In the heart of the Otways you'll find Countrywide Cottages - the perfect getaway for dog lovers. Turn off your phone and prepare to fully relax - with bushwalks at your doorstep, bonfires in the front yard, and yabbies in the dam. They are more than just “pet-friendly” here - the lovely team at Countrywide Cottages are true pet lovers. They have fully fenced yards, dog beds, blankets, bowls and even home-made dog treats in every cottage.

Cooper and Kobe barked excitedly as they raced through Darebin Parklands. The two furry explorers had a knack for sniffing out the best trails and hidden spots in the park. Cooper is a Kelpie x Border Collie adopted from the RSPCA, who loves swimming in the river and snuggling on the couch with his humans. Kobe is a goofy Kelpie cross, adopted from K9 Rescue. He loves licking his humans and being told he is a Good Boy. Together they led the way, with Cooper's ears perked up high and Kobe's tail wagging eagerly behind, as they raced through the lush greenery. Their energy was infectious, spreading to everyone they passed on the trail.

In the charming world of dachshunds, there is a young mini named Stella, who possesses enough attitude to rival ten other dogs! With her distinct silver dapple coat and soulful eyes, Stella posed for Short and Sweet, my fundraising book dedicated to Dachshund Rescue Australia.

As Wally stepped into Williamstown Gardens for his autumn photoshoot, the vibrant colors of the falling leaves create a stunning backdrop that perfectly complemented his golden, curly coat. He wagged his tail excitedly, thrilled to be surrounded by all the treats, pats, and toys that come with being the star of the photoshoot.

This was such a fun session! Coco the Pomeranian had just turned one year old, so his pawrents celebrated with a special doggo birthday cake, Coco-cookies and a photoshoot. He was VERY pleased at all the attention, cuddles and - of course - the icing.

I met beautiful Gordon Setter, Dougal, and his parents for a session at Mt Eliza Regional Park on the Mornington Peninsula. A strikingly handsome fella, we spent the afternoon exploring the park and summer treated us to beautiful sunshine, bright yellow wattle and blue sky, which highlighted Dougal’s shiny black fur perfectly.

I photographed this gorgeous family of miniature poodles at their home in rural Victoria. Black poodle Abby had just given birth to her little puppy Luna, so she was a busy mama during our photoshoot. Brown poodle Tessa is a funny goofball who loves to play and mother/daughter duo Lily and Ruby proudly pranced in front of the camera showing off their toys and enjoying the treats!

This group portrait of the five poodles is actually a montaged photo with six different individual portraits! Check out the blog post to see the separate photos that were combined for the final shot.

Raven and Mushu are the most loving dogs ever. They make any bad day better as soon as I see their faces light up and their tails wiggling as I open the door when I get home!

I photographed these two gorgeous rescued greyhounds, Ben and Bree, for their Ragamuffin Pet Photography Session in Williamstown Gardens. Ben was adopted later on in his life, so naturally he was a little shyer in front of the camera - but after plenty of praise (and quite a few treats) he soon warmed up to the camera. His sister Bree was ready to model right from the get go - a sweet girl who clearly adores her furry brother.

Duffy and Murphy are two very well behaved, friendly girls who love their mum. They love the park, rides in the car and going to cafes together (they even get their own poached eggs on Sundays!)

Duffy is quite the little general at home, she has a schedule and gets annoyed if you’re not sticking to it. She LOVES people and her ideal job would be Bunnings Doggy Assistant. Murphy is a more a gentle, nervous Mummy’s girl. She’s a total treat pig (hungry hungry hippo)!

We were a little apprehensive before adopting Lola, worried that we could not love her as much as Tyrone, that they would not get along and that to fully bond, we needed to meet her in puppyhood. I could not have been more wrong…

Harry is a sweet, rescued nine-year old Dalmatian who is totally obsessed with his Mum and Dad. I met them in Albert Park for his photoshoot and despite some underlying anxiety issues, Harry did SO WELL! We took things slowly for this gorgeous boy and with a combination of treats, balls and cuddles with his people, Harry became a total superstar. We rewarded him with a walk along the (very windy!) Port Melbourne beach at the end of our session - cue some crazy shake shots and wild windy ear flapping!

I photographed this gorgeous pair of labrador puppy brothers together in Williamstown Gardens. Mervyn, the choccie boy is the sweetest puppy and was much quieter than his brother! He didn’t take long to warm up to the camera though, and was soon wrestling with Lincoln!

Lincoln, the golden brother, is an energetic, focused little guy who doesn’t miss a beat (especially if you have a snack!). He is the first to get the thrown toy which is often intercepted on the return by Merv. Trouble, the pair of them and it is the best!

“Obsessed with food, Boofa loves living in Brunswick because he gets to come to brunch a lot.

He means everything to me. He’s been with me for eleven years, through a lot of ups and downs. Always right besides me, whether I’m happy or sad, healthy or unwell, Boofa will cheer me up with his big brown eyes and snorts.”

I photographed Akira and Zeke, two gorgeous Finnish Lapphunds, during their stay at Countrywide Cottages. These two muppets had a great time exploring, playing and sniffing all around the bush and they were both a total joy to photograph (Zeke, in particular, fancied himself to be a bit of a supermodel!)

I photographed Sherman and Bernie during their stay at Countrywide Cottages. These two senior souls were adopted together - before coming into rescue, they had been relegated to the backyard, never coming inside the house, let alone taken out to explore the world.
Well! These days life sure is different for Sherman and Bernie. They are totally adored by their adoptive furparents, Leesa and Henry, who take them on all sorts of adventures. It was so heartwarming to see the boys having the time of their lives during their stay in the Otways - so much running, cuddling, playing and exploring to do!

A few weeks after this session, Archer lost her battle with the tumour taking over her body. But the day of our photoshoot wasn’t a sad one - we spent a happy, funny, sunshine filled afternoon exploring Archer’s favourite creek with her furry brothers and beloved humans. This girl was spoilt to the max, adored beyond belief and the happiest of happy labs…

I photographed this gorgeous bichon frise duo Dazzle and Cara along with their feline brother Hudson in their beautiful Melbourne home. Dazzle is the older boy, at nine years old. He loves sitting on top of the lounge cushions, looking very regal! Younger Cara (five years old) has a cheeky streak and enjoys her liver treats and a good bark! Hudson is a patient 13-year old Rag doll cat who quietly rules the house.

I first photographed Molly around five years ago, designing her own Ragamuffin mini album from the session. Now that her bouncy little sister Charli has joined the family, it was time to update the family photos and create a special Charli album!

We headed to Port Melbourne on a bright and sunny day to capture the girls jumping, playing and posing all over the park. Even though it was mostly a shoot for Charli, Molly obviously had to make a few cameo appearances - my favourite photographs from the session are of the two sisters together. Especially the sweet kissing ones - cuties!

The Cresp family home has a beautiful gallery wall of framed family photographs decorating the hallway. The only problem? One of their three kids was conspicuously absent from the photos!

Obviously we had to fix this ASAP! We organised a Pocket Session in Williamstown Gardens and now we have two beautiful framed portraits for the hallway, that both include their youngest child (who just so happens to be a six year old Cairn Terrier named Teddy).