I’ll take the best darned photos of your dog or cat or pet – guaranteed.
Book your session today – [email protected] | 206-724-2177
Pet portraits are loads of fun to make, and they provide a great way to honor your animal family member. Dogs and cats are both great to work with. They are similar to each other in many ways, and they even have a lot in common with children! I love working with animals.
When you’re thinking about having your pet photographed, give me a call. We’ll set up a meeting to talk about the possibilities and figure out what kind of artwork will suit you best. Pets look great in wall art, and bound collections like albums are great for showcasing characteristic behaviors. We’ll think about your relationship with your pet to help decide on a plan for portraits. Your style and your story are big clues to help us create a vision for your custom project. Whether you have a cat or a dog, this is also an opportunity for me to meet your pet so we’re not strangers on the big day.
With our project design in mind, we’ll move on to scheduling your portrait session. While you wait for your big day, questions may come up. Feel free to call me in between meetings because communication is key to planning. I want to know if you are struck with inspiration, or if you’ve seen something new that you want to try. When the day of your session arrives, we’ll be fully prepared, so there’s nothing to stress out about! We’ll take our time and do what’s needed to get the job done.
About two weeks after your pet’s portrait session, we’ll meet for your viewing appointment. This is where you get to see what we came up with and make your final selections for the art that we envisioned. Once your selections are made, it’s time for retouching and finishing for printing. If there’s an album in the works, we’ll collaborate on design choices until they are finalized. In most cases, your pieces will be ready to deliver about two weeks after the finishing process is complete.
The process is over when your art is delivered. But the experience doesn’t end there. Each day, you’ll see your portraits and be reminded of the friendship you share with your pet. As the years go by, the portraits we created will become more meaningful. They hold a memory; a moment in time that you will never live through again. However, with these images, you can rekindle that moment whenever you choose. That’s beautiful.
Custom pet portrait session pricing begins at $690. Fill out the form below or call for details and scheduling.
As a leading professional Seattle photographer, I can promise that each photo shoot receives my very best. I’m available for regular bookings at my Lara Grauer portrait & pro headshot photography studio located on Seattle’s northside. Use the form below to email me with any questions you might have about your pet photography session. I look forward to hearing from you!
Since we’ll be photographing your pet, you might want to know a little bit about us. Professionally we’re Lara and Art but our friends know us as Art and La. We’ve been joined at the hip since high school. We’re proud parents of two kids, a dog, and a guinea pig. La loves photography and Art supports her in all her endeavors. We love what we do and we have a ton of fun doing it.
CPP Certified Professional Photographer
Photographer's Assistant
Hey all, it’s Art here with a behind-the-scenes video of a recent photo shoot with Brooke & Bently, two wonderful Australian Shepherd dogs. This was an on-location photo session at Pine Ridge Park in Edmonds, Washington, just a few towns to the North of Seattle. The session was in the morning on May 25th, 2018.…
Art and I created some awesome pet portraits at BarkHappy Seattle’s dog event last weekend. This gathering was just before Easter, so it was aptly named the “BarkHappy Seattle Easter Begg Party.” When it first went on the calendar, we thought about doing photos with tulips, bunny ears, and pastel colors. Cliche? Yes. It’s also…
Hey it’s Art here again posting from behind the reflector. Last Friday we found ourselves in Barrington, IL at Riker the dog’s place for a rowdy shoot with Riker, his brother Buddy, and his close chums Dottie and Gretchen. Since I’ve been working with Lara, I think the most dogs I’ve helped out…
Art and I had loads of fun photographing the dogs, cats, guinea pigs, rabbits, and hamsters that came in for Mud Bay’s Grand Opening Event in Shoreline! I’m here to share them with you now, so you can get your dose of cuteness for the day. What’s Mud Bay all about? Since 1988, Mud Bay has…
Can you say CUTENESS? This guy is a total bomb of cute and funny, which does wonders to make up for his silly and demanding ways!
