POULSBO — It took one year and two dogs — Great Danes to be exact — to bring together the combined talents of Amy Holmes and J. Nichole Smith in opening a photo studio specializing in people and their pets.

The two first met when Smith purchased one of two Great Dane puppies Holmes owned. Holmes had realized that the pair — Olivia and Hooch — were simply too much for one person to handle.

“We hadn’t seen much of each other until she called and asked if I’d be interested in a business opportunity and it took 45 days from that conversation before we opened,” Holmes recalled as a 4-month-old dachshund named Cashew squirmed playfully in her lap.

Smith, who is a professional pet photographer, leaped at the opportunity to open a studio devoted to people and their pets.

“I started out doing regular portraits but I narrowed it down to pets,” Smith explained, noting that she is the official photographer for a high-end national pet supply retailer.

With the studio, people can bring their pets in and receive quality pictures in whatever setting they choose, she said.

“It’s all about the pets instead of the people and we do a consultation first to see exactly what people want,” Smith added.

Before the studio opened, the only time she could get pictures with her pets was during Christmas, Holmes said.

“It’s nice to be able to get pictures with dogs at two months and four months as they grow,” she explained.

More and more people are traveling with their pets and enjoying a myriad of different activities with them than in years past, Holmes said.

“Lots of people prefer to send out greeting cards with just their pets,” she remarked, citing a recent trend that moves away from the typical family portrait Christmas cards.

Smith said the sky’s the limit when it comes to the variety of photo options available for pet owners to select.

“Our packages start out at $39 but we can do anything someone wants done,” she said, noting that the studio is offering a 10 percent discount this month.

Dane & Dane also has a quality guarantee to ensure clients get exactly what they want, Smith explained.

In addition to providing services to pet owners, the pair is using its talents to help the Progressive Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) find good homes for pets in need of adoption.

“We’re working with PAWS to provide nice portraits of animals so they can get them adopted,” Holmes explained.

The pair also works with the Furrytale Farm on Bainbridge Island.