Honour Sessions: Photographs That Aren't About Saying Goodbye
One of my favourite things about dogs is the way they look at their people. You know the look I mean. The one you get when you say their name, when they check where you are, or when you're sitting together doing absolutely nothing of importance.
It's something I love to photograph. And when someone contacts me because their dog has only a short time left, those are still the things I want to see: their expressions, their personality, the way they are with the people who love them.
Honour Sessions exist to make room for that. They're photography sessions for pets whose remaining time is limited, adapted around what they can comfortably enjoy. The circumstances may be difficult, but the photographs can still be full of life. A familiar look, an enthusiastic interest in a treat, a cuddle with their person. All of that still belongs to them.
The photographs aren't about saying goodbye. They're about remembering exactly what it felt like while they were still here.
A note about the photographs in this article: the dogs shown here were not photographed during Honour Sessions and are alive and well. I have photographed Honour Sessions, but those images remain private unless and until the families choose otherwise.
Why these sessions matter to me
Oscar is a huge part of why I do this work. He was fearful and reactive, unwell towards the end of his life, and so full of love for us at home. Knowing him taught me how much can be missed when people see a dog's difficulties before they see the dog.
Losing him changed my life. I left my traditional job to become a dog walker because I wanted to spend my days loving other people's dogs while they were at work. I deliberately wanted to walk elderly, sick and reactive dogs, the ones who sometimes needed more care or understanding than other walkers could offer.
Theo had come into our lives as a puppy before Oscar died, and I am so thankful we had her. She was also the reason I started learning photography. But Oscar passed away before I had learned to take the photographs I wish I could have made of him.
I have grainy phone photographs from technology that is now long outdated. I love those photographs because they're him. I also wish I had a beautiful, high-quality portrait that showed him as I knew him.
That is what the word honour means to me here: honouring exactly who a dog is, has been, and will always be to someone. Giving their human photographs that reflect that relationship, while there is still an opportunity to make them together.
What an Honour Session is, and who it's for
Honour Sessions are specifically for pets who have only a short time left. That may be because of a terminal illness, another serious health condition, or because they are approaching the end of their life.
A healthy senior dog, or a pet with manageable mobility limitations, can absolutely have photographs, too. My usual sessions already accommodate different ages, abilities and energy levels. Being older or needing adaptations doesn't mean you need an Honour Session.
What this particular offering adds is support for a time-sensitive situation: priority availability where I can offer it, shorter sessions, home visits where appropriate, and a session fee that is credited towards products at the viewing.
It is still my photography, with the same care for composition, light and the animal's personality. We plan the experience around their circumstances. You can read more about the wider philosophy behind my dog-led photography experience, but their comfort is the starting point throughout.
You're allowed to want photographs of them
One of the worries I hear most is that a pet will be pushed beyond what they can manage. Sometimes their human sounds almost guilty for wanting photographs at all, as though asking for something beautiful means asking too much of their dog.
You're allowed to want a photoshoot when your dog is ill. What matters is choosing someone who will work in a way that respects them.
Most people who contact me want something very straightforward: beautiful photographs of their dog to remember them by, and perhaps photographs with the family too. We can work towards that without expecting their dog to walk a long route, hold a pose or keep engaging with a camera when they'd rather rest.
Wanting to document your relationship is completely understandable. We will talk about what matters to you, then work out how to photograph it in a way your dog is comfortable with.
They lead the session. That is non-negotiable.
All my sessions are dog-led, and that is an absolute non-negotiable with Honour Sessions. We photograph only behaviours the dog is able and willing to offer, in the place where they are most comfortable.
If that means a small gallery of a dog lying down, that's fine. I'll be the one doing the moving around, changing my position and composition, finding different ways to photograph them while they stay settled.
A dog doesn't have to change position for every photograph to be different. There is their face, their paws, the surroundings, their human beside them. There is room to create beautiful images without asking them to keep getting up for me.
Breaks belong in the session. We can stop, let them rest, and adjust what we're doing to their energy. A shorter experience can be exactly right, and there is no need to stretch it out for the sake of producing a larger gallery.
If continuing isn't in their best interests, I stop. The photograph never matters more than the dog.
Your dog can stay where they're comfortable. I'll work around them.
If you're looking for a dog photographer in London, you can learn more about my work here. For an Honour Session, contact me directly so we can discuss what would suit your pet.
Your home is your home
The setting is led by your dog first, and your preferences second. I can be flexible about where and how I photograph them, provided they are safe and comfortable.
For some pets, that means being at home. And if we're making documentary or lifestyle photographs there, your home doesn't need to become a showroom. Authenticity is central to my work. The point is to document a time and place where they are there beside you, in surroundings that belong to your life together.
Their usual spot on the sofa, the bed they choose, or the corner of the garden where they like to sit can all have meaning. We can discuss the space and what is practical photographically, while keeping the pet's needs at the centre of the plan.
