appreciated, just so we can prevent any “uh-oh’s” during the session. (Doggy bags are provided).

Grooming is recommended if it is done at least one day prior to their photo session. Professional grooming typically requires pets to spend a few hours of waiting and standing while being shaved and trimmed, and may also involve a blow dry. It's a long day and they come home tired. Your pets will be more alert and awake for their photo session if they haven't just come from the grooming appointment. If you need a referral for a groomer give us a call or check out Friends of the UrbanVibe.

Note: People with dogs with sensitive skin should wait a least a week after grooming because their skin can become irritated and your pet could be scratching throughout the session.

If you have a Poodle, Maltese, Beshon, or any long hair dog, we recommend that you let there hair grow out a little and trim just a little around face and eyes prior to the session.

We suggest you provide your pet a moderate amount of exercise ending about one to two hours before the session start time.

Indigo-blue muslin, peach muslin, black velvet muslin, black fur, white, Hollywood green screen (over one million colors)

First and foremost something that you are comfortable in. If you’re not comfortable, it will show in the photos. If you wish to do a family portrait, relaxed and casual wear usually works the best. We recommend solid colors, stay away from anything with logos or patterns, especially if you are looking to do black and white portraits. Cords, jeans or khaki pants work great with white, black or solid-coloured shirts. You will also want to make sure you have a good contrast with your pet(s). For example, if you’re pet has dark fur wear lighter clothing.

For families, try to dress everyone in similar colors and styles for a more unified look. In many cases, your legs and feet will be showing, so remember matching color socks for dark pants. White socks work great for jeans, khakis, shorts, etc. Shoes are very rarely shown in our photos unless you have a neat pair of cowboy boots, galoshes, etc. If you like the fun, relaxed looks of bare feet - like we do - you might want to announce to the rest of the family to have tidy nails. Another neat look is to have matching nail polish on you and your pup(s).

The studio is climate controlled, but can feel a little warm with all the activity going on. As you select your wardrobe, look for something lighter weight if possible. For any further questions, we could discuss some options before your session date.

Your portraits will involve a number of poses and angles, and your hands will likely be included.

If you wear makeup please use natural colors. A matte finish base or powder spread evenly on the face will help to reduce shine. Wearing lipstick and a little bit of eye makeup is encouraged. A hair brush and hair accessories should be brought with you in case you'd like some options. Men will look best with either a clean-shaven face, or neatly-trimmed facial hair. Jewelry, if worn, should be simple. You may be asked to remove large jewelry pieces and watches before being photographed unless it is desired to be in the photo. An extra charge may occur if glare and reflection has to be retouched.

Please bring a baggie full of some extra-special treats, pre-cut in very little pieces as rewards for a job well-done! (Don’t worry if you forget we always have very high quality treats on hand)

• By "extra special" we mean that the treats you bring to the portrait session should be something your pets does not normally get at home, or only gets on special occasions.

• PLEASE BRING SOFT TREATS rather than crunchy biscuits, which make your pet thirsty and take time to chew. Examples of recommended treats for dogs include; cut up turkey hot dogs or deli meats, small pieces of string cheese, precooked small pieces of chicken meat, etc.

You are welcome to bring one change of clothes for the family, and highly encouraged to bring any favorite beds, toys, outfits or accessories for your pet(s). If your children have a favorite stuffed animal, doll or toy they like to hold and hug, bring it along! For older children and teens, they may like to bring a favorite musical instrument or sports equipment item to help their personality shine through.

We have photographed hundreds of dogs, cats, bunnies, snakes, hamsters, and birds and the majority of animals do not show any signs of stress from the momentary flashing of lights. They're usually pretty excited about being the center of attention and are eager to pose for yummy treats or toys! For those pets that seem a little unsure, a nice massage and the casual way we introduce them to our studio and the photographers has always worked extremely well in the past.

An average of 100 to 300 frames depending on time and how comfortable your pet is in front of the camera.

We are fully accessible for you and your pets that may have any special requirements, with parking right outside the door and easy access to an elevator. Please inform us of any special needs before your session.

Because we want you to enjoy your photos as much as possible, and be able to share them with friends and family, we try to provide our prints at an affordable price. Plus, having lots of natural-style family and pet portraits displayed in your home is great advertising for us. Contact us for pricing information

All sessions are digitally captured. This allows you to see all of your images in your own personalized web gallery in color first. You can change the photos with a click of a button to black and white or sepia. Color accenting is available and is free of charge in most cases.

We offer a wide selection of prints, enlargements, mounted prints (which may be displayed on an easel) gallery wrapped canvas prints, custom photo greeting cards and announcements, photo key chains, charm bracelets, pendants, broaches, wallet prints, coffee table books, albums, blankets, purses, t-shirts, mouse pads and more. Click here to view examples of products.

Your session images will be posted to your own personalized, private online gallery usually within five days after your session. We will email you the password and you are welcome to share it with as many people as you would like. You can compare images side by side or view them in a slide show. You will be given instructions on how to use the gallery after your photo session.

Please note: After your personalized, private online gallery is uploaded and you access it the first time, it will only be available for one week. There will be a charge to re-upload the gallery if you need more time.

Sessions must be paid in full at the time of booking. Photos must be paid for when you place your order at your viewing appointment. We accept debt, VISA MasterCard, American Express, and cash.

Depending on the order, most prints are available for pick-up ten business days after the order is placed. Some orders do require additional time and we appreciate your patience. Greeting cards usually take two weeks for completion and coffee table books are generally ready in four to six weeks. All other medium delivery times will be quoted in person.

Our work is 100% satisfaction guaranteed. If you are not happy with the photo session, we will provide another session free of charge. If there is something physically wrong with a photo at time of delivery, we will provide you with a replacement. Our business relies on referrals, so it is important to us that you are completely satisfied with the final product.