FAQ

FAQ:

How do you get those photos? I can’t do that with my dog/cat/bird horse/iguana/turtle/guinea pig! It’s a combination of passion for animals and photography, and a whole lotta patience. I have a great Nikon camera that allows me to take lighting fast photos the very instant I want to capture the image. Your camera may take just 2 seconds longer to focus and mine doesn’t – that’s when the cool stuff always happens! The more challenging a photo session or subject, the harder I work. I really, really get into taking amazing images and try super hard to be different and creative. That means you get beautiful, professional images that you will really love.

Do you have to come to my house? It’s not very clean and I haven’t mowed the lawn in weeks. Through creative photography, selective focus, and expert framing, I can make your house look incredible. The focus of my photos is your pet, so the background isn’t at all important. Believe it or not, a wild looking lawn and overgrown bushes will add some interest to your photos – we’ll look like we’re in a woodland park! Light is important, so we should have a conversation about your windows and which way your house faces when you set your Fur Session.

Can we do the session anywhere? Sure! I think your home is the best – pets will be super happy there, but if you have a park you want to go to, we can do that. But just remember, if we’re in a park then you’ll have to have the kids on leashes. And leashes just don’t look fabulous in your photos, you’ll probably want them removed. See below question about editing things out.

How long does it take to see the images and how many will I see? I will contact you within 2 weeks to set your Ordering Session. How many you will see depends on a lot, but normally I will show you anywhere from 35 to 45 images. All items ordered at your Ordering Session are 10% off.

How long does it take to get my prints and stuff after that? Prints will be delivered to you in approximately two weeks, albums, story boards and framed prints take about 4-6 weeks. If you need things faster, please let me know. Rush fees may apply.

Can you just put my pictures up on the Internet? I’m so busy!There are several reasons that I have an Ordering Session. First, I crop images the way I think they look best. But you may have a different idea and with software and my overhead projector, you can see all the possibilities for a photo.
I also have an extensive line of products, and telling you about it on the phone or sending an e-mail would:
(a) Take a lot of time.
(b) Would be very difficult to explain & understand over the telephone.
(c) Some products are too difficult to order on-line so they aren't on the pricelist.
The experience of the Ordering Session is not one to be missed. I encourage you to be super comfy. Put your feet up on my table, I'll have wine for you if you like, it's a pretty great evening, in my opinion. I do a slideshow for you first, then we talk about how best to display your new photos. My studio is in the Killearn area and I'm very flexible on appointment times.

What if I have to cancel or reschedule my Fur Session or Ordering Session? No problem! Stuff happens. Please call within 24 hours if at all possible and we’ll figure something out. If the weather is looking bad for our Fur Session, I’ll call you (or you can call me) and we’ll see what works.

Can you remove the leash or collar in a photo? Yes, I can! There is a $15 editing fee to remove collars and leashes for each image. Sometimes the leash or collar is very prominent, so there be an additional charge. I suggest to all my Fur Parents that you purchase a pretty new collar, or better yet remove their collars completely if you don’t want it in the images. If we’re in a public place, everybody has to be leashed so a new leash and/or collar may be in order.

Can I have an image for my FaceBook or MySpace page? Sure! Facebook and MySpace images are $5 each.

Do you sell the digital images? I sure do. Full resolution images with a copyright release is $75 per image.

Can you take my family’s photos while you’re at my house? I can do a full family session for you, each additional person is $25. About half the session will be your family and half will be just the Fur Children. If you want a full family session with the pets in just a few shots, consider booking a family session with Robin Adams Photography.

What about just one picture with my children and the pets? Each additional person or pet is $25, regardless of how many photos you want. Adding a child changes the focus of the session and will require more time. As I’m sure you know, getting kids AND the Fur Children all looking and smiling at the same time takes some work! If you want fabulous photos of your children, check out Robin Adams Photography. You might be in a photo or two because you'll be playing and helping, and that’s ok.

What time of day do you book sessions? Do you book sessions on the weekends? I set Fur Sessions for early in the morning or late in the afternoon. Sunrise and sunset are the very best times of day for excellent light, but if we’re indoors, then we might be able to bend that rule a bit. Windows in your home and which way your house faces will determine what time is best. And yes, I book sessions on the weekends. I schedule Fur Sessions and Ordering Sessions Tuesday through Sunday. Monday is my day to play with my own Fur Children. Saturdays and Sundays book way in advance, usually 4 – 6 weeks. Please contact me to get on the calendar way in advance.

When should I book my Puppy Package? As soon as you know you have a puppy coming home, call me. Getting those first days will be something you’ll be glad you did. The other two sessions are up to you.

Do you have an assistant? Why yes, it’s you! Wear something in solid colors in case you’re in the background and make sure its comfy and casual. You might get a little messy as my assistant animal wrangler. Nobody can make your Fur Children behave better than you, so you’ll need to be on hand and ready to help us get those great images.

Do you go to the beach or out of town for sessions? I sure do. I don’t charge a travel fee for sessions in Leon, Gadsden, Wakulla or Jefferson Counties. Sessions booked for counties outside that area is a flat $50 travel fee within the Big Bend area and south Georgia. Watch for special promotions at the beach and other area parks and venues throughout the year.

