End of Life Sessions to me
End-of-Life Sessions for Dogs
Recently, a seasoned photographer advised me to approach my End-of-Life Sessions the same as any other—no discounts, no free images, and to raise my overall prices. They emphasized that if I want to make a sustainable full-time living from photography, this mindset is essential. While I understand the business logic, my experience with these sessions has taught me something different.
End-of-Life Sessions hold a deeply personal meaning for me. These aren’t just photo shoots; they’re moments of connection and compassion. If I had treated these sessions strictly as regular ones, I would have missed out on meeting some incredible people and their beloved dogs—like Chief and his family.
Chief’s owners drove five hours for our session because they saw something in my work that made me the only photographer they trusted to capture his legacy. That trust and belief in my art moved me deeply. As a dog lover and photographer, moments like these remind me why I do what I do.
These sessions are emotional. I’ve been in my clients’ shoes. I’ve loved and lost dogs that were like family to me. Whether they were working dogs or companions, each loss left a hole in my heart. When a family has exhausted every effort to improve their dog’s quality of life, spending thousands in the process, and they reach out for a photo session at the end of their journey, I can’t bring myself to turn them away just because money is tight.
Yes, there are clients who can afford a full-priced session, and I have no hesitation charging them appropriately. But I also trust my instincts. After a brief phone call, I can usually sense when a family is truly heartbroken over what’s to come. In those moments, I feel compelled to help, not for the sake of business but because I understand the depth of their pain.
There’s a quote that resonates with me whenever I think about the dogs I’ve loved and lost:
“It came to me that every time I lose a dog, they take a piece of my heart with them. And every new dog who comes into my life, gifts me with a piece of their heart. If I live long enough, all of my heart will be dog, and I will become as generous and loving as they are.”
Chief’s owners sent me that quote painted on a wooden sign after our session, along with a tip equal to the cost of the session itself. They’ve gone out of their way to help spread the word about my work, and I now count them among my good friends. Chief is still fighting, and his story continues to inspire me.
As I work toward making dog photography my full-time career, I hope to one day achieve the balance so many photographers I admire have reached. I want to price my services sustainably while still offering discounted or free End-of-Life Sessions to those in need.
If I had stuck to a strict pricing policy, I might never have met Chief and his incredible family. And for that, I would have been much poorer—not financially, but in the experiences and connections that make this work so meaningful.
Chief - Dutch Shepherd from Ocala, Florida