Photographing Dogs at Three Chimneys - Cumming, Georgia
The three original chimneys from the Buice farmhouse still stand on the hill at Three Chimneys in Cumming — a picturesque community where Lyanna and Bane, two Tibetan Mastiffs, call home.
This session was a reunion of sorts. I'd first photographed Lyanna and Bane two years earlier at McDaniel Farm Park, when Bane was still "Baby Bane." They came back this time with big, full-grown Bane and a new addition — Luca — making it a three-dog shoot on their own home turf.
Can You Photograph My Dogs Together?
It's one of the questions I hear most often, and the answer is yes — with some nuance.
For Lyanna, Bane, and Luca at Three Chimneys, we got all three dogs in the frame together without a single head swap or Photoshop composite. They sat, they held the position, and we got the shot. It happens — especially with well-trained dogs who are comfortable with each other and relaxed in their own environment.
But not every group of dogs is going to sit shoulder to shoulder on cue. Some dogs need a little more space between them. Some would genuinely prefer not to be next to their sibling at all. That's fine — that's what post-production is for. I can photograph dogs separately with the same light and background and composite them into a seamless group portrait. The final image looks exactly as though they were photographed together, because the planning makes it work.
The group shot always happens. The method just varies.
Individual Portraits Within a Multi-Dog Session
The group portrait is usually the goal — but it shouldn't be the only thing you walk away with.
When we plan a multi-dog session, we talk through what you want for your final wall art before we ever arrive. For this session, that meant group portraits of all three dogs, some paired portraits of Lyanna and Bane, and individual shots that captured each dog's specific personality.
Bane, still carrying some of his puppy energy, gave me the sideways flopped tongue that is exactly, perfectly him. Lyanna — an independent lady — chose to walk when her mom asked for a sit, and that in-motion portrait is more her than any posed shot would have been. Luca sat beautifully the moment he was asked and gave great puppy dog eyes.
Three dogs. Three very different personalities. A portrait for each one that actually looks like them.
Why Home Turf Works
Photographing dogs on their own property — in a neighborhood they walk every day, in spaces that smell familiar — can be the answer for some dogs.
Dogs are more relaxed on home turf. They're more themselves. And for breeds like Tibetan Mastiffs who are naturally more reserved around strangers and new environments, that comfort shows up directly in the images.
If you live somewhere with beautiful outdoor space — a private community, a property with land, a neighborhood with interesting architecture or natural features — it's worth considering as your session location. The backdrop doesn't have to be a public park to be exactly right.
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