Behind the lens: Why I finally invested in a professional dog training photo shoot in Berkshire
- Sarah at Barkshire Dog Training
- Jul 15
- 6 min read
This time last month I was getting ready for something special, something that would finally bring to life how I work with clients, not just in words, but visually. After nearly five year of building Barkshire Dog Training, it felt like exactly the right time to invest in doing this properly.
Why now?
Nearly five years ago I started Barkshire Dog Training with a clear sense of purpose and a slightly less clear sense of what that would look like in the world.
I had experienced first-hand how the right trainer can change everything, not just for the dog, but for the owner. I wanted to help dog owners in Berkshire and Henley understand their dogs more deeply, building bonds that made everyday life feel easier and more joyful, supporting people through the quiet struggles that do not always get talked about.
What I had not yet found a way to do was show it in action. Over the years I have grown in confidence sharing my thoughts in words, topics and stories I hope help dog owners feel less alone, more understood, more capable. I moved away from traditional group classes two years ago, creating tailored one-to-one sessions, offering WhatsApp support between sessions, and checking in with clients who in that moment just need someone to ask: is this normal?
However, the visual side of showing dog owners not just what I do, but how I do it, and who I am while doing it, matters enormously. There is so much trust involved in choosing the right trainer for you and your dog, and after nearly five years, I knew it was time to change that.
Why I chose Kerry at Fur and Fables Photography
I did not want just any photographer.
I wanted someone who sees what I see. Who understands that the magic in dog training is not in the perfectly executed sit, it is in the moment just before, when the owner shifts their weight and the dog looks up and something passes between them that you cannot quite name but absolutely recognise.
I found that person in Kerry from Fur and Fables Photography, a talented professional I connected with through my network in the pet industry, all the way from Cumbria!
Kerry in action with the dogs (I took these!!)
Kerry's ethics and values are woven into the way she works: the patience, the attention, the genuine interest in getting it right rather than just getting it done. When I told her what I wanted to capture, not a polished staged version of Barkshire Dog Training but the real thing, the real environments, the real challenges, the real connection, she did not just understand. She was completely on board.
We talked about the unexpected moments that happen when you are out with a dog and owner, the opportunities for celebration that an owner might miss when they are concentrating hard on the training. The confidence that comes from feeling less judged. The dogs who are doing their absolute best. The moments where communication clicks and everything suddenly feels lighter.
Kerry held all of that in her lens during our shoot and turned it into something I am genuinely proud to share.
The morning of the shoot: an honest account
I'll be honest with you.
The morning of the shoot, I was nervous. Not the productive kind of nervous that sharpens you up and gets you focused, the other kind. The kind where you stand in front of the mirror and wonder whether this was all a slightly extravagant idea and maybe you could just take some nice photos on your phone instead.
I am not a natural in front of a camera. I find it much easier to chat away on video or to be behind the scenes, listening, observing, guiding quietly from the side. Being looked at is a different skill entirely, and it is not one I have spent much time developing.
But I had made the decision. It was time to let the world actually see how I support clients. So I showed up.
The shoot: real locations, real life
The shoot took place across several of the most beautiful locations in our area. Mill Meadows in Henley, Caversham Court Gardens and along the River Thames, all of which perfectly reflect the real-life environments where I work with clients every day. Riverside walks, open green spaces, the kind of settings that dog owners in Berkshire and Henley know and love.
Here is what I can tell you about working with Kerry: she makes you forget the camera is there.
Not immediately. It takes a little time, a bit of chat, a bit of moving around, a moment where you stop thinking about your arms and start thinking about the dog, and then suddenly you are just doing the thing and Kerry is quietly, brilliantly capturing it.
She kept me anchored to the goals we had agreed. When I got sidetracked, she brought me back. Not with direction that felt like direction, but with the kind of calm, steady presence that I recognise from my own sessions with clients. She created the conditions for something real to happen and then trusted it to unfold.
That is a skill. And it is not a coincidence that it mirrors exactly what I try to do with the dogs and owners I work with.
The clients who showed up
Kerry had put out a casting call ahead of the shoot, looking for dog owners who might want to be involved, to bring their dogs and their real-life situations and be part of something.
What I did not fully anticipate was how many of my own clients would want to take part.
People who had been on this journey with me. Owners who had contacted me wondering whether their dog would ever recall reliably, or who I had supported through those first few months of a puppy arriving, which can feel so much harder than expected.
Three dogs in particular made the day:
Tali, one of my very first clients, a Golden Retriever who joined me as a puppy when I was running IMDT classes. Seeing how far she has come is one of those quiet reminders of why this work matters.
Otis, a Dalmatian who has just turned one, who last year embarked on a puppy programme with me. Dalmatians are brilliant, energetic and wonderfully themselves. Working with Otis has been a joy.
Iris, a Border Terrier and current puppy client. We have been working with her owners to understand how to use her terrier instincts to make play far more rewarding than treats, and it is working beautifully.
They all gave up their Friday to come and stand in front of a camera in the name of Barkshire Dog Training. I genuinely do not have the right words for how that felt.
It felt like community. It felt like proof.
Does any of this resonate? If you have been wondering whether training could feel more like partnership and less like a battle, I would love to have a chat. A short call costs nothing and could change everything for you and your dog, to book your free discovery call.
What I hope these images show
This shoot was not about making me look good.
It was about creating imagery that shows what working with Barkshire Dog
Training actually looks like: unpredictable, joyful, sometimes challenging, always worth it. Real owners in real situations, making real progress.
Because if you have ever stood at the park gates and hesitated before going in because you were not sure how your dog would be, this is for you.
If you have ever come home from a walk feeling deflated rather than refreshed, this is for you.
If you have ever Googled something at midnight because you were worried you were getting it wrong, this is for you.
A proper thank you
To every single person who came on Friday, thank you. You gave your time, your dogs, your trust and your Friday, and what you helped create will show future clients exactly what is possible when you invest in understanding your dog rather than just managing them.
To Kerry, a separate and heartfelt thank you for seeing what I see. For holding the vision when I wobbled, for creating images that feel genuinely true to who Barkshire is, and for making one of the most uncomfortable things I have done in my professional life feel, by the end, like one of the best.
I hope these images speak for themselves.
Ready to start your own journey?
If any of these photos have sparked something, or if you have been thinking about getting support for you and your dog and have been waiting for the right moment, please do get in touch.
A short call is all it takes to start the conversation. We talk about where you are, where you would like to be, and whether working together feels like the right fit. No pressure, no commitment, just a chat.
Because the relationship you want with your dog? It is closer than you think.
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