Your Wisconsin Pet Photographer

Celebrating the relationship

between pets and their people with luxury dog, cat, and equine photography sessions and timeless artwork for their walls and tables.

Barking Dog Images is based in Delafield, Wisconsin, and serving the greater Milwaukee, Madison, and northern Illinois areas.

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hello!

Meet the photographer

Hi! I’m Nadia Hall, and dogs are my passion. Years ago, when I wasn’t training or competing with my dogs, I discovered that I love to photograph them. Now, I want all pet parents to have the same beautiful memories of their dog frozen in time like I do. I look forward to seeing you and your pet at an event or setting up a portrait session soon! I serve the Southeastern Wisconsin/Northern Illinois area, but I love to travel.

More about Nadia

the experience

Step 1: Phone consultation

The fun beings! In this no-obligation phone call, we speak on the phone to discuss your vision for the art of your pet you would like to create and review the process from start to finish and pricing.

Step 2: The session

It’s time for your dog, cat, or horse to shine! We meet at a location of your choosing for anywhere from 45 minutes to two hours to make sure we get all of the captures you envisioned. Every session is customized to be what YOU want.

Step 3: The reveal

The wow moment! Two weeks after your session, we meet in your home, a public place like a coffee shop, or a Zoom call to reveal your images! There are oohs and ahhs (and sometimes tears!). At this point, you make your image and product selections. We work within your budget to create exactly what you want!

the artwork

I’m not in the business of pet photography, I’m in the business of artwork. My job is to make something tangible that you will love for many generations to come. If you love a single image or want to make a gallery wall from your session, show-stopping wall art starts at $600. If you can’t resist a larger collection of your images, image boxes, print packages, and albums start at $700.

All of the products are sourced through professional printing labs around the world that are not available to consumers. Each printed purchase includes the accordingly digital file sized for social media (I know you want to share them on your Instagram!), and digitals are also available to add-on to your product order.

“Dogs’ lives are too short. Their only fault, really”
-Agnes Sligh Turnbull

session types

Looking for something specific for you and your pet? Here are some of my offerings.

View Portfolio

End-of-life sessions

Limited edition sessions

Puppy sessions

Pet professional branding sessions

Fine art equine sessions

Dog sport events

Ready to get started?

Inquire to receive a complementary, detailed informational guide to your portrait session!

Contact to book now

faqs

frequently asked questions

General

A portrait photography session for you and your pet(s) is in an investment of both time and money, so it’s important to make the right choice for yourself. For my clients, their dogs/cats/horses are their family (you may even use the term ‘fur-baby’); they are loved to the moon and back and get all of the best care. They also get to take up the entire bed at night and get away with scattering stolen socks all over the house (well, maybe not your horses)! My clients also want more than digital files for social media – they want stunning, timeless artwork that will hang on their walls or be displayed on their coffee table for years, and even after their pet has passed away. Doesn’t your best friend deserve to be seen every day in your home?

I’m a pet photographer first and foremost, which means I specialize in creating incredible images of four-legged subjects. Trust me, I know ALL of the tricks to get your dog to look at the camera (and we might even get a head tilt!) and your cat to have the best time. I also have experience in dog training and behavior, which means I can work with all kinds of pups and understand their body language during our session. After your session, I fully-edit your images specifically focusing on the pets (including removing leashes, halters, eye boogers, and cleaning fur!). Finally, I create art; sure, digital files are available, but my primary focus is to create something tangible that will bring you joy for years to come.

Yes! While my business mostly revolves around pets of the canine type, I love all animals and would love to photograph your cat, horse, or small animal. Contact me for more information!

Your Dog

Absolutely not – you should see my dogs! I aim to keep your pet’s portrait session fun and stress-free, which means that I do not pressure them to hold any kind of position or behavior if they are not comfortable or do not have the ability to. All dogs are photographed on leash outdoors (see below) and rest assured, I have a DEEP well of unique sounds and tasty treats to grab their attention—even if it’s just for that split second while I capture each image! Plus, your dog will be well-paid (in delicious treats!) for their modeling.

Not at all! Believe it or not, 95% of the dogs that I photograph are on-leash. Leashes not only keep your best pal safe, but they’re also important for following local leash laws. Thanks to the wizardry of Photoshop, leashes will be removed from most final images.

Well, Photoshop does have its limitations. Super-bulky harnesses hide so much of the dog’s chest that it’s very challenging to accurately rebuild those pixels in post-production. Head halters (like gentle leaders) can leave unsightly shadows or pull on the dog’s skin, so those are also a challenge to digitally remove. If your dog normally wears one of these for walks, I recommend using it while walking to our location, but also bringing a flat collar to use for the actual shoot. If you need to stick with the harness or gentle leader but would like it edited from final images, there is an additional retouching fee. However, digital removals for regular leashes (and halters for horses) is always included!

I completely understand; the world can be a scary place for all of us sometimes! On your consultation call, we will choose a location that suits your pet’s personality. We can book a private park, bring the session to your home, or rent a photo studio, ensuring that we see won’t see a soul! In fact, most of my cat photography sessions and equine photography sessions happen where the pet lives. If you have a pet that has a bite history or you are worried about aggression, feel free to reach out and we can discuss a management plan for the session.

Your Session

Of course! In fact, I HIGHLY recommend it – I love documenting the wonderful connection between you and your dog. While we can certainly capture a traditional portrait of you both smiling at the camera, my clients especially love the candid images of the moments you share. If you’re camera shy, I can still create some lovely, creative images that tell the story of your relationship. Please just trust me, and remember that you don’t need to purchase or display any images that you don’t adore!

There is no limit on the number of humans or pets that can attend your portrait photography session as long as they are in the same household! One of my favorite things to capture for clients is a group shot of all of their pets together (with the help of some photoshop magic to make a composite sometimes!).

It completely depends on your pet! If you have only one dog, a puppy with a short attention span, or an older dog with less energy, your session might only last 30 to 45 minutes. If you are including multiple pets and humans in your portraits, we might need a few hours and some extra hands to create the artwork in your vision!

I’m here to help with plenty of recommendations and creative ideas. During our session-planning call we’ll discuss the look you’re after, any special needs you and your pets might have (mobility challenges, anxiety, etc.) and scheduling constraints on your part (e.g. mornings only). With all that in mind, we’ll settle on the perfect plan for your pet photography session!

Pricing

There is a minimum purchase of $500 for signature portrait sessions, but the total amount that you spend depends on the products you purchase afterwards. Scheduling your session requires a $250 retainer, and you pay the remainder with your purchase at the Image Reveal and Ordering Appointment. The retainer turns into product credit at your reveal and ordering appointment. Once you pay your retainer, your shoot is reserved on my calendar; therefore, the session retainer is non-refundable. Wall art, prints, albums, and digital images are all purchased separately during the ordering appointment and are not included in the session.

What you spend is completely up to you and your budget! Wall art, albums, prints, and digital packages start at $500 and packages range up to $5,000. I promise that you will want to purchase all of the artwork of your beautiful pups once you see what we can do. We will discuss what you have in mind while we plan our session so that we can create your vision within your budget throughout the process!

Yes! There are a few different ways to get digital images from your session. All printed artwork includes the digital copy of the image. You can also purchase all of the digitals from your session on a customized crystal USB drive. The files are sized for social media (Instagram ready!), and can be printed up to 5″x7″. At this time, I do not sell high-resolution printable files.

Yes! I am happy to divide your payments with no extra charges towards your artwork into smaller chunks so that you can pay over time. Your artwork will be delivered after the final payment.