QUESTION: What photographer in Minneapolis is dog-friendly?

ANSWER: Jessica Strobel Photography is Dog-Friendly! Whether you want an in-studio session, a session in your home, or a session locally in Minneapolis, we can accommodate your furry-family members.

Your Family Might Not All Be Human

When we schedule family photos, normally what we’re thinking about is capturing the people in our lives who matter most to us. Our kids, our parents, ourselves – that kind of thing. And that’s, OF COURSE, super important, and we definitely want to make sure we’re keeping those photos updated! You don’t want to get into your kiddos teenage years and realize that the only picture you’ve got of your son’s smile when he lost all those teeth at once that one time, is a pic you took on your phone that isn’t suitable to print.

It’s no fun at all, so updating your photos is a must. (Trust me on this.) But when we’re scheduling family photos, since we can be so focused on making sure that everyone’s schedules line up (even if that means your toddler’s nap schedule – I see you, Mama) – we can forget the OTHER members of the family who are just as important!

Furry Family Members Are Important Too!!

If you’re anything like me, your family includes barky-beans. AKA doggos. They’re with us every day, right? In our homes, being cuddly bark monsters, protecting us from the mailman and that one truck that goes by once a week that is DEFINITELY worth barking at 500 decibels every time.

They’re by our sides for their whole lives – and as I’m sure you’re aware if your family has dogs like mine… their lives unfortunately aren’t quite as long as ours. And what that means, is as important as it is to document the human-people in our lives through professional family photography, our pets? Well… documenting them, and their bonds with us, is on a time-scale. And it is so, so important.

Jessica Strobel Photography is Dog Friendly

That’s why I make a point to offer dog-friendly sessions, no matter what your specific needs are! Because I’m not here to just document the people in your life, I’m here to document your ACTUAL life. The people who bring you joy, sure. But the pets who bring you joy, too! So today we’re breaking down all of the session types that are open to pups here at Jessica Strobel Photography, and the steps you need to go through to make sure we’re all prepared for your session!

Dog-Friendly Outdoor Sessions (Yes, Minis too!!)

One of the BEST things about being a pro photographer in Minneapolis, is the number of gorgeous parks and public spaces that we can capture your family in. I mean, there’s the Peace Garden, the Rose Garden, the Sculpture Garden, Silverwood Park, Arneson Acres – the list just keeps going and going. All these locations are not only gorgeous, most of them year-round, but they’re also welcoming to the furry family members in your clan!

Which means that whether you’re booking a full session at an outdoor location, or you’re signing up for one of my minis (there are still slots available for this year at the time of writing, though I make no promises about when you’re reading this!!), you can absolutely bring your pup (or pups!) with you for your session slot!

All you need to do, is make sure that when you book, you share the detail with me, so I’m prepped ahead of time. Just say “Hey Jess, I want to bring my dog to the session!” and we’ll get it all squared away on the admin side of things. Yes, it really is that easy!

In Home Sessions with your Pets

It might seem a little silly to include “in home sessions” in this list, because it might feel obvious. Like… your dog lives in your home. So of course if I’m there, capturing you and your people, I’ll capture your pets while I’m there. But it’s not always that straightforward, and believe it or not, some photographers prefer that dogs either aren’t on the premises when they come for a lifestyle session in your home, or they’re kept away from the areas they’ll be photographing. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with that approach – but I want to make sure you know, that’s not how I approach in-home sessions!

Now, I do have to give the caveat that if there are at any point concerns about safety with your pup, or they’re highly reactive, please let me know ahead of time, when you share the details for your session after booking. We might have to have a conversation about ground rules, so that I’m all briefed on, for example, things your dog may be more highly reactive to – like camera flash. But largely if there IS something like that for us to consider, it can be worked around, to make sure that you get photos that include not just your people, but your furry friends too!

Dog-Friendly Studio Sessions in Minneapolis

It’s time for a fun caveat. If you want a studio session that includes your dog (or dogs!), we’ll need to have a chat. While I would LOVE for dogs to be allowed in my studio, there are building rules I have to adhere to… and unfortunately, they’re not permitted in my studio space. BUT, don’t worry!! If you’re super into the studio session look, and you want to include your pets in your session, you are NOT out of options!! Reach out, we can talk about the look you’re going for, and I can secure a studio location in Minneapolis that we can use.

I don’t want you to have to compromise on documenting your family – if you want your furry family members included, we can make it happen, no matter what style session you’re looking to have!

Looking to Document Your WHOLE Family? Pups Included?

So if you’re looking for a dog-friendly photographer in Minneapolis… good news, you found me! Jessica Strobel Photography does everything it (we?) can to make sure your whole family can be in your photos. And as a side note, while this focuses primarily on dogs, because it’s a common question I’m asked, it actually doesn’t matter what flavor of pet you want included in your session. I mean… you saw the sneaky chicken pic I popped in up there, right? Yeah. Feathered dogs are also included. And scaly ones, too, if you’re more of a “reptile-centric” family when it comes to your pets!

If you’re looking to book a professional photography session that includes your pet or pets – just reach out! I would love to talk to you about designing a photo session that includes all of the creatures – human and otherwise – who you love!