Creating the Full Family Portrait with Horses, Donkeys, Dogs, and All the Critters You Love

One of my favorite things to create for clients is what I call the full family portrait. This is the portrait that includes everyone who matters most in your home, not just the human family members, but also the horses, ponies, donkeys, pigs, goats, chickens, a big Tom turkey, dogs, cats, and any other critters that are part of your everyday life.

For a lot of families, this becomes the one large portrait they want hanging in their home because it truly feels complete... not to mention the fantastic story you can share about how it was made to anyone who visits.

At first, this kind of image can sound like a huge project. And to be fair, it definitely takes planning. But I have created enough of these portraits over the years that I have a few tricks up my sleeve, and the biggest reason they go well is because we do not just show up and hope for the best. We plan for it. That approach lines up with advice I’ve shared before, including talking through each animal ahead of time, choosing a safe familiar location, and having enough handlers available for the session.

The first step is talking through exactly who will be included. We go through each person and each animal one by one and discuss personalities, comfort levels, and how willing each animal is likely to be about participating. Some horses are perfectly happy standing next to dogs. Some dogs are not thrilled about a giant horse behind them. Some animals are easy together, and some need a little more space and strategy. Those details matter, and it is much better to think through them ahead of time than to discover them while everyone is already standing around in nice clothes.

Safety is always the first priority in a portrait like this. When you are bringing together human family members and multiple animals, especially horses with different personalities or animals that are not used to one another, it is important to think carefully about how the image will be built. In my earlier post on families with multiple pets, I recommended having a separate handler for each animal and paying close attention to fear, stress, or aggression cues so animals can be separated quickly if needed. That still applies here.

We also plan the location carefully. I like to choose a space that is familiar to the animals and large enough to safely handle everyone involved. In that earlier post, I wrote that photographing animals in their own world often helps them relax more naturally and reduces distractions, while also making it easier to think through practical issues like roads, other animals nearby, or whether anything needs to be put away before the session starts. For a full family portrait, that kind of planning makes a big difference.

Another thing we talk through ahead of time is what the image may actually need in order to work well. Sometimes everyone can be photographed together at once. Sometimes one or two animals need to be photographed separately and added in later during post-production for safety or practicality. Sometimes we need to discuss whether tack should be included, whether a halter is the safest option, or how each animal will be restrained comfortably and appropriately. The goal is always to create an image that looks natural and beautiful while also making smart decisions for the people and animals involved.

One thing I have learned is that this portrait is usually best done at the very beginning of the session. People are typically at their most patient right at the start, and the animals tend to benefit from a quick, organized plan before the session gets long. Once we get that full family image, any animals that do not need to stay for the rest of the session can go back to their stalls, paddocks, or individual spaces to relax.

Extra hands also make a huge difference. In my older post, I wrote about how helpful it is to have additional people available, because no one knows your animals like you do, and a separate handler for each pet is often the best practice. That advice absolutely carries over here. If we are photographing multiple horses, a dog, a donkey, and a few family members all in one portrait, having a couple of extra people nearby who are not meant to be in the final image can make setup much smoother and much safer.

I also come prepared with noisemakers, attention-getters, and whatever odd sounds are necessary to get ears up, eyes forward, or a dog to stop staring suspiciously over its shoulder. In that previous post, I mentioned bringing toys, treats, noisemakers, and even using animal-sound apps when needed. That is still very much part of the plan. Most of the time the behind-the-scenes making of the portrait is almost as entertaining as the portrait itself.

And even with all the planning in the world, I always leave room for the unexpected. Animals are still animals. They may shift, pin ears, make goofy faces, look the wrong way, or decide that today is a great day to have opinions. Sometimes those candid in-between moments end up being some of the best ones. So yes, we plan carefully, but we also stay flexible enough to work with what the animals are giving us in the moment.

I promise the result is worth it.

There is something really special about creating one portrait that includes the whole family exactly as it is right now, the horses, the ponies, the donkeys, the dogs, the people, and all the personalities that come with them. It is the kind of image that feels full in the best possible way, and for many families, it becomes one of the most meaningful pieces of artwork in their home.

It doesn’t matter what your family looks like, if you’ve been dreaming about a portrait that includes all of your family members, furry and otherwise, just know that it can absolutely be done. It just takes a plan, a little patience, and a photographer who is game to get it done.