Pet photography catches on in Hyderabad

The trend of pet photography picks up in Hyderabad. Professional pet photographers capture heart-warming moments between pets and their owners, preserving memories forever.

Nine-year-old Gooogle is quite a poser; his modelling skill is visible on a curated photo wall at software engineer M. Soujanya’s apartment in Hyderabad. With 25 days to go until its 10th birthday, this playful Shih Tzu is ready for another ‘picture-pawfect’ moment. Soujanya takes this love of her life everywhere for photo shoots — landscapes, lawns, the Rock Garden near Bachupally and the Dog Park in Kondapur — and ensures she ‘squeezes in somewhere in the frame’ to capture their heart-warming moments.

We speak to a few photographers who work exclusively with pets.

With a steady increase among Hyderabadis wanting to get their four-legged friends clicked professionally, photographers specialising in the field are in great demand. Often, pet photographers are also dog lovers, thus combining their love for canines and photography.

Be it a portrait session or a candid shoot, the photographers work with the dog’s triggers and moods to capture its unique personality and the bond it shares with its owner.

A Hyderabadi based in Mumbai, Prathima Pingali (@pawparazzi. petphotography) founder of Pawparazzi by Prathima, was among the first few pet photographers in India in 2017-18. When her young dog Pax passed away suddenly, the photographs taken of him while he was alive helped her heal after his death. “It made me focus on the wonderful life he had with us instead of focusing on the pain of his death,” she recalls.

She used to narrate her story to help people realise the difference these photos would make in their lives. “I have captured memories for almost 375 plus families with their pets in these six years,” says Prathima, who also captures different phases of life with their dog, ranging from a puppy shoot, marriage proposal, a maternity shoot with their dog, or even a shoot of the dog welcoming the newborn baby into the family!

Originally from Lakshadweep, photographer Sabith Jasari (@ snoot_shoot) and his wife, living in Hyderabad for a decade now, were once scrolling through old photos of their pet Cookie. “We miss not having more photos of him as a puppy, and I wondered why not take photos of others’ pets so that people can cherish their memories,” recollects Sabith.