Pet portraits
Wild at Heart
A woodland portrait session with a British Lupine Dog
There are some dogs that immediately command your attention.
With his wolf-like features, amber eyes and striking silver-grey coat, this beautiful British Lupine Dog was certainly one of them. But what made this session particularly special wasn't simply how unusual he looked.
It was the opportunity to capture the different sides of his character – from quiet, composed portraits among the trees to the power and athleticism he showed when given the freedom to move.
His owner wanted the photographs to feel natural, so woodland was the obvious setting. Rather than creating something overly posed or polished, the aim was to photograph him in an environment that suited him: earthy, textured and a little wild.
Finding the portrait in the landscape
Woodland can be a challenging place to photograph. Light changes constantly beneath the canopy, backgrounds can quickly become busy, and photographing a grey dog amongst tree trunks and deep shadows means carefully balancing light, colour and composition.
But it's also incredibly beautiful when everything comes together.
The huge trunks, moss-covered fallen trees and rich greens and browns created a natural frame around him. His pale markings stood out against the darker woodland, while occasional shafts of sunlight picked out the detail and texture in his coat.
For some of the portraits, I kept things simple and allowed him to be still. Sitting against the enormous trunk of a tree or resting a paw across a moss-covered log, his expression could become the focus.
Those quieter photographs revealed something quite different from his imposing appearance. Up close, there was softness, curiosity and an incredible amount of expression in those amber eyes.
I never want an animal photography session to consist entirely of asking a dog to sit and look at the camera.
Movement is part of character too.
Once he was moving through the woodland, I could photograph another side of him entirely. His long stride and athletic build made him fantastic to capture in motion – particularly as he launched himself over a fallen tree.
Freezing that moment sharply, with all four feet suspended above the ground, created one of the most dynamic images from the session. The surrounding woodland falls softly away while every important detail of the dog remains beautifully clear.
These are often the photographs that require the most anticipation. Animals don't repeat a movement in precisely the same way for the camera, so I need to watch their behaviour, understand where they're likely to move and be ready for the fraction of a second when everything comes together.
As much as I love creating a beautiful portrait of an animal, some of the most important photographs from a session aren't necessarily the most dramatic ones.
They're the photographs of the relationship.
Among the individual portraits and action shots, we also made time for photographs of him with his owner. Sitting together beneath the trees, there was no need for anything elaborate. Just the two of them, close together, in a place where they could both relax.
Those images have a different value.
Dogs change. They grow older. Our lives move on. A photograph that feels quite ordinary today can become extraordinarily precious with time.
That's why I want to capture more than what an animal looks like. I want photographs that preserve something of who they are, and who they are to you.
This session is a lovely example of what I want my pet photography to be.
Not one particular pose. Not every dog photographed in exactly the same way.
Instead, I work with the animal in front of me and look for the things that make them distinctive: their expression, their movement, their relationship with their person and the way they interact naturally with the environment around them.
For this magnificent British Lupine Dog, that meant powerful movement through the trees, beautifully detailed portraits that captured his extraordinary appearance, and quieter photographs with the person he trusts.
Different moments. Different sides of the same dog.
Jess Adams Photo & Film creates natural, story-led pet photography, capturing animals and the relationships we share with them. Pet portrait sessions are available across Cheshire, the West Midlands and surrounding areas.