More about HarlowTakesPhotos
I’ve always enjoyed taking photos. As a child, I enjoyed snatching a parent’s phone to utilize the "camera" app, messing around on the Photo Booth app on my iPad, or running around summer camp with a waterproof Fujifilm camera. When I finally inherited a family member's old camera, I was convinced I was instantly a professional. Professional gear=professional photos, right? Yeah, not so much. I had to learn the ins and outs of the exposure triangle as I struggled with the adjusting to the right shutter speed and iso, and spent hours relying on trial and error until I had a grasp of what to do.
Having a lifelong interest and love for animals, I naturally gravitated towards pet photography. I made the family cat model for me a lot, and I’d even try to photograph random dogs at the local dog park. Eventually, I stumbled into the fast-paced world of dog sports. Since I didn't have a dog of my own to compete with, I fell in love with capturing the action from behind the lens instead, and it became my “way in” to the community.
With enough experience I began to realize the power of a great photo and started volunteering with animal rescue non-profits. At first, I gave my work away for free. That was a great place to start, but as my skills grew, I realized I needed to value my time and talent and turn my passion into a real business.
Image by Liz Banfield
My Work
My work aims to preserve the energy, emotion, and character of every subject in front of my lens. Whether it's in a private portrait session or at a trial, I love when I'm able to tell a story with my photos. When people look at my work, I want them to get an immediate, honest sense of who the subject is and what they were feeling in that exact second. If a client sees a side of themselves they haven't seen in a while, or feels like I captured the essence of their dog, I'm especially happy with the work I've done.
Why pay for photos?
While photos shot from your phone certainly have their place for everyday moments, professional photos capture details, light, and character in a way a quick phone picture just can't match. This truth especially hits home when working with animals. Our time with our dogs never lasts long enough, and having professional images becomes priceless down the line. I’ve had clients reach out after losing a beloved dog to express how deeply grateful they were to have beautiful, authentic portraits to hold onto, capturing their pet exactly as they were, long after they've gone.
Testimonials
“Harlow's passion, authenticity, and professionalism is prominent not only through his personality, but also in his body of work. I've experienced such ease as a subset and customer of his, with a brief turnaround from photo taking to final product.”
“Harlow is an attentive photographer who makes every interaction a comfortable and fun experience. When he worked with my dog Sophie and I, he kept the mood light hearted yet very professional. His passion and love for photography shows, and I would highly recommend him.”
What goes into the pricing of my work?
When you book a session or order trial photos, you’re paying for far more than just the minutes I spend holding down the shutter. A lot happens behind the scenes to deliver finished, high-quality images:
- Gear & Workflow Tools: Professional camera bodies and lenses, plus monthly software subscriptions (Photoshop, Lightroom, and gallery hosting) that keep everything running smoothly.
- Time & Travel: Drive time to and from sessions or trial grounds, setup, and the actual time spent shooting on site.
- The Sorting Process (Culling): Sorting through hundreds, sometimes thousands, of frames to delete the unusable shots: missed focus, or duplicate angles, narrowing the set down to only the absolute best moments.
- Detailed Post-Processing: Hand-editing every selected image. This includes fine-tuning exposure, contrast, and color, alongside minor touch-ups like removing stray fur, floor crumbs, or distracting clutter.
- Education & Experience: Years spent learning about camera settings, the exposure triangle, effective composition and design elements, knowing how to anticipate fast movement, posing, developing my style, and more!