All Posts

If you’re looking for a pleasant, relatively easy dog walk around the eastern edge of Oxford, this walk from Horspath to the foot of Shotover Hill is well worth discovering. At just 1.9 miles, and taking us around 40 minutes at a leisurely pace, it’s not a challenging walk. Instead, it is the sort of route that is perfect when you want to give your dog a good outing without committing to a long hike. We walked with Nellie Noodle, and the route turned out to be particularly en

A panoramic view of the Thames near Sandford If you’re looking for an easy dog walk near Oxford with beautiful riverside scenery, open countryside and somewhere pleasant to stop for lunch afterwards, the circular walk from Sandford-on-Thames is well worth considering. We started our walk at The King’s Arms at Sandford Lock, a riverside pub just a few miles from central Oxford. Despite being so close to the city, the walk quickly feels surprisingly rural, with the River Thames

There are walks where the destination is the attraction, and then there are walks where part of the pleasure comes from simply wandering and seeing where a path takes you. Brasenose Wood, on the edge of Shotover Country Park in east Oxford, is very much the latter. Tucked away behind the busy Oxford Ring Road, this relatively small area of woodland feels surprisingly peaceful once you have left the traffic behind. The ground is largely level, the paths are generally easy unde

Far reaching views across Oxfordshire from Watlington Hill If you’re looking for a beautiful dog walk in Oxfordshire with wonderful views, varied countryside and plenty of wildlife, Watlington Hill is well worth exploring. Managed by the National Trust, Watlington Hill sits on the Chilterns escarpment and combines ancient yew woodland, open chalk grassland, scrub and far-reaching views across the Oxfordshire countryside. Red kites are a particularly common sight overhead, whi

One of the beautiful views across Oxfordshire from Shotover Country Park There are some places you return to time and time again without ever really tiring of them. For me, Shotover Woods is one of those places. I have been walking here for 40 or 50 years, and I still love coming back. There is something wonderfully peaceful about the woodland, with its dappled light, birdsong and winding paths, while just beyond the trees are beautiful views across the Oxfordshire countrysid

Walking your dog should be an enjoyable part of the day, but if your dog spends most of the walk pulling towards other dogs, people, smells or interesting places, it can quickly become tiring and frustrating. The good news is that lead pulling can often be improved with patience, consistency and an understanding of why your dog is pulling in the first place. Every dog is different, so there isn’t one technique that works for every dog. But these five approaches are a useful p

There is something special about photographing an animal in a place that already means something to them. For a dog, it might be their favourite walk, the garden where they spend their days or a familiar spot beside their owner. For a horse, it could be their stable, paddock, yard or the fields where they have spent countless hours together. These familiar surroundings can make a photography session feel less like a photoshoot and more like simply spending time together. Fami

It’s about personality, not perfection

We take photographs of the people and animals who matter to us because we want to remember them. Yet when life is busy, it can be surprisingly easy to keep putting it off. There will always be another walk, another weekend, another opportunity to take some photographs. But our animals don’t stay the same forever. They grow older. Their faces change. Their movement slows. And eventually, however much we wish it could be otherwise, there comes a time when we have to say goodby

When photographing animals, I believe the best images often happen when we allow them to simply be themselves. That is one of the reasons I choose to work almost exclusively with natural light. Animals can be sensitive to unfamiliar surroundings, sounds, smells and equipment. A bright flash, unfamiliar lighting or the sudden movement of photographic equipment can potentially distract or unsettle them. My priority is therefore to create an environment where your dog or horse f

A great pet photograph doesn’t begin with a camera. It begins with making sure your animal feels comfortable, relaxed and happy. Every animal is different, and some will be naturally confident around a camera and a new person, while others may need a little more time. The key to a successful photography session is not rushing that process. 1. Allow plenty of time Time is perhaps the most important ingredient in relaxed pet photography. There should be time for your animal to

Pets are more than just animals; they are family members who share our lives, bring joy, and offer unconditional love. As time passes, these moments with our beloved dogs or horses become precious memories. One of the best ways to preserve these memories is through a professional photo shoot that creates stunning wall art you can cherish for years. Beyond the final images, the experience itself offers a unique opportunity to deepen the bond with your animal companion. This po