Child photography ideas truly blossom when pets are involved. After photographing Toronto families for over 20 years, I know how much fun and how rewarding it is to include pets in family portraits. When preparing for your session, involve ALL your kids—including the four-legged ones. They're family members too, and the relationships between children and their pets deserve beautiful professional documentation.
When a child plays and his dog plays along, it just melts my heart. It also makes for great photographs. These aren't staged interactions—they're genuine relationships unfolding naturally. The joy children show with their pets, the comfortable companionship, the shared play—these elements create editorial-quality images with authentic emotional substance that posed portraits cannot replicate.
Child portraits outside in gardens work beautifully, especially when pets are involved. Gardens provide natural light, interesting textures, comfortable space for movement, and familiar territory where both kids and pets feel at ease. The outdoor setting allows for active play without space constraints, creating opportunities for dynamic, energetic imagery.
Among my bag of tricks for photographing easily distracted little ones, I have solid, well-practiced ideas for gaining the attention of our four-legged friends too. Squeaky toys, treat timing, voice commands, knowing when to call and when to wait quietly—professional pet photography requires specific skills beyond child photography, though the principles overlap more than you'd expect.
Who is easier to professionally photograph—kids or pets? The answer is: neither is easy, both are wonderful. Success with either requires patience and play. Both are necessary for great child and pet photography. Patience to wait for the right moment, the perfect expression, the genuine interaction. Play to create engagement, energy, and authentic joy that translates beautifully into images.
Including pets opens creative possibilities: teaching moments (child training dog), companionship portraits (quiet connection), action shots (running together), humorous moments (pet doing something unexpected), and tender images (child comforting pet or vice versa). The variety of interactions possible between children and pets creates rich editorial storytelling opportunities.
Patience means not forcing interactions, waiting for natural moments, understanding that both kids and pets have limited cooperation windows, and being ready when magic happens spontaneously. Play means creating scenarios where both child and pet engage naturally, facilitating activities they'd enjoy anyway, and documenting the authentic fun that results.
Involving ALL your kids—including pets—in family portraits acknowledges that these relationships are significant. For many children, their bond with the family dog or cat is profound and formative. Years later, after beloved pets have passed, these images become treasured documentation of relationships that shaped childhood.
Garden family portraits with pets create editorial-quality imagery that's both visually beautiful and emotionally authentic. The natural setting, genuine interaction, and inclusion of all family members (two-legged and four-legged) tell complete family stories that resonate both personally and as lifestyle content.
Location: Clanton Park, Toronto.
Keywords: baby (40), editorial (7), garden (12), kids (42), portrait (81). 1/160; f/8.0; ISO 400; 110.0 mm.