As part of my photography school assignment—and also as practice for myself—I recently completed a reportage-style photoshoot at a small business. I wanted to document a real working environment, something authentic and close to home. That’s when I remembered my former neighbor, who, four years ago, started her own dog grooming business. I reached out to her, explained my project, and asked if I could photograph at her salon.
She kindly agreed, and after consulting with her colleague, we scheduled a time to meet and shoot at their salon. They even timed the session so that a calm and cooperative dog would be there—one that would be easier to photograph. I truly appreciated this attention to detail, as it made the whole process much smoother.
The atmosphere was welcoming and warm from the very beginning. Both groomers were incredibly friendly and open, and we ended up chatting throughout the session about all sorts of things—careers, life paths, hobbies, and, of course, dogs. While we talked, I quietly captured candid moments of them at work, focusing on the grooming process, particularly the de-shedding procedure they were performing on the dog.
The dog, I must say, was an absolute star. He not only behaved patiently throughout the session, but also seemed quite curious about the camera. He kept looking straight into the lens, which made for some truly heart-melting shots. There’s just something about a dog’s innocent gaze that can instantly bring a smile to your face when you view the photos.
The entire grooming process took around an hour. The dog’s owner had also been informed in advance that I would be photographing, and she was genuinely excited about it. She was happy to see her pup involved in something creative and even more pleased with the idea that the session might help promote the grooming salon.
As a thank-you for allowing me to photograph their work, I baked some cookies for the groomers. In fact, I made the very same cookies whose recipe I recently shared on my blog! (Here's the link to the recipe). It felt good to give something back, and it made the whole exchange feel even more personal and thoughtful.
Of course, no shoot comes without its challenges. One of the main difficulties was capturing clear shots of the dog, who occasionally moved quite fast. On top of that, the grooming work is quite dynamic—things happen quickly, hands move fast, tools shift constantly—so I had to be alert and ready. I used a fast shutter speed to freeze the action, but I couldn’t go as fast as I would’ve liked, because I was limited by my lens. The lowest aperture I had was f/4.5, which meant I needed more light than I had in the salon.
I shot everything using a 24–70mm lens, which turned out to be a great choice for this environment. It gave me the flexibility to move around freely and capture both close-up details and wider shots showing the whole scene. That kind of versatility is especially useful in reportage photography, where the moments unfold naturally and unpredictably.
After the shoot, I went through the images and selected some of my favorite shots to share. I think they do a good job of reflecting not only the grooming process itself, but also the personalities of the groomers and the charm of the dog. There’s something special about documenting real people doing what they love—it adds depth to the image and tells a more meaningful story.
I’m sharing a few of those selected photos below. I’d love to hear your thoughts or any constructive feedback. What do you think? What kind of feelings or thoughts do these images evoke for you?