My animals are unruly! I mean, they’re really, really bad. My dogs knock people over, my cat runs and hides, my bird will yell at you! Can you still get good pictures? Yes! I’d like to think I can. Sessions aren’t limited on time. . . . well, let’s be reasonable. I really can’t spend 10 hours at your house, but a buzzer won’t go off when an hour is up. If your pup needs a lot of time to settle down and I have more slobber than photos, then that’s ok. We’ll just hang out and play for a while and take lots of action shots. Eventually things will simmer down and I’ll get some of the “calmer side” photos. Cats are usually more challenging, but with an interesting new toy and maybe some irresistibly yummy treats we’ll coax her out of her hidey-hole. Again, if it takes some time, no worries. We’ll visit and hang out until she decides she can trust me. I’m not a professional animal trainer, but I’m patient and I do really, really well with animals. I can usually make it work.

What if my dog is aggresive and has a histroy of biting people - can I still get photos? I'd rather not be bitten if you're worried about aggressive behaviour. You would be embarrassed and I just don't like getting hurt. As much as I would like to say I can photograph anything, I do draw the line at aggressive animals that I can't trust.

What if I don’t like any of the photos? All of my work is 100% guaranteed. I’ll either do a second shoot (I’d really like another chance if you’re willing) , or I will refund your money. No questions asked. I want you to be happy with your photos from Fur.

What if I don’t want a full package, I just want the session and a few pictures? I can work out an alternate package for you. Just let me know upon booking your session what you have in mind and we’ll see what we can work out. The session fee is still $350, but we can re-work a package to suit your needs.

Can I order more photos later? Absolutely! Your website can be reactivated any time - they will be up for two weeks after your Ordering Session. All prices are subject to change, though, so I would try to order as soon after your Fur Session as possible.

Do you have Fur Children? Oh yes! I have my little wonder puppy, Sophie, adopted from the Bainbridge Humane Society in June, 2009 when she was four months old (Beth at BDHS was amazing, you really should consider adopting from these folks). That's Sophie at the top of the website. I also have two full grown cats - both rescues, of course - Valentine and Oscar. Valentine is a Hemingway cat, full of personality and has just three feet – he had to have one foot amputated when he was a kitten, we think somebody wrapped wire around his foot. Oscar is 10 years old and grouchy, but every once in a while he’ll show a sweet side and come out to visit the rest of the family. He’s not at all amused with Sophie – she’s just too much puppy happiness for an old cat. My family has always had animals from the time I was little. I even had a collection of snails when I was a kid. Yeah, I don’t know - my mom was patient with that one! As an adult, I’ve had four dogs, a horse, five cats, two parakeets, and several fish tanks, and I’ve fostered dogs several times through the Tallahassee Leon County Animal Services Center.

Can you take studio portraits of my Fur Children? I have used a studio in the past, but much prefer the outdoors and natural light photography. We live in such a beautiful area with many diverse settings and our weather is excellent 9 months of the year. It’s too wonderful not to celebrate. And besides, animals are happiest in the back yard or on your sofa, aren’t they? I would be happy to refer you to a very good photographer in Tallahassee who does amazing studio portraits if that’s the look you want.

What other kinds of photography do you do? I’m a client of Robin Adams Photography, you still take photos of families and children, right? Oh yes, I’m still photographing all the other things, too. I photograph children from birth to 18 years, families, couples, weddings, birthday parties, and fine art photography.

So why pets? I LOVE animals, I can’t think of a day of my life that I haven’t had pets. Ever. But as it often happens, your profession doesn’t spill over to your personal life (you’ve heard the saying 'the cobbler’s kids never have shoes'?). Well, I lost my very best buddies in the whole world, Sonny in November of 2008 and Joey in May of 2009. They were 13 and 14 years old and it nearly broke my heart. That’s a long time to have dogs asleep at your feet every day. My back yard got overgrown, the dog bowls were empty. And my bed was HUGE without those fabulous warm bodies. The weekend Joey died, I realized that my days had been consumed with taking photos of other people’s families and I had very few pictures of them. In 14 years, I never thought to take them out and do a “real” portrait session with them. And that broke my poor heart. I took some shots of Joey in his last weeks, but he was so sick and so sad - that's his photo below. Why didn’t I take amazing photos of him when he was healthy and happy and smiling? I don’t know, but that needed to be fixed for other Fur Parents. And that’s when I had the idea for Fur. Our pets are just as much our family as our children and our spouses. They love us unconditionally and the sad fact is, they aren’t here long – 15 years maybe? A lot less for most. When I talk about Fur to clients and friends, people light up . . . our animals make life rich and colorful and amazing. It’s up to us to get amazing photos of them just like everything else in our life and remember how much joy they bring us.


Are you married? Do you have kids? Where do you live? No, I’m not married, no kids (I just photograph them) and I live in Monticello. I’m 40 years old and I have lots of other interests. . . check out my blog posts here or at Robin Adams Photography and you can learn all about my passions!


Questions?
E-mail me at robin@furbyrobinadams.com
Call me at 850.591.3364
Or fill out contact form and I'll get right back to you!