My story

It seems inevitable that I would one day be working with dogs because I secretly think my parents wanted a dog when I was born! One of my Christening presents was an Old English Sheepdog puppy. For fifteen years I grew up with Sally Sheepdog with many fun filled adventures along the way and, for good measure, one of the most embarrasing moments of my life (you’ll have to book a session for your dog and ask me about that if you want to know!).

After Sally Sheepdog we had a Border Collie cross, Pippa, and then, when I left the family home, I was without a dog for many years although my father had Flat Coated Retrievers and a Black Labrador.

I’d always been interested in photography, and even considered going to art college when I left school, but at the time a career in banking beckoned eventually leading into IT. Photography remained a hobby throughout those years and it wasn’t until I approached a milestone birthday that I started to wonder ‘what if?’. The lure of photography and working for myself, plus a desparate desire to escape the exciting (not!) world of IT compliance, won and after some essential photography business training I had the courage to hand in my notice and start my photography business full time at the beginning of August 2007.

Weddings and portraits followed before I realised, after a handful of dog portaits, that my passion was photographing dogs. I quickly dropped weddings and portraits as my dog photography grew in popularity and I started getting recognition and known for being a dog photography specialist, and have been so now since 2013. Over that time I’ve photographed several thousand dogs and built up an understanding of how to get the best out of dogs with all kinds of temperaments from shy, timid rescue dogs, through less well behaved family pets, to finely tuned working dogs.

I’m delighted to have had my work recognised with numerous awards, both national and international, and have supported local dog homes, animal rescue centres and national breed charities, raising several £000’s with fundraising portrait initiatives over recent years.

I feel very lucky and privileged to have a business and career that I love.

When I’m not behind the camera my great passions are food, watching my favourite football team, music, and spending time with our lovely Pointers, Molly Moo and Marta Beans, along with our recent addition, rescue Pointer Bramble Mouse. Oh, and gin!