Today we’d like to introduce you to Stephanie Bustos.
Stephanie, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I have been working hands-on with dogs for 7+ years previously/current with other jobs I wanted to find another way to work with pets in a more fun and creative way and I had been taking photos of my own dogs for years and decided to take a step further and ask friends and family if I could photograph their pets to Practice and see if pet photography is something I really want to do! And I absolutely LOVED it! My dogs have their own IG and are in the Houston dog community always going to events and such so I knew quite a few dogs in the IG world and started reaching out to them to see if they’d be interested in letting me photograph their dogs! And over time the word got out and here I am hanging out with cute animals and taking their pictures for a living! I am loving every bit of it definitely the best decision I’ve made in my career
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
With pet photography, there are some challenges! While some pets are perfect angels and listen to every command, the reality of it is 95% of the dogs I photograph can only sit for five minutes before getting distracted and that is perfectly fine!! My own dogs are guilty of it too so don’t feel ashamed! I have learned a lot along the way! While some dogs are toy or treat motivated, there are some that aren’t either! And you have to figure out what works best for them! And since I have worked with dogs for so long before photography, I am able to read their body language to see what makes them comfortable when they need a short break and what makes them happy and excited!
Pawfect Pawtraits – what should we know? What do you do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
I am a pet photographer. I mostly specialize in dog photography and that is what I am most known for but I love all animals and will photograph them all yes even reptiles! I have a bearded dragon myself so I am not afraid to touch slimy scaly critters!
I think one of the things that set me apart from other photographers is I understand not everyone has the funds to get professional photos of their pets so I do provide a few FREE photo opportunities! I host “park days” once or every other month where I announced what park and time I will be at and everyone is welcome to get their photos! These are really fun because I get to capture dogs just being DOGS having a good time and loving life! I also from time to time will do a “model search” this normally happens with I have a fun idea I’d like to do I pitch the idea and whoever is interested can contact me! This is a first come first serve to make it complete fair for all!
I think my favorite thing about this job is getting to see how happy and excited the animals get to have their photos taken! They get to have fun get treats and lots of pets!?? It doesn’t get any better than that!!
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
My most proud moment as of right now is I got to do a Pawtraits For A Cause event at WoofGang Bakery And Grooming where we got together with F. Dellit Designs for some beautiful blooms and That Balloon Girl for balloons to create a beautiful backdrop to take “pawtraits” where ALL proceeds went to a rescue in this time I chose Hotmess Pooches rescue. And the money we raised that day helped out with paying vet bills for a puppy that had to get surgery.
Pricing:
- Mini sessions (30mins) 80$ in home/outdoor
- Hour session 100$ in home/outdoor
- Hour 1/2 session 120$ in home/outdoor
- Studio sessions range 180-210$ hour
Contact Info:
- Email: Pawfect.Pawtraits@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pawfect.pawtraits
- Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/pawfectpawtraits.tx
Image Credit:
Models @frenchiequilla @charlee_river_thedoodle @shannonkatecypress @danteboy05; Creatives @revelrygoods @fdellitdesigns @that_balloon_girl
Getting in touch: VoyageHouston is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
