Tell Tails Photography

02/06/2026

People often ask if it’s hard photographing rescue dogs.

Sometimes, yes.

Some have had a rough start. Some are confused. Some are frightened. Some arrive with huge feelings and no idea where to put them.

But then you see them start to relax. You catch the photograph that really looks like them. You later hear they’ve been adopted.

And that is exactly why I keep doing it.

For 10 years, I’ve had the privilege of photographing dogs who are waiting for their next chapter.

I never stop hoping each photo helps that chapter begin. Cooper here has found his forever sofa. With a face like that I'm not surprised!

If you'd like photos like this of your pet, please get in touch. My details are below and I'd love to talk to you about it.

07969 109974
[email protected]
www.telltailsphotography.com

30/05/2026

Photographing rescue dogs also means seeing the work that goes on behind the scenes.

The patience. The care. The cleaning, feeding, walking, training, comforting, assessing, worrying and hoping.

A rescue centre isn’t just a place where dogs wait for homes. It’s where people work incredibly hard to give them the best chance of finding the right one.

My part is only a small part, but I’m very proud to have been doing it for The Diana Brimblecombe Rescue Centre for the last 10 years. I'm also very grateful that two of my border collie girls over the years have come from DBARC. DBARC do an amazing job and without them, I would have been without Meg and Indi.

Do get in touch if you'd like photographs taken to capture the personality, energy and love of your pet. We can have a chat and talk about what you're looking for so that I can tailor your shoot to your expectations.

Meg sadly is no longer with me but both she and Indi have had so many photographs taken of them. I really don't know which to share with you as it's such a hard choice.

07969 109974
[email protected]

www.telltailsphotography.com

28/05/2026

“Rescue dog” is not a personality.

It doesn’t tell you whether a dog is gentle, daft, anxious, bold, loyal, clever, silly, shy, busy, or secretly convinced they are a lap dog despite all evidence to the contrary.

That’s why the photographs matter, even if you're having a bad hair day.

They help people see past the label and look at the dog in front of them.

The eyes. The expression. The energy. The little details that make someone think, “There you are.”

That’s what I’m always trying to capture, whether it's at the rescue centre or photographing your pet in a private commission session with you.

07969 109974
[email protected]

www.telltailsphotography.com

26/05/2026

Some dogs shout for attention. Others barely whisper.

The quieter dogs can be the ones who need the photographs most. The ones who hang back, who aren’t quite sure yet, who need a bit of time before their real character starts to peep out.

Those are often the sessions that stay with me.

Because when a nervous dog gives you that first soft look, or lets a little bit of themselves show, it feels like a small doorway opening.

And that doorway might be enough for the right person to step through. The Diana Brimblecombe Animal Rescue Centre are brilliant at matching the right dog with the right human and building confidence with the pups. This is Blake who was really quite shut down. He found his forever home in 2019.

I'm used to photographing nervous or quiet dogs. It just means that we spend a little more time together, getting to know each other. It might also mean a longer lens if they really struggle but we usually work through their worries and get happier looking images than this one of poor Blake!

07969 109974
[email protected]

www.telltailsphotography.com

23/05/2026

Some rescue dogs need absolutely no encouragement.

They arrive with jazz hands, full-volume tails, and a face that says, “Yes, I am available for bookings.”

These are the dogs who launch themselves into life, usually at speed, and often in several directions at once.

They’re brilliant to photograph because their character is right there on the surface. The job is just to catch it before they’ve disappeared off after a leaf, a ball, a biscuit, or something only they can see.

Rescue dogs come with so many different stories, but they also come with huge personalities.

And sometimes, gloriously ridiculous ones. This is Bonnie from 2020. She not only showed her personality while running but just look at that portrait - full of character!

Because I capture action photographs, these characterful images are the ones that I present to my clients. I love capturing that look, or that reaction which portray their personality to the T. Do give me a ring to chat about how we can do that for your pet.

07969 109974
[email protected]

www.telltailsphotography.com

21/05/2026

Not every rescue dog arrives ready to pose.

Some are worried. Some are overexcited. Some would rather sniff everything within a five-mile radius than look at me. Fair enough, really.

So the session works around them.

There’s no pressure, no forcing, and no expectation that they’ll sit beautifully and gaze into the lens like a seasoned model. The best photographs usually come when the dog relaxes and starts to show a bit of who they are.

A glance. A play bow. A tiny bit of trust.

That’s the bit I’m looking for. This is Polly who I photographed at the Diana Brimblecombe Animal Rescue Centre a week or so ago. She and her sister were very nervous and so I employed a long lens, made myself small and lay on the floor. Eventually she gave me this....

07969 109974
[email protected]

www.telltailsphotography.com

19/05/2026

A good photograph can make someone stop scrolling.

For a rescue dog, that can really matter.

It might be the photo that makes someone click to read more. The one that shows the softness behind the nerves, the mischief behind the eyebrows, or the joy behind the tennis ball obsession.

Photographing rescue dogs isn’t about making them look perfect. It’s about showing them as they are, in the best possible light.

Because somewhere out there, the right person might be waiting to recognise them. This is Hannah who found her forever home in 2020.

07969 109974
[email protected]

www.telltailsphotography.com

17/05/2026

Last day of the Caversham Arts Trail today. Come visit us at Venue 18!

16/05/2026

Favourite photographs are meant to live on a wall, not a screen.

I love how this framed piece feels calm and full of movement at the same time… the flying tail, the soft tones, that little moment frozen forever.

This is why I encourage my clients to invest in wall art.

A favourite horse.
A favourite memory.
Part of your home every day.

Come and visit me for the last day of the Caversham Arts Trail tomorrow at venue 18. If you can’t make it, feel free to drop me a line or call to discuss how we can create images like this for you and your pet.

07969 109974
[email protected]
www.telltailsphotography.com

15/05/2026

This is why I have the photographs I create printed and framed into wall art.

Images like this demand wall space, not hard drive space.

Do get in touch for a no obligation chat about photographs of your special pet to adorn your home and smile at every day.

07969 109974
[email protected]

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