Meeko the Rescue Akita at Golden Acre Park — an Autumn Dog Photo Shoot in Leeds
Meet Meeko
Some dogs walk into a shoot and own it. Meeko is one of them — a rescue Akita with the kind of quiet presence that makes a photographer's job easy - right up until a squirrel shows up!
Meeko lives with Francesca and Dave, and this shoot was a gift from Francesca's mum - time outdoors together, laughing at the amount of squirrels (it was unbelievable) and photographs of the three of them that will hang on the wall for years.
We met at Golden Acre Park in Leeds on a golden autumn day with all the lovely colours starting to come through.
Golden Acre Park, Leeds
Golden Acre Park sits on the Otley Road at Bramhope, on the northern edge of Leeds, and it's run by Leeds City Council. It's one of my favourite spots in West Yorkshire for outdoor dog photo shoots — handy for Leeds, Bradford and Otley, with the lake, woodland paths and open ground all in one place, plus the amount of plants, shrubs and trees mean it looks fabulous all year round.
It also has a gloriously daft history. In 1932 it opened as an amusement park meant to rival Blackpool Pleasure Beach, complete with a miniature railway, motorboats on the lake, the biggest dance hall in Yorkshire and an open-air pool called the Blue Lagoon. It closed after the 1938 season, the council bought the land in 1945, and it was relandscaped as the botanical gardens and parkland it is today. Look closely and you can still find the old pool steps.
In autumn, the place earns its name. The trees around the lake turn copper, gold and rust, the light goes soft and low, and everything photographs beautifully. It's also, as Meeko discovered, squirrel headquarters.
A bit about Akitas
The Akita comes from the mountains of northern Japan and takes its name from Akita Prefecture, where it was bred as a hunting dog from around the 17th century. Big, double-coated and built like a small bear, it's a breed that commands a bit of respect.
It very nearly didn't survive. By the end of the Second World War there were only a handful of pure Akitas left in Japan, and enthusiasts worked to rebuild the breed. Japan had already named it a national monument in 1931, and it's still a symbol of good health and good fortune there. If you know one Akita story, it's probably Hachikō, the dog who waited at a Tokyo station for his owner every day for years after he died.
That loyalty is the breed in a nutshell. Akitas are devoted to their own people and often reserved with everyone else, which is worth knowing as a photographer. You don't rush an Akita. You give them space, let them decide you're alright, and the trust shows in the pictures.
A rescue Akita is a dog who has had to learn to trust all over again. Seeing Meeko so settled and sure of herself with Francesca and Dan said everything about the home she's landed in.
Give a dog photo shoot as a gift
If someone you love is daft about their dog, a dog photo shoot gift voucher is the present that actually means something. They get an outdoor session somewhere beautiful in Yorkshire, time with their dog and their people, and fine art prints made to last.
Vouchers make a lovely Christmas, birthday or anniversary gift, and the shoot can be booked for whichever season suits — autumn colour, spring blossom, summer heather or a crisp winter day.
If you're looking for a dog photographer in Leeds, Bradford or anywhere across Yorkshire, get in touch to book an outdoor dog photo shoot or buy a gift voucher.
