Family Dogs / Surrey Family and Pet Photographer

Family Dogs

I love taking family photographs and I also love photographing dogs. That is why I recently started a personal project called Family Dogs, with an aim to document the relationship families have with their pet dogs. To kick start the series, I photographed a gorgeous cocker spaniel Lexi with her human family. We arranged our dog and family photo shoot near Leith Hill as the family lived close by and one of their favourite things to do in spare time was to go on long country walks.

Family portraits with pets

It was a warm summer day in late summer, with sunshine coming through the clouds but with rain looming in the distance. We started our walk at the bottom of the hill, walking up the gentle slopes, sun coming through the trees. This first part of the session provided some great opportunities for group shots, the colours of the dead leaves on the ground matching Lexi’s coat. It was lovely to work with the earhy colour palette. A part of the route up towards Leith Hill has some impressive tree roots which form an amazing pattern on the ground. I knew I wanted to include these in the photographs, so I positioned Lexi for a few dog portraits. I particurlarly like black and white versions of these photographs, the textures and patterns really come through. Once we were on top of the hill, I looked around for nice spots for some more family shots. The heather was in bloom and I wanted to include it in the photos. Often when photographing families with dogs, there is quite a bit of arranging going on. Either the dog doesn’t want to sit still, the kids want to run around or both things happen making it nearly impossible to take a group shot! On this occasion, by some miracle, the family set down and just as they did so (while also looking at the camera), Lexi came from behind and poked her head through a little hole in the middle. This is one of the rare unposed, unplanned photos which just happened and turned out amazing! It is one of my favouirtes from this family and pet photo session, probably because it was so spontaneous!

Dog Portraits

Finally, a dog photo session with an energetic dog like Lexi wouldn’t be complete without a few action shots. I got Lexi to run along the paths amongst the heather and she did so with such speed that my auto focus struggled to keep up. I love taking a variety of different shots which capture memories of our pets in different situations - while frantically running around, chasing a ball, playing with another dog or a family member, or having a quiet moment. Different moments take us back and awaken memories we thought we lost.

Family Photography with Dogs

If you live in Surrey and are interested in participating in my Family Dogs photography project, please get in touch - I would love to hear from you and photograph your family and your dog(s)!

Dog Photography Gift Vouchers

If you are looking for a different kind of gift for someone’s birthday, anniversary or Christmas present, then a photography gift voucher may be the answer. I offer 1h and 2h dog photography gift vouchers. You can add extra credit to the gift certificate, which can go towards digital files or prints, or leave it up to the receipient to choose what they’d like at the end of the photoshoot. Get in touch if you have any questions!

Surrey Family Photographer | Professional Family Photoshoot

December is wizzing past and Christmas is just round the corner. I have had a busy year with lots of wonderful photoshoots. Some of these have been with my existing, loyal clients who have supported me from the very beginning. Others have been with new clients who I hope to see again and again in years to come.

Relaxed Family Photo Sessions

My year has been marked by a variety of different commissions - a post-wedding photoshoot, newborn photo sessions, pet photography, christening event photography, wax figure photography. However, the majority of photoshoots have been family photo sessions. I absolutely love photographing families - I enjoy meeting and getting to know a family. The kids always bring fun and games to a photoshoot - there is never a dull moment! I like to keep things as natural as possible when I work, this keeps the whole family relaxed which in turn makes photos and people in them look natural. I occasionally give a suggestion for a game or activity but I often find that kids are the ones who beat me to it, and spontaneously come up with a new creative game.

Indoor and Outdoor Family Photography

The two photographs below were taken at a photoshoot a couple of months ago (I am a bit behind with my blog posts!), where I was commissioned to take photos at a big family get together. After a couple of hours taking photos of everyone outside in the garden, I came inside to pack up and take a few last shots of the kids. They started dancing and playing, and I managed to capture a few of these candid moments. These ended up to be some of my favourite photos from this session. Completely unposed, just kids playing, showing me their moves and toys, having the best time!

If you are having a family get together, or you would like some photos of your immediate family, please get in touch to discuss your requirements. If you would like to find out more information about my family photoshoots, head over to my family photography page.