According to no less a publication than The Economist, a family paw-trait – pun very definitely intended – is now the most popular kind of photo on Instagram by three times to one.
Glancing beyond the austere world of economics, the esteemed publication felt confident in telling its readers that it wasn't at all surprised to find that Britons enjoyed pet photos. The British are, after all, Western Europe’s top dog-owners.
A survey of 2,000 of these pet owners revealed that the exact balance is nearly three times as many photos of these people's pets are posted on Instagram as of their partners, or even themselves.
How is this of interest to photographers?
Photographers might find it interesting for a couple of reasons, not least that there is another aspect of economics at play. Pet owners, or “pet parents” as some seem determined to call themselves, are an increasingly affluent group in the population, and some photographers have identified this fast-growing trend.
The Economist mentions London-based photography studio Pawtique, and Pawshot Studios which will take your dog to a famous location in the city (in a London cab, of course) for just £949 / $1270 / $AU1909. OK, that's the same price as a full wedding shoot for a lot of people, but pets have claws...
If you've talked to anyone about the costs of visiting the vets recently, it might not surprise you to learn that statistics make a connection between people able to pay for this kind of photography and the kind of people who own pets. Especially the ones keen to share a lot of pictures. In 2025, 49% of new cat owners had managerial or professional roles – more than double the average.
Across the population as a whole 16% of people have set up social media profiles for their pets (and you are over three times more likely to find that to be the case in posh London borough Kensington & Chelsea than in northern town Blackpool).
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