Pet lovers splurge on professionally-taken pictures
By GLADYS TAY
Metro, 3 Apr 2008

JOHOR BARU: Do you know there are people who have professionally-taken pictures of not just themselves, but their pets as well.

These pet lovers have the photos taken for remembrance, and fork out hundreds of ringgit to photo studios.

For 34-year-old Stephanie Sim, her pet shih szu named Nickie is her “precious gem” which she raised since young.

“I was afraid of dogs, but Nickie’s friendliness and gentleness made me change my mind,” she said, adding that her dog was two years old.

Sim said she was supposed to help a friend send Nickie to someone who wanted a puppy, but instead kept the adorable creature.

Besides pampering the dog with good food and sending it for grooming, Sim spent RM600 for a photo shoot.

She said she had always wanted to have Nickie’s pictures taken and was excited when she learnt about a pet photo-shooting service in Taman Johor Jaya, Johor Baru.

“We do not get to keep our pets for as long as we live because they have short life spans.

“The pictures are for remembrance of the wonderful time I have had with my pet,” she said.

Sim said that many of her friends thought she was out of her mind to spend so much money on her pet, but she thought it was worthwhile.

“The day before the shoot, I took Nickie to a grooming studio and bought two pairs of children’s clothing for her to wear,” she said.

She said she took an indoor photo package and would consider an outdoor session soon.

Another dog lover, Lau Pei Fang, splurged on a similar photo shoot for her miniature schnauzer.

The 31-year-old said it was difficult for her to take pictures of her pet with home cameras.

“We have to be very patient as they won't stop moving, so the skills of a professional photographer are needed,” she said.

Lau said the session took three hours and she picked 25 photos from 200 taken for her album.

Memorable: Sim and Nickie, her two-year-old tzi shu.

Homely: A hamster in its house.

Adorable pair: Lau with her four-year- old miniature schnauzer.

Photo studio owner Ivy Tam, 31, said the smaller the animal, the harder it was to take good pictures, as they were hard to control.

Tam, who started the business in November last year, said she was confident that more animal lovers would want to keep memories of their pets alive.

“As an animal lover, I have a special bond with my pets,” she said.