Just last week, Pet Connection Magazine released its March/April issue, and since they are featuring animal heroes and the Why Not Me campaign, one of my photos is on the cover! This Super Dog is Fiona, and she is staying at Emerald City Pet Rescue in the SODO neighborhood of Seattle. She has settled in…
The last several weeks, I’ve been working with a client on a portrait project featuring his dog. She’s a sweet lab mix, about 8 or 9 years old, and she goes by the name “Miss Lily.” I want to share this experience with you so you can learn about the what’s possible when you have…
This is the last of the cat models. Cami and Tammy are sisters who were – thankfully – adopted together! These two are really sweet together. They cuddle and play just like sisters should. They are definitely indoor cats, but Cami got to take a special trip out the the back yard for this photo…
How can it be late January, and I didn’t post Rajah! This cutie was fun to shoot. Did you get your calendar yet? It’s not too late – and it will still support Pawsitive Alliance! Pawsitive Alliance’s mission is to help end the killing of adoptable dogs and cats in Washington by increasing adoptions, supporting spay and…
Josie is an awesome family cat. She lives with two little girls, and they get along fabulously! She’s happy to let them give her lots of love and affection! Josie has moved to different houses again and again, but she rolls with the changes, and stays loyal to her tribe. …
Billie Goat chose her owners – they didn’t choose her. She was a stray cat in the alley behind their house in Baltimore. One night she was in the back yard of the house, and was offered some food. From there on out, she was hooked. Billie came around every day to…
Cupcake is one of those kitties that doesn’t have to do anything to capture you with her beauty. Her fur is perfect, her eyes are beautiful, and her body moves with grace. Cupcake lives with three young children, so she has learned to tolerate quite a bit of chaos. She has found…
Chuy is an OUTDOOR cat! In every sense of the word. This cat thrives outside! Chuy’s owner couldn’t guarantee that she would be able to have him in the house when I arrived for our session, but luckily, she was able to confine this hunter to the house before I got there. When…
Pocket is a sweet little cat with lots of fur. Weighing in at just 6 pounds, she earned her name because she can practically fit in your pocket! When I arrived at her house, she wanted nothing to do with staying inside. Her owner assured me that if we let her out, she wouldn’t…
Earl picked an incredibly rainy day for his portrait session. Often times for cats, it doesn’t matter. We hang around inside to keep them contained. But for Earl, outside is where it’s at. But lucky for me, Earl will go along with just about anything. So, when I slid under the table to get…
Posy is a little shy. She wasn’t all that interested in meeting me at first, but everywhere she could truly hide had been closed off, so she didn’t have a lot of choice. She was sort of ok with me being there after a few minutes, but when I approached with my camera, it was all…
Rupert is a sweet cat. He’s laid back, and enjoys being pet. He likes to hang out by the window and watch things go by. Rupert has a sister cat named Misha, who was planning to be in the photos, but her shy nature sent her off into hiding when I arrived. …
Marshmello lives in North Seattle, with his 12-year-old owner and their family. He is part Siamese, and all cute! One of the things Marshmello likes to do while hanging out at home is hold down your head and bite you like your hair is an animal he wants to eat! What fun…
Olivia: Isn’t she gorgeous? She’s a young cat, still not even a year old! We had lots of fun playing during her photo session. It was easy to get Olivia’s attention. She wants to explore everything that moves! The hard part was keeping her still. I had to be ready and…
Callie. Look at those eyes. Look at that beautiful coat, and those sweet, pointed – yet floppy – ears. She is a gorgeous dog. From time to time you can convince her to play. She’ll chase a stick a few times, but she probably won’t bring it back to you. She’ll…
This little dude will melt your heart. His name is Sammy, and his big eyes have “puppy” written all over them. Sammy is proud of his home, and he will go to great lengths to protect it. When I arrived the day of the photo shoot, he greeted me with gusto! Later,…
Meet Augie. Here he is, near the entrance to his home, ready to greet you. Augie is a mutt, if I ever saw one! After running a DNA screening, his owners found out the specifics of his cute-dog mix: dachshund, schnauzer, shitzu, and dalmatian! Augie is a very proud and determined dog.…
This is Max; short for Maxwell Marshawn. She’s a sweet young girl, named for two awesome Seahawks players (one of whom has since moved on to another team). She’s a true Seattle pooch! I had the pleasure of hanging out with Max at Volunteer park. She is an energetic young thing, poised…
Since I work with regular people and their regular pets, it’s not often that I meet a dog like Tooey. This amazing boy is incredibly well behaved, and has a fantastic glow of confidence to match his fantastic story. When Tooey’s family started their search for a dog, they were looking for…
Poppy. She’s a cute little pug-chihuahua mix, who loves to be a lap dog. Her personality is calm, quiet, and cooperative. That is, until she spies a dog on a leash. When that happens, all bets are off! She barks and barks, as if her volume might knock the leash off and set the…
Dabby is a sweetheart, and wears his heart on his sleeve. When I first met him, he tucked his tail between his legs and began to tremble. With a little reassurance from his owners, and some gentle interaction with me, he started to come around. So what did I do? I asked to clear out…
What a cool dog. Oliver’s unlucky streak kicked in during puppyhood, when he was tiny. He found his way to Dog Rescue Around Washington and was placed in their foster system. He didn’t last there very long – he went home with his permanent family at 10 weeks old. Oliver’s labrador traits are obvious.…
Look at little Sherman! He and his family got up really early came all the way from Bremerton to see me for photos one Saturday morning! Now, that’s commitment! This little guy had never to this beach before our photo shoot in lovely Edmonds, Washington. The ferry dock makes a beautiful background. I…
Calendar sessions are really underway! This time around, I got to hang out with Decker, or Little Bear, as they also like to call him. Decker is a gorgeous dog of mysterious origin. At the time he was adopted, the shelter folks figured Decker was a mix of labrador and Leonberger. He’s a good…
Wilson. What a perfect name! His owners play tennis, and he likes to hang out by the court to watch. He chases the tennis balls, but never catches them because they’re too big to fit in his mouth! I met Wilson’s owner for pictures at a tennis court in Shoreline. We hung out…
Rocket (left) and Andi (right) had fun pretending to be bride and groom. This year’s dog calendar will feature Seattle area canines who have shelter living in their past. These two pups are Rocket and Andi. I had a great time getting to know this pair. They are some high-energy dogs! They live with…
This is Luke, winner of Mister June at SplashDog This year I’ve had the privilege of getting to know one of the owners at SplashDog Canine Well-Being Center. They have a monthly contest they promote on Facebook that determines the dog of the month. Each winning pooch gets a mini photo-shoot with me, wearing their…
Here are two sibling cats I met last week. Jingle Buzz is very social and comfortable hanging out, but Lily Lightyear took off to hide before I even stepped into the house! Our aim was to photograph the two cats together, but in the end, that’s not what happened. This way they both get to…
Stormy wanted absolutely nothing to do with me. She was interested in one thing, and one thing only: hiding. All the treats in the world couldn’t coax her near me. I don’t think I even got to brush against her fur! But even so, we got some beautiful portraits of this sweetheart. We just needed…
This sweet little kitten, Raven, will be featured in my upcoming cat calendar. What can you even say about a kitty like this? Adorable, playful, and at-ease. Absolutely loves to play, have fun, and cuddle. I had a fabulous time, and everyone in her family will be glad to have captured her blooming young spirit…
I hung out with this Maine Coon, Ghengis, for a while last week. All he wanted to do was go outside. But alas, we had to do portraits first… poor guy. Eventually, he gave up and went to sleep.
