Back in September 2021, I met the gorgeous Porridge for a photo shoot at a local country park. Porridge is a Polish Lowland Sheepdog, which is a breed I hadn't heard of before, so I was very excited to meet her for this photoshoot!
As the name would suggest, the breed originates from Poland and dates back as far as the 13th century, but was almost driven to extinction during World War II. The breed survived thanks to the work of Dr Danuta Hryniewicz and her dog 'Smok', who is the ancestor of all PONs in the world today (PON being the acronym for the name in Polish: Polski Owczarek Nizinny).
Porridge was eight years old at the time of her photo shoot and had recently undergone surgery, so it was important to make sure we took the photoshoot at her pace and didn't do anything that would be unsafe for her or was unsuitable for her mobility.
So, we took a gentle stroll around the country park and asked her to pose in a variety of easy poses! During the pre-shoot questionnaire, Porridge's human, Heather, has indicated that she liked one of my images that she'd seen on social media, and would like to recreate it if possible. That was the 'Toto' shot with the basket of apples, and by luck we found the perfect spot for a similar photograph!
One of my favourite shots is this one of Porridge and the fairy - I must admit this was a little bit of Photoshop fun I created for the Viewing session (and I showed versions with and without the fairy in case they didn't like it), as I find sometimes in a side-profile shot, there needs to be a focus point for the dog to be looking at.
I actually really like how this one turned out, and luckily so did Porridge's humans as this was one of the images they chose to take home!
What Porridge and Heather thought
I love to ask my clients (both canine and human) a little bit about them and what they thought of their Pawprints photo shoot - so Porridge and Heather have kindly answered a few questions for me:
How did Porridge come to live with her humans?
Mummy had known my breeders for a long time and had been waiting for them to have a litter. Imagine the delight when they heard I’d been born on Christmas Eve - best Christmas present ever!
What's your favourite toy and why?
Tennis balls and cuddly crocodiles.
What would your human say is the naughtiest thing you've done?
Naughty? I would never ever be naughty 🙂
What dog-friendly place would you recommend to your friends and why?
Anywhere in the Lake District
What's your favourite place to go for a walk?
Anywhere in the Lake District. Rydal Water is probably my most favourite.
What's your favourite thing to do with your human?
Play ball.
Why did you decide to bring your dog for a photo shoot?
I’d have a photoshoot with Porridge when she was younger and I thought it would be nice to have one now she’s entering her golden years.
What was your biggest worry about the photo shoot (either before booking or before the day)?
Porridge can be a bit nervous with new people and new locations so I was concerned as to how she would handle it.
How was your experience on the day?
Porridge was really put at ease and given the time and space that she needed so she enjoyed the experience.
What did you enjoy the most?
Seeing how happy Porridge was.
What did you think of your photo shoot? What was your favourite bit and why?
I enjoyed sitting pretty and feel like I was very special.
What did you think of the portraits/artwork you received?
We were overjoyed with it all.
How did you feel when you first saw the photos from your photoshoot?
Really pleased. We loved the variety and Porridge’s personality was captured perfectly.
What piece of advice would you give to someone thinking of booking a photoshoot for their dog?
Go for it! It’s a wonderful way to capture treasured memories of your dog.
