Photographer excels in his pet subjects

Driven by his love of animals, Zhang Tianhang pursued a master's degree in photography at Nottingham Trent University in the United Kingdom even though it was against his parents' wishes.

His goal? To one day become a professional pet photographer.

"My family didn't support my decision to become a photographer, much less a pet photographer," he said. "They didn't think it was a decent job."

Zhang's parents have since changed their minds as their son is currently one of China's most popular pet photographers. His services are in such high demand that the 33-year-old is booked for jobs until 2022. The Beijing native said the first photography job he was compensated for was a shoot he did for a stranger he met in a park in the UK.

"This dog owner asked if I could take some photos of him and his dog. In return, he would fix my computer. After that I realized that I could actually make money from my passion," he said.

In 2010, Zhang launched his photography studio, Inpetphoto, in the UK. After graduating a year later, he decided to return to Beijing and take a photography job at a design studio. Despite having a full-time job, he continued offering pet photography services at the weekends, charging just 100 yuan for a simple photo shoot.

When demand for his pet photography services burgeoned, Zhang left his full-time job to focus on his company. Today, Inpetphoto has seven professional photographers and two studios in Beijing.

Hello kitty

The studio has taken photos of dogs, cats, rabbits, chinchillas and hamsters. There have also been requests to do photo shoots of pet snakes and pigs.

Zhang's rates have risen significantly, too. Today, he charges between 3,800 ($540) and 5,800 yuan ($830) per shoot, thanks in part to a boom in the demand for pet products in China.

According to Meituan Dianping, an on-demand services platform, the number of pet photo studios in China increased by 291 percent year-on-year last year.

Most of the customers were born in the 1980s and 1990s.

"The demand for pet photography is increasing and this is due to the overall expansion of the pet market. More and more people are now willing to hire a professional to capture images of their pets," Zhang said.

Evidence of the growing trend of pet photography includes camera and mobile phone manufacturers using pet photography to market their products.

Zhang said these companies have been approaching him to capture images of pets using their products.

Zhang conducts photo shoots indoors and outdoors. He also offers his clients various backdrop options, including traditional Chinese settings, garden views and seascapes. The 798 Art Zone in Beijing, the water towns on the lower reaches of the Yangtze River and cities such as Changsha in Hunan province, Chengdu in Sichuan province and Tianjin are among the most popular destinations for photo shoots by Zhang's team.

Zhang works with an assistant whose main role is to attract the pet's attention. He also gives the pets treats and plays with them to build a rapport.

"Pets are difficult to control. Besides having a good eye for photos, you'll also need a great deal of patience," he said.

Inpetphoto also offers workshops for pet photography enthusiasts. Over the past three years, the studio has held physical and online classes for more than 100 customers.

Looking ahead, Zhang said that he plans to set up studios in other Chinese cities, expand his list of locations for photo shoots and offer more training sessions for budding photographers.

"Today, pets are no longer just pets－they have become family members. For this reason, I'm confident that the market will continue to expand in the coming years," he said.