• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer

Westway Studio | San Diego’s most adventurous & colorful pet portraits and commercial brand photography

Commercial brand pet photography and rustic-luxury family pet portraits with one-of-a-kind experiences

  • Howdy
  • Blog
  • Family Pet Photography
    • Portfolio
    • Session Details & Rates
    • High Regards
  • Commercial Pet Photography
    • Project Portfolio
    • Photo + Video Dream Team
    • Your Brand Story
    • Commercial Rates
    • Top Mistakes to Avoid
  • Education for Photographers
  • Contact

June 11, 2020 by Terran Leave a Comment

Pet Product Photography That Excites: 5 Secrets Marketers Need to Know

You have an amazing pet brand or product that you believe in, but any brand that scales can’t physically have someone in the room every time someone encounters your product… how do you stand out and grab attention? There’s a reason they say a picture is worth 1,000 words…

Here are five key pieces of the marketing and messaging puzzle to keep in mind when you’re planning your next commercial photo shoot.

1. LIFESTYLE PHOTOS SELL THE DREAM

No one buys a product because it looks good on white. Don’t get me wrong, those shots are important so customers know exactly what they are buying but those shots are not what excites and engages them. It’s not what gets them to the product page or what makes them hit the BUY NOW button.

Lifestyle photos should be like real life but better; aspirational but not too far out of reach. Think about if your brand’s photography represented your customers’ dreams first and your product second. How might that look? What kind of engagement and following would you gain?

2. KNOW YOUR CUSTOMERS

The first key to successful marketing is knowing your customers so you can speak loud and clear to them. Who are they? What do they love to do? What excites them? Where are their favorite places to go? How do they travel? What do they aspire to be or do? Good. Now let’s take those things and build a campaign that will show them with one glance how your product or service will enrich their lives with their pets.

Easier said than done, I know, but brainstorm. Put ideas down on paper or post-it notes. Think about them, rearrange them, and loop your photographer in along with your creative team during the planning process. One small thought can turn into an amazing campaign with the right team behind it.

3. DOG BREED SELECTION

The dogs you select to be in your photos can say a lot about your brand. Are you willing to take a stand with typically-controversial breeds or are you going to stick to the breeds less steeped in drama? There’s no right or wrong answer. Pittie fans will love you forever if you use one in a campaign but some people will get turned off by it.

Then there’s rescue dogs, mixed breeds, and purebreds. Using only purebreds could alienate people who are all about adopt-don’t-shop but using only mixed breeds could make purebred pet parents feel left out. Think carefully about what your brand represents and the types of dogs you want to feature in your marketing.

4. UNSCRIPTED MOMENTS ARE GOLD

I’m a huge fan of putting my subjects in the right place at the right time, asking for a simple behavior like “hook the leash on the collar” and then seeing what happens. Mom and dog will often have a special look or moment of excitement. Or perhaps I’ll make a funny sound to elicit a look and then pure magic happens.

You see, natural reactions are what sell.

And don’t think you have to be super-serious about your image selections, either. The goofy shots with funny faces, little tongue bleps, mlems, and all that lingo (what does it all mean?) do amazingly well on social media. They’re what get engagement, laughs, tags, shares, and what are wildly memorable.

It’s not just the silly photos that sell, though. The natural moments that will represent your brand the best are the ones that make viewers truly feel something deep inside when they look at your imagery.

5. IT’S ALL IN THE DETAILS

The little details are so, so important in everything we do, so why would photos be any different? Whether we’re talking about a closeup detail shot of the brand new clasp on your collars, dad’s hand giving his dog a good scritch, or even the location and lighting, the details matter. They can create truly memorable images of moments that will connect deeply with your audience.

Don’t be afraid to ask your photographer for some close-ups along with the more pulled-back shots they’ll already be capturing for you. Detail photos are fantastic for callout bubbles on ads, website graphics, and social media. They can show the texture of fabric, an updated hook on a leash, special stitching, or how easy it is to open your treat toy.

On your next brand photo shoot, try not to get too stuck in the mundane and with what you think is expected. Get creative, think about new ideas, locations, and all the little things that could be captured in a way that’s different from what your competitors are doing.


