Charlie the Yorkshire Terrier at Oakwell Hall, Birstall
Some dogs walk into a shoot like they own the place, like Charlie, a 10-year-old Yorkshire Terrier, who walked into Oakwell Hall with a strut it was impossible not to fall for.
Charlie's shoot was a gift. Sam and Simon's family booked it for them, which tells you everything about how much this little dog means to all of them. Ten years of walks, sofa claims and opinions about the postman deserve more than a phone snap - they deserve proper photographs, printed and on the wall!
For this photoshoot we headed to Birstall, to one of my favourite spots in West Yorkshire for an outdoor dog photo shoot.
Why Oakwell Hall works for dog photography
Oakwell Hall is a Grade I listed Elizabethan manor house in Birstall, built for John Batt around 1583. It's one of those places that still surprises people, tucked down a lane between Leeds, Bradford and Batley.
It has a literary pedigree too; Charlotte Brontë visited in the 1830s and used it as the model for Fieldhead in her 1849 novel Shirley. More recently it's turned up on screen in Gentleman Jack and Wuthering Heights.
For a dog photographer like me though, the real draw is outside. The hall sits in around 110 acres of Green Flag Award-winning country park, run by Kirklees Council. Old woodland, open fields, period gardens and that honey-coloured stone give me a different backdrop every few minutes, without anyone having to get back in the car to travel to a different location.
That variety matters for small dogs like Charlie who don’t need to cover miles and can tire easily. We could move from woodland shade to open light in a short, easy walk, and keep him fresh and happy throughout.
A Yorkshire Terrier, photographed in Yorkshire
There's something just right about photographing a Yorkie on home turf - the breed was built here.
In the mid-1800s, workers from Scotland came south to the Yorkshire mills and brought their small terriers with them. Those dogs were crossed with local terriers to make a tough little ratter, small enough to get into the corners of a textile mill and brave enough to take on what lived there.
The dog who defined the breed was Huddersfield Ben, born in 1865 and owned by Mary Ann Foster. He was a show winner and a working ratter, and most Yorkies today trace back to him. The name "Yorkshire Terrier" became official around 1870.
Anyone who has lived with a Yorkie knows they have no idea they're small, and Charlie is no exception!
“We had such a lovely experience with Faye during our photo shoot with our dog! She was so friendly, and the finished photographs are beautiful.”
The shoot: Charlie and his people
As I always do with my doggy customers, I let Charlie set the pace, sniff the important things and settle before I picked the camera up properly.
Then I brought Sam and Simon in. I honestly think dog photo shoots with owners are where the real pictures live. A portrait of Charlie on his own is lovely, but a portrait of Charlie tucked under Simon's arm, or looking up at Sam are the ones that make me smile when I’m editing.
Rather than poses, I like to give you something to do with your dog; a walk, a cuddle, a game, and photograph what happens. I find this gives the best results and help people forget the camera is there.
With an older dog, these photographs carry extra weight. Nobody likes saying it out loud, but ten years goes quickly. Sam and Simon now have Charlie exactly as he is today, in a place that suits him, and with shots of them all together.
Dog photo shoot gift vouchers
Charlie's shoot started as a present, and it’s a good shout if you have family and friends who love to spoil their dog rotten, or even have a dog in advancing years. Not another candle or a voucher for something they'll forget to use, but an afternoon outdoors with their dog, and photographs they'll keep for the rest of their lives :)
If you've got a dog lover in the family, a dog photo shoot gift voucher is an easy win. I offer vouchers for outdoor dog photo shoots across West Yorkshire and beyond, including Leeds, Bradford, Ilkley, Halifax and the surrounding countryside.
Book a shoot or buy a voucher
Whether it's your own dog or a gift for someone else's, get in touch and we'll find the right spot for them.
