Pippa the Dachshund & Lexi the Collie X Samoyed - Canine Bluebell Photoshoot

A Bluebell Canine Photoshoot with Pippa & Lexi

April and May in the UK is a very special time of year. Many of the ancient woodlands are suddenly draped in purple-blue carpets of the Great British Bluebell! As far as the eye can see, these fairy-like flowers steadily bloom for a brief period of time. They grace us with their presence for as long as it takes for the canopy of the trees above to bloom and take their turn in soaking up the sunlight. The bluebells then return to their slumber again in preparation for the next year.

The models

This year, 24 week old (flying) sausage puppy Pippa took to the purple hues of a private woodland in the Essex countryside to do her best posing alongside her big sister, 11 year old Lexi the rescue. Both dogs had an absolute whale of a time! Running, sniffing, exploring, barking, playing and doing all the best things that dogs do! They made an incredibly willing pair of models, especially Pippa who is just a few months old!

Mini Shoots for Dogs

A mini shoot session like this one really is a glorified dog walk. My ethos about photographing dogs (and horses!) is that they don't really understand that photoshoot day is different to any other day of the year. So the best way to get results from them is to work around them - do things they're used to doing, and capture those beautiful candid moments. It's the most natural, happy and fun way (in my opinion!) to capture their dog exactly as you recognise them to be! And owners get to enjoy the time too.

Here are some of the photographs of the dogs in the bluebells. They are some of my favourite images I've taken to date, and working with Emma and her Mum Lizzie to capture their beautiful furry babies has just been so very special. I can't wait for Bluebell season next year, where hopefully even more doggies will have the opportunity to do their best bounding at my lens in the same way Pippa so willingly obliged!

The photoshoot results...