Beth, the owner of Marther’s Miniature Dachshunds, got in touch to arrange a photoshoot for her new litter of KC-registered miniature dachshunds. She wanted images that showed the puppies as they actually are, so rather than bringing them to my studio at Bentwaters, I photographed them at her home in Essex. Photographing Puppies at Home…
I photographed Bev and her dachshund at my studio at Bentwaters, near Woodbridge in Suffolk. The session was straightforward: a classic studio portrait using a dark background to let the dog’s coat and expression do the work. The Setup For this session I used a near-black backdrop and directional lighting to bring out the shape…
Debbie brought her dachshund to my studio at Bentwaters for a portrait session. It was a relaxed morning, and the dog settled quickly, which made the whole thing straightforward. Before the Session Before any dog session, I spend a few minutes letting the dog explore the studio at their own pace. There’s no point trying…
Ralph arrived at the studio with one thing on his mind: treats. Which, as it turns out, is exactly the kind of motivation that makes for a great portrait session. He’s a miniature dachshund with the kind of quiet confidence you don’t often see in a dog that low to the ground. Floppy ears, a…
My own dachshunds are the reason I ended up specialising in the breed. Frankfurter, known as Frank, and Chorizo, known as Rizo, have been around the studio long enough that I’ve had plenty of opportunity to work out how to photograph them properly. That turned out to be useful. Where the Specialism Came From Dachshunds…
Harper came in for a studio session at my Bentwaters studio, and from the moment she arrived it was clear she was going to be good in front of the camera. She’s a miniature dachshund, smooth-coated and composed, with the kind of steady temperament that makes portrait work genuinely straightforward. Getting Harper Comfortable Every dog…
Two sausage dog puppies came in to my Bentwaters studio for a portrait session, and it was a good reminder of why puppy shoots need a slightly different approach to adult dog sessions. Working with Young Dogs Puppies have a lot of energy and a short attention span. They want to explore, they want to…
I photographed two dachshunds at my Bentwaters studio recently, and it reminded me of something I notice every time I work with this breed: no two are the same. What Makes Dachshunds Good Portrait Subjects Dachshunds have a combination of traits that tend to work well in a portrait setting. They’re curious, which means they…
Three dachshunds in the studio at once. The goal was a group portrait — all three together — which sounds straightforward until you’re actually trying to do it. Starting with Individual Portraits We began by photographing each dog on their own. This is standard practice in any multi-dog session. It gives each animal time to…