Austin Engagement Session With Dog

Ellen (they/them) and Christian (he/him) wanted a peaceful and laid-back engagement session with their dog Rolo. It was important that we photograph at the Austin Pets Alive Thrift in their neighborhood because APA is where they adopted Rolo. This spot has some beautiful murals and was the perfect spot to start their session. After spending time here, we went to a nearby park to capture some sweet portraits of them until sunset. These two have a calm and collected energy about them, making their session exactly what they wanted!

Before we get into the images, here is where their story began. They met in their senior year of college in 2018 in Missouri. Christian was housemates with some of Ellen’s close friends, so they met each other while hanging out in their living room. Ellen was immediately attracted to Christian, but they usually only hung out in group settings. One day in November, Ellen was supposed to go to Jo-Ann Fabrics with a friend who forgot they had plans. Since Ellen didn’t have a car at the time, Christian offered to drive them there. Initially, they bonded over both having parents who had cancer. They continued to enjoy having conversations together. Soon after, Ellen thought Christian might be into them. Their friends said he was a really nice person and generous to everyone so Ellen doubted if he liked them.

Right before winter break, Christian mentioned he would stop by a local bookstore to buy Christmas cards. Ellen pretended to be interested to do the same. They exchanged numbers and went out shopping and grabbed a coffee afterwards. When Christian was getting ready to drop Ellen off at their apartment, he was acting really awkward. He didn’t make the first move, so Ellen asked, “Would it be weird if I kissed you?” Right then was when they had their first kiss! After texting quite a bit during winter break and returning to school in January, they spent a lot of time together and have been together ever since!

Tips For Bringing Your Dog To Your Engagement Session:

Tip #1: We recommend bringing a friend or family member to be your dog handler during your session. This helps us get photos with and without your dog with ease. Sometimes, dogs can be overstimulated at first, so your handler can help them burn some energy while we photograph portraits without affecting the session flow and time. With this said, we do also recommend you exercise your dog and feed them before the session, which will help them feel tuckered out and comfortable!

Tip #2: If your pup has shown any aggression toward other dogs or cats, please let us know ahead of time. Scents can linger on people and clothing, and we always want to make sure everyone, including your dog, stays safe and comfortable. For the well-being of all, we may need to adjust or pause their participation in the session.

Tip #3: Extra treats and their favorite toy can help your dog.