In the run up to Christmas*, Venture New Generation Portraits, specialists in unique portrait photography, has reported that over 2,700 dogs have been brought into the studios for their own stand alone photo sessions, which can amount to over £600 each. This growing trend means that at least £1.7m has been spent on doggy pictures alone this Christmas – an amazing 200% increase on last year’s figures!
(And that doesn’t even include leather jackets and diamond studded collars the diva dog may demand…).
The posh life for pups used to be reserved for purebred champions, but these days pets don’t have to be pedigree pooches in order to receive some top class treatment. As pets increasingly become part of the extended family, and in some cases, a substitute child, Britain’s inclination to dote on their animals has been taken to the extreme.
We’ve seen pooch salons, and pet pedicures, but now allowing your hairy friend to find its’ ‘inner dog’ through personalised pet photography is the latest trend to show our love for man’s best friend. It is increasingly common to find the finished photograph not just being hung on the living room wall, but taking pride of place by the pet’s bed and food area – to truly make them feel one of the family!
Howard Lipman, Director of photography at Venture comments; “There are a few factors we’ve attributed to this trend. We’ve already noted a rise in the amount of family portraits that now include a pet, and this seems like the next step in really making the dog feel like its special and one of the family. Plus, as couples are now leaving it longer to have children, dogs (and other pets) are increasingly taking the place of completing the family. In the same vein that we carry out thousands of personalised photographs of children and babies, we’re seeing an increase in pets too being turned into works of art with our innovative approach to portraiture and frames”.
Dogs aren’t the only pets that are getting their portraits taken, Venture have also seen 82 cats, 8 horses, 4 rats, 2 sheep and 1 tortoise in their studios in the run up to Christmas.
In the run up to Christmas, any pets that do come in for their own photography session, Venture will offer a donation to the RSPCA – so that animals less fortunate than those pampered pets will still benefit from something this Christmas.