P#15 Q3B: Can You Suggest Some "Must Have" Professional Pet Photography Equipment?

The Professional Pet Photography "Must Haves"

Jenni Bidner: As far as photography gear goes, I love the magnifying hoods, like the Hoodman, that you put over your monitor. The one that lets you check if you got the shot while you're shooting. That's really handy from a photo point of view. If you're shooting outside in the sun, it allows you to see your monitor.

From the dog point of view, which is far more important, there are a battery of special things.

I have a pocket-sized squeaky toy that I actually hold behind the camera and use with my thumb. A duck call or a predator call that you can get at any sort of outdoor sporting store. That works really well with the hunting dogs because it makes bird sounds.

Treats, of course, and tennis balls for the ball-crazy dogs -- they even have squeaking tennis balls now. In a fix, I've even thrown my keys up in the air and the jangle gets their attention.

Amusingly, my German Shorthaired Pointer knows that I keep these things in my camera bag. He's the master of unzipping my camera bag and removing them. I have to repack my camera back every time I go on a shoot because the little devil steals them. We teach search dogs to be resourceful, and boy is he ever!

To Conclude

Sometimes the most important equipment sometimes has nothing to do with the camera or the lens. According to Jenni Bidner, the dog toys can be just as important in the world of professional pet photography.