Mushroom at Esher Common – Dog Photography in Surrey with Heart, Humour and Golden Light
There is something quietly special about seeing a dog again, outside of the context you first met them in.
When I first met Mushroom, it was in a studio on a commercial shoot for Napo Pet Insurance. Bright lights, multiple backdrops, a busy schedule. And yet, even there, Mushroom stood out. Not because he was loud or demanding attention, but because he was so comfortable in himself. Confident without being pushy. Engaged without being frantic.
He showed off an impressive list of tricks that day – the kind you don’t learn unless training is something you genuinely enjoy – but what stayed with me just as much was the way his humans handled him. Calm. Ethical. Kind. Mushroom was clearly a dog whose needs were understood and respected.
But even then, beyond the tricks and the structure, there was a softness to him. A sense of humour. A spark that made you think, you would be very fun to spend a slow morning with.
So when Abby got in touch about an outdoor session, I already knew this was going to be a good one.
Not just because Mushroom is a four-year-old Keeshond with more fluff than seems biologically necessary – though that certainly helps – but because Abby and Ernest have built a relationship with him that is thoughtful, intentional, and rooted in trust. Deeply attentive to who their dog actually is, not who he’s supposed to be.
There is a stillness about Mushroom that invites you to slow down with him.
A dog who loves learning – and loves life
Mushroom, or Mush, or Mushu, depending on the moment, is a cheeky boy. Sometimes goofy. Often very funny. He knows a lot of tricks, and he performs them with a spark that tells you he’s not doing this out of obligation. He enjoys it. The thinking. The engagement. The shared language between him and his human.
Training, in this household, isn’t about control. It’s about connection. What stands out most isn’t how much he knows, but how much he likes knowing it.
You see it in the way Mushroom looks back at Abby, checking in. You see it in how easily he responds to her body language, the way his body softens when she speaks. You see it in the way he offers behaviours without being asked, as if to say, What about this one? Would this be useful?
That kind of communication doesn’t happen overnight. It’s built slowly, through consistency, kindness and a lot of shared joy.
An early start, for good reasons
To get the light we wanted, Abby left home early to meet me at Esher Common for sunrise. September mornings have a particular feel – cool air, low sun, a softness that disappears quickly once the day properly begins. The kind of light you have to commit to – the sort that rewards effort with something quietly magical.
The woodland was quiet, the heather just starting to shift, and everything felt muted in that gentle, in-between way that makes you lower your voice without realising.
Mushroom, meanwhile, was wide awake and ready to engage with the world at his own pace.
A dog who knows where he’s going, and doesn’t feel the need to rush. Want images like these of your own dog? Explore my Outdoor Sessions
A bond you can feel, not stage
Watching Abby and Mushroom together is one of those experiences that gently recalibrates your nervous system.
Abby is kind in a way that’s felt, not performed. Mushroom responds to her with the same adoration you see reflected back in her eyes when she looks at him. They train together regularly, and it shows – not in rigid obedience, but in how naturally they move as a team.
One thing that stood out during the session was how Mushroom handled being on lead around other dogs. Abby doesn’t allow on-lead greetings, something many people are surprised to learn is actually far kinder and safer for most dogs. On a lead, dogs can’t move naturally, can’t create space if they need it, and polite disinterest is often the most relaxed option.
Mushroom embodies that beautifully.
Rather than fixating on other dogs, he stays engaged with Abby. He’s interested, but not overwhelmed. Confident enough to focus on what he’s doing rather than what’s passing by. It’s a small detail, but one that says a lot about how thoughtfully he’s been guided through the world.
When dogs aren’t at their best – and that’s part of the story
Not every session happens on a dog’s “best” day.
Mushroom wasn’t feeling one hundred percent that morning. Nothing serious – just a slightly wriggly, gassy tummy that meant we needed to stay flexible and tuned in to how he was coping.
And that’s exactly what we did.
We slowed down. We let him set the pace. We laughed together when he needed to pause. We didn’t push for anything he wasn’t comfortable with.