Commercial brands: Want to know the top five mistakes I see brands making with their imagery? Grab the PDF right here!
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

 

Filed Under: commercial blog post, commercial pets

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Home » Pet Product Photography That Excites: 5 Secrets Marketers Need to Know

Follow our wild, wild Westway adventures as we travel the U.S. in our Airstream

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Footer

Contact

Based in San Diego, CA
May – Aug. 2023: Utah, Wyoming,  & Montana
(858) 848-9378
Email Me

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
Wyoming better move on over and make some room bec Wyoming better move on over and make some room because Montana now shares my heart. We spent 45 days in the western half of the state this year and I did NOT want to leave.​​​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​​​On our last day, Roxy and I sat out by the Gallatin River together. I sipped my morning tea, we listened to the birds, and watched a little squirrel eat a nut in the tree next to us. It was pure perfection.⁣ 
My *TWO* Montana blogs are up on my website so head on over to westwaypets.com/blog or click the links in my IG bio!
We're officially back in San Diego but I'm still d We're officially back in San Diego but I'm still dreaming of Utah! Photographing Rey and her mom among the red rocks was one of the highlights of our trip. Rey's beautiful brindle tones worked so perfectly with the red rocks and I just loved the happy, natural smiles both mom & pup had when they were together!
I absolutely loved this peaceful spot in Jackson H I absolutely loved this peaceful spot in Jackson Hole. Down a gravel road, away from the tourist crowds, the Teton range stood nobly in the distance while tall trees, yellow wildflowers, and a friendly little chipmunk called this hilltop home. This was such a special evening and Mother Nature's dramatic sunset is not one I'll soon forget.
Here's a little Montana sunrise sparkle and a big Here's a little Montana sunrise sparkle and a big smile from Henry to start your day!
Hello, Las Vegas! Shutterhound starts TOMORROW!!!! Hello, Las Vegas! Shutterhound starts TOMORROW!!!! I know how hard the conference founders, Kaylee & Sam, have been working to pull this all together and I am 1,000,000% confident this will be an event to remember! I am honored to have been asked to teach two separate classes at the event and am so excited to get up there on stage and share what I've learned over the past 13 years as a pet photographer! Are any of my social followers here at the conference, too? Are you ready to have your socks knocked off????? I am!!!
Who's ready to go have some fun this weekend??? Who's ready to go have some fun this weekend???
We wrapped up this year's road trip in Big Sky, Mo We wrapped up this year's road trip in Big Sky, Montana and this was our final hike. Roxy rode in her carriage and was as happy as a little clam the whole time. She loves being out in nature and I'm just so glad we can still provide her with special outings like this one.
This year's Great American Road trip flew by way t This year's Great American Road trip flew by way too quickly. It feels like we were in Wyoming just yesterday, staring out at my favorite mountain range in awe, and photographing the amazing Harley and his mom.​​​​​​​​​ 
I'm flying out to Las Vegas next week to teach at Shutterhound, *the* conference for pet photographers. I'm excited to see old friends, meet new ones, and teach two classes! I am so honored to be part of the "rockstar speaker" lineup, which includes some of the very best, most iconic, and talented pet photographers from across the globe! Can Vegas even contain so much talent? As the conference founders are telling us, expect your socks to be blown right off more than once!
Montana taught me that I can plan and plan and pla Montana taught me that I can plan and plan and plan — but Mother Nature likes to have a little fun with those who get a little too confident in the weather! ➡️ We got completely drenched at one of our photo shoots this month and it will be one of my favorite memories from our entire road trip!
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Recent Posts

  • The Great American Road Trip Season 2, Part 5: The Finale
  • The Great American Road Trip Season 2, Part 4: Northwest Montana
  • The Great American Road Trip Season 2, Part 3: Wyoming
  • The Great American Road Trip Season 2, Part 2: Utah
  • The Great American Road Trip Season 2, Part 1: The Adventure Begins

All images and written content on this site are Copyright © 2010-2023 Westway Studio.
Nothing on this site may be copied, screenshot, downloaded, or used without the written permission of Westway Studio.

  • Howdy
  • Blog
  • Family Pet Photography
  • Commercial Pet Photography
  • For Photographers
  • Terms of Service
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact