Much of my time has been taken up with Tails of Sydney recently so I’m going to share some outtakes from the first ten to keep my blog up-to-date. It kills me to have to keep my favourites under wraps but I’m saving them for the book which will be ready by the end of the year (if all goes to plan).

First up was Leo, you might remember him from his session last year. I chose him for this location – St Marys Cathedral – because I needed a dog that was bomb-proof and really obedient. He didn’t disappoint.

Next was Hendrix. We’ve known him for a few years through dog training and it was good to catch up with the little nugget again. His session was over at Watsons Bay where he drew a crowd of people that were very impressed by how well behaved he was.

Hunter was third and as an unknown I was slightly concerned that he’d struggle with all the distractions in The Rocks. I was so wrong though, I could not have asked for a better dog for that location. I passed on the name of Bruno’s agent before we parted ways, I think that boy is destined for stardom!

I told people with puppies and seniors that their dogs would be photographed early on in the project, so Buddy and Charlie were up next. They had their session at Federal Park which is a really beautiful park where these two crazies got to have a run.

Poppy drove all the way from Campbelltown for her shoot at Berry Island Reserve. She’s a beach babe so she was totally in her element there.

I had a commercial job after that so it was a week before I got back to Tails of Sydney shooting and Archie the Beagle had his turn. His session was at Centennial Park on a beautiful Friday evening.

I photographed Mint and Jazz last year as well and I knew they’d be perfect for a busy location like Mrs Macquarie’s Chair. We were lucky to get there early because we spent 30 minutes “queueing” for a spot to photograph them in front of the Opera House and Harbour Bridge – talk about a popular spot for photographers!!

After a few hiccups we finally got around to Diesel the German Shepherd’s session at Observatory Hill. He has a medical condition that prevented me from using treats to get his attention so that was a real challenge for me. Luckily he loves his incredibly grotty and flat football.

Speaking of challenges, photographing a baby Bulldog puppy at Bondi Beach on a sunny Sunday is definitely a difficult task! This was Sabra’s first public outing since her final vaccination and she was so calm and well behaved, she wasn’t the problem, the squealing passersby that all needed to pat the puppy were what broke my heart. I managed to bite my tongue and not swear at anyone which took massive self-control that day, believe me.

And last, but far from least, was Benji at Mardi Gras. He’s another one that drew a crowd. I guess I don’t go to crowded places very often so I wasn’t prepared for heaps of people standing around the dog I was photographing with their phones pointed at him. Poor Benji didn’t know where to look. I’m not sure how keen I would be to accept that particular challenge again in the future.

The plan is to do ten Tails of Sydney shoots a month, so I’ll have another ten outtakes for you in a month’s time. I’ve already done three and the rains are coming so keep everything crossed that I will be able to keep on track for the rest of March! If you want to learn more about the project you can head over to my website. I still have some spaces available, details of which are on the application form page.