This is Charlotte. She is waiting at Homeward Pet Adoption Center to find a new home. I met her a couple of weeks ago, and she won me over. She’s a sweetheart of a dog; little and full of energy. Charlotte is keenly aware and attentive to her surroundings. She loves to learn new…
Have you been following my story as a developing artist? The journey continues, and I’ve started a new art project! Remember that mixed-media piece I did a while ago? The one with the pastel-colored background and the little Italian Greyhound coming to get ya? Well, this new project is sort of like that. I’m mixing…
Yesterday, I had the glorious opportunity to meet a very special foster dog. His name is Eddie, and as of today, he is available for adoption through the Seattle Animal Shelter. If you’d like to read a bit more about what he’s like, check out his bio on petfinder.com. I had a great time…
Over the last year or so, I’ve had several people ask if I could do portraits of their cats. Until recently, I’ve hesitated because while I’m confident in my photography skills, I’ve had very little practical experience with cats. Pretty much, when I see one, I say hello and go about my business. I photographed…
This is my dog, Heidi. She is a great dog, but when I get the camera out, she couldn’t care less about what I say or do. She looks everywhere other than toward me, she squints her eyes, and she holds her ears back and down. Treats are good for getting her attention, but she’s…
As I’ve begun to look at new ways to develop my imagery, I’ve started to play with new media and mixing them together. One of my favorite photo transfers thus far is one I did with cute little Calvin’s portrait (remember him?). Here’s a look at how I created it from start to finish. I…
2014 is turning out to be a fun year! I have finally opened my mind to the idea that I am an artist. I know I’ve been an artist from the very beginning. Intellectually this makes sense. I love to think creatively, I’ve always enjoyed music, dance, performing, and of course photography. What is there…
I mentioned on Facebook last week that I did my first cat session in about 15 years – and I’m not even sure if that one in the late 90’s even counts. Here are some of my favorite shots from that session. It turns out, I liked it!
I was really happy to have the chance to make some great portraits of Calvin in January. He’s a sweet old Italian Greyhound. He’s gentle and kind, and easy to love. They call him Super Dog because he’s agreeable, and totally portable – he’s been on many outdoor adventures and vacations. He’s lucky to be…
I decided last month to do a series of photos of my dog using an iPhone, instead of my trusty DSLR. I’m not sure what that would be similar to for a painter or sculptor, but we can definitely say that an iPhone is not the ideal tool. It presents a lack of control…
The dogs I’ve known and loved in my life have taught me so many things. It can be difficult to explain what makes dogs so important. But if you’ve ever lived with one, you probably understand. Growing up, my family had an Irish Setter named Sandy. She was very well trained: she always stayed…
This is getting good… I’ve got the final images chosen! This week I finalize the images for printing, and voila! Here are the 3 dogs I haven’t shared yet. Aren’t they adorable? None of the shared images are the final shots for the calendar… stay tuned for more on that later.
I am now almost finished with the dog sessions for this calendar project. I’m also doing a set of cards because I had 5 labs available to model, and didn’t want to turn them all away. I just have to say every single one of these dogs is truly AMAZING. Each session has been a pure joy.…
I am having the greatest time getting to know all of these dogs! They are amazing. I’m coming to realize that I love dogs just as much as I love toddlers and preschoolers. Here are a few more puppy eyes to brighten your day…
I began sessions for the first (annual?) LGP dog calendar this week. It’s going well! Kelly and I were talking about next steps for my dog photography, and it was obvious that I could use some more dog portraits that reflect my true style. Kelly (my trusted promoter and assistant) mentioned a calendar, and voila!…
I’m really drawn to things that are raw, rough, and full of texture. I often produce photographs that are bright and clear, but I’m always looking for backgrounds that involve things like cement, raw driftwood, or stone structures. I love the strength that is portrayed by these types of textures. Recently, you may have noticed…