I have aphantasia, which means I can't call up mental pictures of Oscar. I can't picture him in my old room, or imagine how he would look cosied up with Theo and Troian now. The photographs I actually took are the only visual record I have of him.
That makes documenting their familiar surroundings especially meaningful to me. A photograph can show you the place, the details and the way you were together, all in one frame.
Or a place they already love
Home isn't the only option. If your dog enjoys being outdoors and can comfortably manage it, we can consider a meaningful location in London or Surrey.
That might be part of a favourite walk, a familiar patch of woodland or somewhere you've spent a lot of happy time together. We don't need to cover the whole route. A small, accessible area can give us plenty to work with.
We'll discuss the travel, terrain, and distances involved, as well as how your dog is feeling. The location should support the experience you want to have with them.
For pets who also need extra space from people or other dogs, we'll take that into account too. My No Dog Left Behind guide explains more about how I advocate for nervous or reactive dogs.
Tell me where your dog loves to be, and we can consider what would be comfortable for them now.
The way they look at you
Before a session, I ask what you would most like to capture. You know the expressions, habits and details that make your dog unmistakably yours, and I want to hear about them.
Perhaps it's how their ears sit, how they lean against you or what happens to their face when a favourite treat appears. It could be simply that look they give you, the one you see every day and would recognise anywhere.
I once read about a study looking at the way dogs gaze at their humans, and how that interaction was linked with increases in oxytocin in both the dog and their person. I remember it because it put science behind something dog people already seem to know instinctively: there is something in the way they look at us.
For the photographs, I watch for those looks when they happen naturally. There is no requirement to make eye contact with you or the camera. A dog resting beside their person can tell us plenty about their relationship too.
If illness or declining health has changed their appearance, we can talk about what you most want to recognise in the images. My approach to editing is simple: I enhance, never change. I want the photographs to feel like your dog, with all the details that make them familiar to you.
You belong in the photographs too
I encourage people to be included. Your relationship is a huge part of what we are documenting, and you don't need to know how to pose for it.
I photograph people with their pets in the same way I photograph dogs. No stiff posing or asking everyone to say cheese. I look for a frame or shape within the surroundings, then invite you into that space together, in whatever way is comfortable for your dog.
You can talk to them, sit beside them or share a cuddle if that's what they enjoy. I'll document how you naturally are together. We don't need to manufacture a meaningful moment when you already have a relationship full of them.
And there is room for humour. A dog can still be interested in the treat bag, have their opinions about what we're doing, or make their family laugh. Those moments are welcome here. The session doesn't have to become solemn because of the reason you booked it.
You can simply be with your dog. I'll photograph the connection you already share.
Availability, viewing and product credit
I do my best to prioritise Honour Session enquiries where circumstances are time-sensitive. I can't promise immediate availability, but don't hesitate to get in touch with me rather than assuming there won't be space. Tell me about your pet and the timing, and I'll be straightforward about what I can offer.
For an agreed Honour Session, the session fee is paid as usual and then applied in full as credit towards the products you choose at your viewing. I'll explain the fee, product prices and how the credit works before you book so that you can make an informed decision.
Afterwards, we'll arrange for you to see the photographs, taking care of how you're feeling. If you need time before you're ready to look at them, I understand. You can read more about what happens after a photography session for an introduction to viewing and choosing your photographs.
Honouring who they are to you
I want to create a beautiful, high-quality photograph of your dog that you can keep. Something that reflects the animal you know and love, and the life you've shared with them. Something I wish I had for Oscar.
The photographs aren't about saying goodbye. They're about remembering exactly what it felt like while they were still here: the look, the closeness, the small things that are so completely them.
If you'd like to explore an Honour Session, tell me a little about your pet, where they're happiest and what you'd love to document. Let me know if time is short, and we can discuss what is possible with their comfort at the centre of it all.
Honour Sessions: your questions answered
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A pet photography session created for time-sensitive circumstances where serious illness or declining health means their time may be limited. It offers dog-led photography, shorter sessions, appropriate location adaptations and priority availability where possible.
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Healthy senior pets and pets with manageable mobility limitations are welcome in my usual sessions, which can already be adapted around age, mobility and energy. Honour Sessions are for pets whose circumstances are time-sensitive because of serious illness or declining health.
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Yes, where appropriate. We choose the setting around your pet's safety and comfort, whether that's at home or in a manageable outdoor location.
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That's fine. They don't need to stand, walk or hold poses. I can move around them and change my composition while they remain comfortable.
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Yes. Their comfort leads the session. We take breaks, adapt what we're doing and stop if continuing isn't in their best interests.
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Yes. I encourage natural interactions with your pet, without stiff posing or an expectation for everyone to look at the camera.
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I do my best to prioritise time-sensitive enquiries where possible, but can't guarantee an immediate appointment. Contact me directly to discuss your circumstances.
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For an agreed Honour Session, you pay the session fee as usual. At the viewing, that amount is applied in full as credit towards your chosen products. I'll explain the costs and credit before you book.
