Today we’d like to introduce you to Jennifer Whaley.
Jennifer, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I’ve had a camera in my hand since I can remember. I come from a long line of photographers, too many to mention. I grew up marveling at amazing images and hoping to someday capture them myself. When I was 8, my father asked me to model for a new part of his photography business he was going to start. I got to be in his brochures for his new Pet Photography division. I decided right then and there that I would be a Pet Photographer.
Those brochures never went out. The business went other directions and I was “un-employed” before I was even old enough to work.
Flash forward many years (and many jobs) and I wound up working for my father. I convinced him to start up a Pet Photo division. He fell ill, the business closed, I got a job behind a screen in a cubicle. I worked my way up, helped build the company from 15 to 150 employees, then they laid me off.
I cashed in my 401k, went back to my old bartending job, got a digital camera and learned how to use it (I had grown up on film). I needed practice, so I began photographing the adoptable dogs at Chicago Canine Rescue. Oh boy, was that some practice. Noisy shelter & scared pups. It wasn’t easy, but I soon met my partner in life & business. We became a team and learned all about dogs, how to photograph them, and what Rescue was all about.
1,000 Rescue Pups later, we moved south and the Rescue moved north. We didn’t photograph their adoptables anymore, but we continued to photograph Halloween and Christmas events that benefited the shelter. We expanded those events to other venues and more holidays, including Back to School, Valentine’s Day and Easter. Now, we go on a 10-15 venue tour throughout Chicagoland, visiting various pet-centered businesses with our one-of-a-kind, hand-made sets (new every year!). We added #ParkPet Photo Sessions for Mother’s day and now we also do these mini-sessions for other occasions…one of my favorites is our Dog Days of Summer which invites people to come have their pups photographed at the beach.
Most recently, we’ve begun photographing cats! We’ve also gone back to our Rescue Roots and started a program to help animals that have been in a shelter over 60 days – we professionally photograph them to give them a better shot at getting noticed and going home with a family.
Has it been a smooth road?
Oh my goodness, yes, there have been challenges. There was no road map for what I wanted to do, so I just had to jump in and start doing it. Is there such a thing as “smooth” in business? I think the best businesses come from organic growth…those that pay attention to what people want and build their business accordingly. We LOVE our awesome customers! So, we just listen to them. I had no idea what Fetch Portraits would look like 10 years from starting it, but I love where we are now and I can’t wait for the next 10 years!
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Fetch Portraits story. Tell us more about the business.
Fetch Portraits exists to capture stunning images of your furry family members. We believe that everyone should have a Fetch Portrait, so we work hard to provide our services at all price points. Our services range from $35 to $200 (and up). We have photographed over 7,000 dogs! We also help raise up to $10k a year for local animal charities.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
The Pet Industry is likely to continue going exactly where it’s been going – nowhere but UP. Our pets are becoming more and more a part of our family and I expect that to continue. When we first started, many people laughed when we told them what we did. I also think people felt kind of funny telling their friends they had their dog photographed. These days people shout it from the roof tops! They love their dog and they don’t care who knows 🙂
Pricing:
- Holiday Events- $35 (Back to School, Halloween, Christmas, Valentine’s Day and Easter) – 10 minute session at area pet stores – (5×7 print is our gift to you)
- #ParkPet Photo Sessions- $99 (May – Mother’s Day, August – Beach Pups, September – Fall Colors) – 30 minute session
- Commissioned one-on-one Sessions – (starts at) $199 (at your home or the park or beach) – 1-1.5 hours
Contact Info:
- Website: www.FetchPortraits.com
- Phone: 773-456-3836
- Email: jennifer@fetchportraits.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fetchportraits
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FetchPortraitsPhoto
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/fetchportraits
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/fetch-portraits-chicago
- Other: www.PoseAPet.net
Image Credit:
Fetch Portraits
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