The photographs captured by Prathima Pingali will make you say aww.
The pictures captured by Prathima Pingali always make people say aww. Alongside, some of those photographs also leave them emotional. Wondering what she chooses as her subject that has such an effect? It’s the beautiful and adorable pets. Pingali, a pet photographer, helps families create invaluable memories with their furry babies by capturing precious moments together.
While talking to Hindustan Times, she shared how photography had always been her passion but she never thought she would choose this particular field. The inspiration behind this came after her pet dog Pax passed away. After that moment she realised that the pictures of her pet baby helped her move on.
“Being a photographer, I loved taking his [Pax] photographs and took thousands of them which helped me capture memories that we shared with him over the course of his life. These photographs, now help us relive those memories even today, they help us remember him for the life he lived instead of the death he had,” she shared. Pingali added that her company Pawparazzi started soon after Pax passed away.
Unlike humans, it is not always easy to get her subjects to pose in the way she wants. Hence, while talking about her working process, she shared how she familiarizes herself with the furry creatures before clicking them.
She follows a certain process which includes everything from getting to know the pets to helping them get comfortable with the camera and other equipment. She also encourages the humans to have a cuddle session with their pets before the shoot and give the cuties treats, kisses and new toys.
Despite getting to know the pets, there are some shoots that can get exceptionally tough. We asked her if she had any such incident to share. Pingali recalled how during a shoot of a very shy indie dog named Ella, she has to hide inside a sofa, cover herself with cushions and blankets to click the pictures of the pooch with her family. Not just that, she also made weird noises to get the dog to look her way.
She also recalled about the shoot that still brings a smile to her face. “Data, a doggo, was so scared of the camera at the beginning and wasn’t comfortable with me either! He’s an extremely skittish dog and felt the need to protect himself from me. Eventually, I managed to make him so comfortable that he was able to look me in the eye without flinching and even gently took treats from my hand! So, I had his family scoop him up and give him a group hug! Snap snap snap and I got a photo that was the highlight of the shoot and now hangs in their home proudly!”
“The happiness and well-being of the pet is the most important element of a photoshoot. If at any time, I feel that the pet is feeling threatened or unhappy in any way, I end the session and rearrange for another day when the pet is feeling more relaxed, at no additional cost,” she explained.
She also shared about the most rewarding part of her work during her conversation with Hindustan Times. “Working with Indies/rescue dogs is definitely one of my favourite things to do. Each one is so unique and different in terms of looks and personality. The most rewarding part of working with them is seeing them get comfortable with me within no time. I love when my clients tell me ‘Wow, she really likes you!’ or ‘He’s never been so comfortable with anyone else!’,” she shared. “The difference for me is that Pawparazzi isn’t just a job I started on a whim. It’s been close to my heart since the very beginning and I knew going into it that I have to treat everyone else’s dog as if it was my own!” she also expressed.
Though she has captured only dogs or cats till now, she told us that soon she will also click pictures of hamsters and birds with their hoomans that she will post on her personal Instagram page, just like she does after every photoshoot.
She also shared a little message for the pet parents. “If any pet parent out there in their gut feels like it’s the right time to do a photoshoot, I plead you, please don’t wait,” she shared.
What are your thoughts on the beautiful pet pictures captured by the photographer?