Abby reflects on that in her testimonial:
“This was our second time working with Amie, and as usual, my dog and I both enjoyed every second! We wanted some professional photos of our dog, Mushu, in one of his favourite places (in the woods, surrounded by nature). We wanted to capture his natural look as well as showing off his goofy character, and Amie delivered just that!”
That intention – capturing who a dog is, not forcing them into something they’re not – is always the priority for me.
“Amie was professional and very patient with Mushu – he wasn’t feeling 100% that day (had a slightly gassy tummy, sorry again, Amie!) but she was flexible and rolled with it to capture beautiful portraits of our boy. (She even managed to get a photo of a steamy toot in the cold crisp Autumn air 😂 )”
Yes, there was a moment where a little cloud of steam appeared in the crisp autumn air. And yes, I managed to catch it on camera. Proof that real life has a sense of humour, even at golden hour.
“She didn’t push for anything our dog wasn’t comfortable with – his safety and happiness was always a priority during our session.”
That sentence matters to me more than any technical compliment ever could.
If you'd like to experience a relaxed, dog-led photography session that authentically celebrates your bond, you can learn more about my London dog photography sessions right here.
Moving at Mushroom’s pace
Mushroom is not a dog who rushes.
He likes to stroll. To sniff. To notice. To engage the world with all his senses. And honestly, that made the session better. There was no sense of time pressure, no need to “get through” anything.
As I often say, there’s no clock-watching in my sessions. They’re shaped around the dog in front of me. If that means we take our time, talk, wander and simply enjoy being out together, then that’s exactly what we do.
Mushroom was more than happy to engage when asked – often before being asked. He loves posing so much that he regularly popped his paws up on logs and stumps as we passed, offering himself up proudly.
So we wandered. We talked. Abby and I chatted easily between photos, discovering shared views on training, behaviour, and life in general. Two slightly chaotic, woodland-loving humans and one very fluffy Keeshond, easing into the morning together.
Always willing to offer a pose – especially if it involves a good stump.
A moment that became the image
There is one photograph from this session that has stayed with me more than any other.
It’s a posed image, carefully framed, intentionally created. And yet, it feels deeply true to Mushroom. Calm. Present. Self-assured. It’s now the hero image on my website, and the photograph Abby and Ernest chose to frame in their new home.
That framed image, sitting in their space, feels like the natural continuation of the session – not an endpoint, but a quiet reminder of who Mush is at this stage of his life.
Soft. Present. Full of character.
“She was very patient with helping us decide which photos to pick, and we couldn’t be happier with the ones we went with in the end.”
— Abby
Why this session mattered to me
On a personal note, I’ve wanted to photograph a Keeshond since I started. Mushroom did not disappoint.
But more than ticking a breed off a list, this session reminded me why I care so deeply about slowing down. About letting dogs lead. About trusting that the most meaningful images often come from moments of ease rather than effort.
Mushroom lives in that slow bubble of enjoyment that dogs do so well. He’s present. Curious. Content to move through the world with intention rather than urgency.
And spending a morning in that space – chatting with Abby, wandering through the woods, letting Mushroom set the tone – was a genuine pleasure.
Dogs like Mushroom show us that life doesn’t need to be loud to be rich. That connection is built moment by moment. That moving at the pace of trust changes everything.
And sometimes, if you’re very lucky, it also includes a visible toot in golden-hour light.
“If you are looking to have professional photos done of your dogs, we will always recommend Amie as we love her style, her professionalism and most of all her ethics when it comes to working with dogs of different sizes and personalities.”
“Thank you again, Amie, for capturing our Mushu in all his fluffy glory!”
A gentle pause, if this feels familiar
If this story resonated – if it reminded you of your own dog’s quiet rituals, their favourite places, the way time seems to soften when you follow their lead – you might enjoy exploring more of my outdoor dog photography sessions across Surrey and London.
They’re unhurried, dog-led, and shaped around connection rather than performance.
And if you’re holding the sense that this season matters, that your dog, as they are right now, deserves to be remembered with care and honesty, you’re always welcome to visit my portrait page and see whether a session might feel meaningful for you too.
No pressure. Just an open invitation.
