We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Katie Romig. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Katie below.
Katie, appreciate you joining us today. Let’s start with the story of your mission. What should we know?
People choose to hire a pet photographer for all sorts of reasons- bringing a new puppy home, celebrating a big win in the show ring, or just to have a nice portrait for their Christmas card! By far, though, the most rewarding sessions I offer are for end of life services. Working with old dogs, hearing their stories, and celebrating the joy they’ve brought to their people is when I feel like my work truly matters.
One of my first old dogs was Scout, a retired service dog who was the namesake and inspiration for Scout’s Legacy Service Dogs. He loved his job like no other and was still trying to support his handler during our session, despite being mostly blind and deaf. While Scout crossed the rainbow bridge just a few short weeks after, his legacy is carried on by countless teams who have been trained in his honor. The portraits we took are still front and center on the organization’s website, serving as a reminder of the one who started it all.
Another celebration session that stands out to me is Bella, an old Siberian husky. Her family initially reached out to me last October, but due to scheduling conflicts and weather, we couldn’t meet up until mid-January. Bella absolutely adored the sub-freezing weather and her people were troopers for meeting me in the cold! As we walked and talked between locations, I learned that Bella had originally belonged to my client’s mom, who had passed a few years earlier. She was her heart dog and was always by her side or snoozing in her pottery studio. In her words, “Bella is a tie to my mom, who seems so distant now. With other life events after the loss, I have learned the importance of photos.”
And I can’t talk about these sessions without mentioning Strife, the doberdude. He was one of the first dogs I shot when I was just getting my start, and his person had hired me several times since then- for show wins, for her other dogs, or just because Strife was amazing and she wanted the world to know it. My heart broke when she told me he had been diagnosed with cancer at barely 7 years old. It didn’t matter that I was busy, it didn’t matter that she lived five hours away- we would find a way to take photos of that dog. Those photos, as well as the previous portraits of Strife in his prime, decorate her house. They’re a reminder to appreciate the little things, to celebrate each moment, and to never take the future for granted.
Katie, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I describe my work as “priceless photos for pets & their people.” To me, that means that every part of the experience should be fun for both ends of the leash! I work with my clients to determine what kind of location will help their dog’s personality shine through, while also making sure the end result is what the client is looking for- someone who wants a family portrait to hang above the fireplace won’t be thrilled with action shots of their dog on a beach, even if that’s the dog’s definition of a great day.
One of the things my clients appreciate about my business model is the transparency. Often, the biggest headache with booking a photographer is the back & forth- what dates you’re available, what the cost is, how long until you actually receive the proofs, etc. I’ve worked hard to establish systems that make booking easy and turnaround time fast!
Where do you think you get most of your clients from?
My best clients are always referred by word of mouth! The great thing about working with dog people is the true sense of community- people stay in touch with their breeders, their rescue organizations, their dog park friends, and word travels! When my clients have a great experience working with me, they’re far more likely to share that experience with those networks. After all, who doesn’t love to see beautiful photos of your dog? That gets my name out there and keeps me top of mind for when those friends decide that they’d also love some new wall art or phone backgrounds featuring their best friend.
We’d love to hear about how you keep in touch with clients.
I keep in touch with my clients through social media. Everyone and their mom has an Instagram account for their dog these days, which makes it easy to stay in touch and celebrate with them! I love being able to wish my models a happy birthday or congratulate them on a new family member. This also makes it easy to host selective model calls- if I need to scout a new location or try out new gear, I can hand-pick previous clients who are easy to work with to help out. I get a well-trained dog, they get free photos, and we both get some shout outs!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.katieromig.photography/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/katieromig.photo/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/katieromig.photo
