My entire life, I've been an animal person. Not a cat person, not a dog person, and not even a people person - but an animal person. Animals have always been my solace, my happy place, my true passion. All I knew was that I wanted to be around animals as much as possible. Big or small - I'm a firm believer that my house is not a home without at least one fluffy companion to dote upon. Growing up with cats and dogs, I've got an extra special soft spot for these creatures. But in all honesty - my favourite animals are cows! I really love all animals - well, almost all. I won't thank you for spiders or creepy crawlies!
So - you love animals. But why photography, I hear you ask?
Well I'll be honest - I never saw myself as a professional photographer. I was a science geek, not a creative type person in my own mind. So as a kid, when asked what I wanted to be "when I grow up" (still waiting on that to happen in case you're wondering), I focussed on combining what I loved (animals) and what I was good at (science). I went off to Glasgow University to study Veterinary Biosciences, then found myself working in the poultry industry for many years.
I was good at what I did, and I enjoyed it. But did it truly make me happy? In short, no. I wasn't around animals often, and I wanted to change that. So it was back to the drawing board! Animals made me happy, but what else?
And that's where the photography came in!
From a young age, I was obsessed with taking photos. I'd go through so many disposable cameras as a kid (back when that was the only option and not a trendy choice). Then came digital cameras and camera phones - I'm still known to pick my phone based on which of the options has the best camera. Once I moved on to a "proper" DSLR camera and learnt some photoshopping, I never looked back.
But still, photography was just a hobby for many years. Until I decided to take the risk and go all in on a chance for real happiness.
And so - Clever Girl Photography was founded!
What matters to us at Clever Girl Photography?
Our philosophy is pretty simple:
1. Pets are family too.
2. Memories are worth capturing.
3. Pet photography should be accessible to everyone.
You love your pets, right? Well we believe pets are family just as much as their humans. As such, they deserve to be included in family photos! They also deserve to be treated right and enjoy the experience. So just like you humans, we want your pets to be comfortable, safe and well looked after during their photoshoot.
The hardest part of having a pet is undoubtedly having to say goodbye. Sadly our pets don't live forever, and all too often we have to say goodbye to them. And what remains after they are gone, if not memories? Sure, you have those memories in your head. But if (like me) your memory is not the best, over time you begin to forget the little things. We believe memories are worth capturing - so that they can live on long after our pets have left us.
There's no doubt about it - times are hard and many households are struggling financially. Hiring a photographer is a luxury service - there's a lot of time and effort goes in to achieving those professional images. So it makes sense that professional photography isn't cheap. But what about the people who can't afford hundreds of pounds for a few photos? Are their pets any less of their family? Are their memories less worthy of being captured? No! We want everyone to be able to enjoy lasting memories of their beloved pets, which is why we offer a range of packages to suit different budgets and have done everything we can to keep the costs as low as possible.