Your Pet Deserves to Be in Your Graduation Photos – Pet-Friendly Graduation Studio

Written by Melody, Family & Graduation Portrait Photographer since 2010 . Proud servant to a large 20KG Standard Poodle and a 5.5kg Löwchen who thinks he’s a lion

You are standing beautifully in their cap and graduation gown. The lighting is chef’s kiss. I’ve got the perfect angle. I’m about to take what will surely be a stunning, frame-worthy portrait..

And then your dog photobombs it completely.

Ears flying. Tongue out. Zero apologies.

And you know what? That’s the shot we print. Every. Single. Time.

I’ve been photographing families since year 2010, and I am here to tell you that some of the greatest portraits I have ever taken involved a creature who had absolutely no idea they were supposed to sit still. Animals bring something to a photograph that no posing guide, no perfect backdrop, and no amount of photographer charm can manufacture: pure, unfiltered joy. And in Graduation Photoshoot, that’s exactly the energy we want.

I come from a family of pet lovers

Growing up, my house was less “family home” and more “enthusiastic petting zoo.” Dogs, cats, and yes, I will say it proudly, chickens. We had chickens. They were opinionated, they were dramatic, and my hens give us breakfast: eggs!

That spirit lives on in my home today, where my two kids share their lives with our 20Kg Standard Poodle (who is, in her own mind, a very elegant lapdog) and our 5kg Löwchen, who has the energy of a dog five times his size and the attitude of a dog ten times his size. They run the household. We just live in it.

So when you walk into my studio with your dog, your cat, your rabbit, or your emotionally complex parrot. I am not going to flinch. I’ve seen things. I’m ready for you.

Photographer’s Tips for a Pet Graduation Shoot

1. Practise “Sit” and “Stay” the couple of weeks leading up to the shoot! It does helps greatly especially if you would like some solo portraits of your pet.
2. Bring some high value treats, we could use some bribes if all else fail. My two doggos LOVE iti Air-dried meat!
3. Groom them professionally (or just a shower at home) a few days before the shoot to ensure they are looking their very best!
4. Let your pets sniff your graduation gown before coming for the shoot so they are used to “the big scary black dress”

Here’s What Happens When You Add a Pet to Graduation Photos

Magic. Chaos. Usually both, together.

There’s a very specific format I’ve watched unfold dozens of times. The family and graduate arrive at the studio. A little stiff, a little nervous, very aware of how the tassel is sitting and whether the gown is hanging right. We take some lovely formal portraits. They’re great. But then their dog comes bounding in, and suddenly this composed, camera-shy young adult dissolves into complete and utter delight. The shoulders drop. The fake smile disappears. The real person shows up.

Pets are the great levellers of portrait photography. They don’t know what “look natural” means. They don’t know what “chin down, eyes up” means. They just know that their human is nearby and that’s enough to send them into full happiness mode and it’s absolutely contagious.

I’ve photographed graduates with elderly dogs they’ve had since primary school, grey-muzzled and gentle, and those sessions will forever be among the most tender I’ve experienced. I’ve photographed pandemic puppies, the dogs adopted during lockdown who sat loyally beside their humans through every Zoom lecture and late-night study session. I’ve even photographed a turtle named Gerald who had genuinely excellent bone structure.
Pairs of corgi, guinea pigs with a poodle, a pair of chinchilla with a westie, a family of 4 English bulldogs, and so much more.

What to Expect during a Graduation & Pet photoshoot (beside laughters)

Here’s how a pet-friendly graduation photoshoot actually runs, so you’re not walking in blind.. Or rather, so you’re not walking in and assuming your Labrador is going to sit perfectly still on the first try. (He won’t. That’s OK. We love him anyway.)

We usually start with the formal portraits (Just the humans first) while everyone’s looking sharp and the graduate hasn’t yet been pawed at. Then we bring in the furry co-star and let the story unfold. Some pets walk into the studio and immediately understand the assignment. Others treat the whole thing like a sensory adventure and need a few minutes to sniff every corner, inspect my camera bag, and decide whether the backdrop is a threat. Both are completely normal. Both result in wonderful photographs.

A few things that help: bring their favourite treats (high value! this is not the moment for the boring kibble), a familiar toy, and maybe even your helper. For smaller animals, a carrier they’re comfortable in eases the transition beautifully.

One bonus point: All sessions are fully private in our enclosed studio.
All pets are all allow to be leash-free and roam the studio freely.

And please, do not stress about the fur. Again, I have a standard poodle and a Löwchen at home. My Dyson and lint roller has seen things. This is a judgement-free studio.

“But My Pet is a Disaster”

Good. Fantastic, actually. The “disaster” pets are often the most memorable sessions.

The cat who refused to look at the camera and spent the entire session staring meaningfully at the ceiling? Genuinely artistic. The golden retriever who sat beautifully for exactly one photo and then decided to lie across the graduate’s lap like a large, fluffy blanket? Framed and hanging on a wall right now, and it’s gorgeous. The dog who barked at my reflector? We worked around it. We laughed. The photos were brilliant.

The best graduation portraits don’t come from a perfect performance. They come from a real moment. And real moments are messy, and funny, and exactly what you’ll want to remember twenty years from now.

Book Before Your Pet’s Social Calendar Fills Up

Graduation season gets busy fast, and pet-friendly photo sessions book up even faster (turns out, a lot of people want their dog in their graduation photos! who knew!). If you want to include your furry, feathered, or otherwise beloved companion in your portraits, get in touch early so we can find a session time that works for everyone, including the one with four legs.

See more Pets & Graduation Photoshoot here!

Because here is what 16 years behind a camera has taught me: the photos you’ll reach for again and again, the ones you’ll show your future kids, the ones that’ll make you laugh and cry at the same time, are the ones where you look most like yourself. And for a lot of us, we look most like ourselves when our pets are nearby, probably doing something ridiculous.

I cannot wait to meet your entire family. Every last one of them.

I am Melody, a family and graduation portrait photographer based in Singapore, wrangling beautiful portraits and occasionally actual animals since 2010. To book a pet-friendly graduation session, contact us here 🐾