Pets are more than animals that live in our homes, they are truly a part of the family. After 14 years in Fort Collins it’s part of what I really appreciate about living here, and how finding animals good, loving homes is a large focus in our family-friendly community.
And with the holidays gearing up I started thinking about how being part of any loving family means you are all in it “together”, especially when it comes to holiday photos. Pets not only share love and affection like a family member, they are also part of family activities like group photos. Personally I’m not super big into celebrating the holidays, so my two cats won’t be jammed into Santa hats any time soon, but there are people who really love including their pets in the spirit of the season.
The Fine Line Between Cute, Creepy and Hilarious Holiday Pet Photos
So as I was doing research on photos for this holiday pet photo post I started thinking — run-of-the-mill holiday pet photos are cute and give you the “warm fuzzies”, but what makes them stand apart from anyone else’s? Holiday photos with your animals are special because of and the connection you’ve created with them and all the little quirks that make them a unique family member.
But then there is a whole other level of holiday photos that even if I totally understand the human-animal connection, still defy any level of logic I could possibly try to piece together.
Enter — awkward family photos, pet-edition.
As you already know my level of holiday spirit is minimal at best, but aside from laughing at some of the photos I researched, I felt a combination of confusion and amazement at the same time. The people in these photos REALLY love their animals and wanted to communicate that in a photo. So I came to the conclusion that these pet owners must be thinking one of three things when staging photo sessions:
These photos are so awesome!
I don’t care what anyone else thinks — at all. (Good on them).
These pictures are hilarious — wait to people check these out!
I take photos of my cats all the time, mostly “just because” they are doing something I deem adorable, completely weird or hilarious. Yes, you will see some of those pictures simply because I have a pet and animal blog that requires a consistent infusion of cuteness and well, ya’ll love seeing animal photos. I just wouldn’t necessarily go to the trouble of staging or organizing a specific photo shoot that centers around my pet.
Resources for Quality Pet Photos
Despite my personal feelings, I’ve seen some nicely done pet holiday photos. In fact, the Foothills Mall in Fort Collins is doing pet-specific photos with Santa at the mall every Monday evening in December from 5 – 7 p.m. at Santa’s Workshop. There are also some local pet photographers that do great work, including Free Bird Photography and Allison Mae Photography. So if you are going to jump in and get a professional photo of your furry family member this holiday, you might as well connect with someone that works well with animals and creates beautiful photos.
Photographers also help a lot with staging suggestions, especially when doing photos within your own home. Let’s face it, most of these hilarious pet photos were done in someone’s home, so it might help to have a professional come in to take care of all the background details that help make photos amazing.
Pet Photos with an Hilariously Awesome Twist
Although these photos are not holiday related, I wanted to give a shout out to the blog Dog Shaming that takes pet photos in a hilarious direction. If you haven’t already checked out this Tumblr site, go there now. It features dogs looking shameful and posing with a handwritten sign from their owner that broadcasts the dirty details of their dastardly deeds.
I know people sometimes have mixed feelings about how to handle disciplining animals, but as a pet owner, you also know the frustrating things animals do that make you crazy. That’s why this blog is great. There is a sense of universal connection as a pet owner because you can relate to the behavior, while at the same time, it also helps you appreciate all the ways your pet is well-behaved.
There is a similar blog for cats, but it’s most made of up cute cat photos with a crazy one thrown in here and there. I just think it’s much harder to catch cats in the act. Usually you just see the aftermath, like the handful of shredded tissues pulled out of the tissue box and chewed when the food bowl is empty for example. That trick is an old standby for my cat Monty.
So as a pet owner, what you do think of holiday pet photos or family portraits with pets? Would you spend the money to get a professional photo of your pet or do you prefer to stick with candids? What about the “shaming” blog? Does it go too far or is it hilarious?
If you are interested in seeing more hilarious pet photos you can check out The Awkward Family Photos site (you can see that’s where I got most of these gems), and they have tons of pet photos as well. There’s also a book called Awkward Family Pets that you can pick up as a holiday gift.
So cheers to the holiday season!
The post Holiday Pet Photos: The Good, Bad and Hilarious appeared first on Tails of Fort Collins.