Behind the Lens at Barking Cat
Hello - I'm Kim Smith and I founded Barking Cat Pet Photography a few years ago to bring together two of my life-long passions – animals and photography. I've been fortunate to share my life with many animals and am grateful for the love, devotion and joy they have given. For so many of us, pets are an integral part of our families.
I love having so many photos of my special animals, and I give the same care and attention to capturing the unique personality of your pet through fun and flexible photography that creates memories to treasure.
The Barking Cat household also includes Breeze the Maine Coon (and the original "Barking Cat"), guinea pigs Ivan (from Gertie's Lonely Guinea Pig Rescue) and Cuilean (from Collective Animal Rescue Edinburgh), Charlie Papillon, Ella Chihuahua (adopted from Many Tears Rescue), Evie Speckle and Nina Speckle (Romanian rescues, adopted through Silver Fox,) as well as my husband, occasional assistant and excellent photographer in his own right, Rob.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens in a photo session?
I’ll have a chat with you in advance of the session, to get a better understanding of your pet, their needs and what you’d like to achieve. The welfare of your animal will always be paramount.
Sessions may be in your home, garden or an outdoor location – ideally where your pet and any people in the photos will feel comfortable, secure and happy. It’s helpful if they’ve had a walk or some exercise within a few hours before the session so they are likely to be less excitable, and more interested in treats to get their attention.
I will take time for your pet to get used to me, often sitting on the floor or ground until they are content with me and my equipment. Often, a session will just involve following them as they play and wander, taking candid photos. If you would like more “posed” shots, it’s often easiest to capture these near the end of the session, when they are more relaxed perhaps a bit more tired out!
What are mini sessions?
Barking Cat sometimes offers 10-15 minute “mini sessions” at pet-related charity and other events, either involving our “Pop Up” studio background or al fresco outdoor mini-shoots. A mini session will usually yield at least 3 or 4 images to choose from and will have one or more products as part of the offer (e.g. a digital image in return for a donation to the charity.)
If your pet is very anxious or excitable, a mini-session may not be for them, as there is not so much time for helping them settle in and get to know me. Again, the welfare of your pet will be our prime consideration.
What happens after a session?
Usually within 48 hours, we’ll edit and a selection of images from the session, upload these to a gallery on our website and email you with a link and instructions for browsing the images. You can choose the picture or pictures for your inclusive product and also order other items (e.g. digital files, prints, enlargements, wall art, etc.) directly from the website.
We will lightly edit the final versions (including removing collars and tags, tidying stray fur and brightening eyes,) before supplying these to you. Prints and photo products are produced in one of the UK’s leading professional labs using the latest equipment, inks and papers. Most items will be supplied within a week of placing your order.
What types of animals do you photograph, and what about people?
We love animals – all animals, and while we have the most experience photographing dogs, cats and guinea pigs, we would be delighted to photograph larger, or smaller animals, and everything in between. We’ll talk with you first to find out more about their needs and preferences and ensure our approach is appropriate and safe for them.
We also love people – and are very happy to photograph people as well as their pets. We recommend booking a slightly longer session if you would like to include more than 3 or 4 pets or people. This is to ensure we have enough time to get a choice of images of the group and all individuals as well.
How do I book a session?
Either give us a ring, email info@BarkingCatPetPhotography.com, or send a message via the form on the home page. We’ll get in touch to discuss your requirements and arrange a date, time and place for the session. We will also contact you a day or two before the planned date, just to ensure everything is set, make any final plans and check the weather forecast.
We may ask for a reservation fee in advance, which will be deducted from the cost of the session package. Payments for reservation fees, session fees and prints and products can be made via Paypal, credit or debit card, bank transfer or cheque.
What if I need to cancel?
Please get in touch as soon as possible if you need to cancel or postpone a session, but in any case, at least 24 hours before the day and time of the shoot. The reservation fee will only be refunded if we are notified of a cancellation at least 24 hours in advance, or if the cancellation is due to a serious illness or similar emergency.
If the weather forecast is looking bleak, especially for an outdoor session, we can discuss this by phone a day or two before the session and decide whether to proceed or postpone.
What if the pictures don’t turn out?
We will take all steps possible to prevent equipment malfunction that could mean there are no usable images from a photo session. If however this does occur, we will refund the reservation fee only and/or will rearrange another session at a convenient place and time.
If the images are of satisfactory quality, but you are not content with the results, we will try our best to adjust the images to meet your requirements. However, in such circumstances, we will not be able to refund the reservation fee or session fee.
Our standard Terms and Conditions for photo sessions and our Safeguarding Policy for working with children and young people can be found here. We are fully insured and Kim Smith is a member of Disclosure Scotland’s Protection of Vulnerable Groups Scheme (PVG) for work with children.
What other photographic services do you offer?
Please click the "Services" tab at the top of the page for information on all the services provided by Barking Cat.