Sue Dudley, 46, is a pet photographer from Great Malvern, Worcestershire. Her business,Malvern Phodography, offers several packages, where pets can be photographed in their natural environment.

Over the past two years Sue has photographed lots of pet dogs, and a few cats and horses along the way too.

Recently, she worked with Worcestershire Animal Rescue Centre, capturing the spirit of each dog in need of a loving home.

Thanks to her incredible images, the rescue shelter has gone from re-homing three dogs a month to three to four dogs per week.

“I was chuffed to bits when I heard the great news. I’m sure my photography can’t be the only reason for the increase, but the fact that it may have been a contributing fact makes me so happy,” says Sue.

Ben Sargeant, manager at Worcester Animal Rescue Centre said:

“About three months ago we decided to improve the quality of photos we use to advertise our animals. We were approached by Sue from Malvern Phodography, who kindly offered to take all the photos of our cats and dogs for free.

“The difference has definitely been noticeable. Nearly everyone who visits the shelter comments on the lovely pictures of our animals, which helps them find their forever homes. Some new owners even request copies of the pictures Sue has taken of their new dog or cat.”

Pictured left: Pip the Lurcher, who was recently re-homed by Worcester Animal Rescue Centre. “This was taken with my Canon 7D DSLR and Canon 70-200mm f/2.8 IS II lens. I used a squeaky toy to get her attention and got this beautiful shot,” says Sue.

Pip, a Lurcher, was a long-term resident at the rescue centre until his portrait captured the hearts of his new owners. His new family has kept Ben updated on Pip’s escapades in his new home.

“Pip was a friendly chap who, after unsuccessfully trying a couple of homes thanks to his unhealthy love of cats, has finally found his forever home. Apparently he loves lounging on the couch and allegedly can open any door when driven by his appetite to steal any food in sight,” says Ben.

How to Capture a Top Dog Picture

Sue uses a few props to capture her pet pictures. Her best shots are the ones that express the animal’s emotions.

“With the shelter dogs, I get a head shot and a sideways on whole body shot. The head shot shows off their lovely face and the body shot gives people an idea of their build and size. I always carry a ball or a squeaky toy of some kind as you can get a really nice expression from the animal,” she says.

“Cats are a bit more challenging as they’re situated in small runs. I’m often found curled up on the floor amongst the cat litter, holding a camera with one hand and waving a toy with the other.”

For the beautiful rescue centre images and her regular photo shoots, Sue adopts a shallow depth of field style.

“The photos I take are usually quite close up, so the eye is really drawn to the animal’s expression. I do some environmental stuff as well, so you get a beautiful backdrop. But what I really look for is the joy in the dog’s face,” she adds.

Where it all Began

Sue’s passion for photography started at a young age, with a makeshift dark room at home.

“My experience with photography started as a hobby when I was a teenager with one of the old dark rooms in my bathroom,” she says.

“I then gave up for a few years while I had a career as an officer in the Royal Navy. A few years ago, my husband Stephen  bought me a Canon 450D DSLR camera. As soon as it was in my hands I got straight back to taking pictures and it progressed from there.”

Sue loves taking pictures of her dog Pippin, a six year old cross breed she adopted from Hereford and Worcester Animal Centre in 2007.

Pippin came from an abusive background, and the centre believes she was once thrown from a car. But she’s recovered well and is now quite the star.

Pippin has even appeared at Crufts, showing off her trick skills. She also enjoys flyball, the dog equivalent of a relay race that involves catching tennis balls.

“I started entering pictures of Pippin into contests such as the annual Tailwaggers Photographic Competition by Dogs Today magazine.

“I captured this shot as she leapt up to catch her ball – it was purely down to good timing. This won me the competition and the magazine published it in their July 2010 addition.”

How to Capture a Top Dog Picture

Sue uses a few props to capture her pet pictures. Her best shots are the ones that express the animal’s emotions.

“With the shelter dogs, I get a head shot and a sideways on whole body shot. The head shot shows off their lovely face and the body shot gives people an idea of their build and size. I always carry a ball or a squeaky toy of some kind as you can get a really nice expression from the animal,” she says.

“Cats are a bit more challenging as they’re situated in small runs. I’m often found curled up on the floor amongst the cat litter, holding a camera with one hand and waving a toy with the other.”

For the beautiful rescue centre images and her regular photo shoots, Sue adopts a shallow depth of field style.

“The photos I take are usually quite close up, so the eye is really drawn to the animal’s expression. I do some environmental stuff as well, so you get a beautiful backdrop. But what I really look for is the joy in the dog’s face,” she adds.

Where it all Began

Sue’s passion for photography started at a young age, with a makeshift dark room at home.

“My experience with photography started as a hobby when I was a teenager with one of the old dark rooms in my bathroom,” she says.

“I then gave up for a few years while I had a career as an officer in the Royal Navy. A few years ago, my husband Stephen  bought me a Canon 450D DSLR camera. As soon as it was in my hands I got straight back to taking pictures and it progressed from there.”

Sue loves taking pictures of her dog Pippin, a six year old cross breed she adopted from Hereford and Worcester Animal Centre in 2007.

Pippin came from an abusive background, and the centre believes she was once thrown from a car. But she’s recovered well and is now quite the star.

Pippin has even appeared at Crufts, showing off her trick skills. She also enjoys flyball, the dog equivalent of a relay race that involves catching tennis balls.

“I started entering pictures of Pippin into contests such as the annual Tailwaggers Photographic Competition by Dogs Today magazine.

“I captured this shot as she leapt up to catch her ball – it was purely down to good timing. This won me the competition and the magazine published it in their July 2010 addition.”

But it’s not only Sue who has a competitive side. Pippin loves competing in agility competitions and a couple of years ago was awarded the Gold Citizen Award from the Kennel Club, the UK’s largest dog training scheme.

It’s the Best Job in the World

Due to her success in so many dog photography competitions, Sue decided to take up pet photography professionally.

“I did a few dummy runs with colleagues’ pets. Each session went really well and I got some great feedback, so I started doing animal photo shoots on a paid basis,” she says.

Most pets are amazing creatures to work with, but if she had to pick her favourite Sue says dogs would win hands – or paws – down.

“I love photographing dogs, the more I do it, the happier I am. The best thing about being a pet photographer is meeting so many lovely dogs and their owners.

“Giving someone a lovely memento of their pet that will last forever and keep their memories alive can be very rewarding.”

Pictured above: Alfie the Welsh Collie, busy chasing his ball in West Malvern. “I photographed Alfie in summer with my Canon 7D DSLR Camera and 70 – 200 mm Canon f/2.8 IS II lens. His owner, James Hartin, had been bought one of my pet photo shoot vouchers as a present.”

Mastering the Art of ‘Phodography’

As with all types of photography, the art of working with pets is all about practice and dedication.

“Photograph as many different dogs in as many different situations as you can. Make sure you don’t just give the photographs to family and friends for feedback because they will always love your photos,” says Sue.

“A good idea is to put them on forums or get professionals to have a look if you can. Enter competitions and make sure you get impartial feedback from good photographers.”

 

 

Pictured above: Taff the Border Collie, eyeing up his ball. “I took this in November 2012 with my Canon 7D DSLR and Sigma 70-200 f/2.8 lens. I captured Taff posing in typical Collie style on his walk in Baughton in Worcestershire.”

To capture the animal’s personality, she also suggests trying to relax them before taking any shots.

“Just get them to do what they normally would on a walk, for instance play ball or Frisbee, chase a stick, or have cuddles and kisses with their owner. Eventually they will forget the camera’s there and you can capture the dog as they truly are.”