Urban Dog Photography in Liverpool: You’ll Never (Dog) Walk Alone
Although Liverpool was technically my third stop and York my fourth, I’m writing this a little out of order. That’s just the reality of spinning so many plates as a small-business owner as I’ve been working hard to make sure my clients picked their absolute favourites from the Liverpool mini sessions. In early March, I returned to my hometown of Liverpool to photograph six incredible dogs for my upcoming 2026 Angels of the North dog calendar. I was spoiled for choice with iconic scouse backdrops, and it's reassuring to know I could return to Merseyside for future dog photography sessions without repeating the same scenes. When I shared my model call in a local Liverpool Facebook group, my inbox nearly exploded. That’s what I love about this city. Scousers really do support one of their own. Thank you to everyone who applied, you made my job brilliantly difficult. Not a bad problem to have.
As with the majority of my stops on this tour, I had never photographed dogs in the centre of this particular city before. However, this one came with the added pressure of it being somewhere I grew up in, so I wanted to make sure I paid homage to all things Liverpool in the best way possible. It was important to me not only to pick iconic, undeniably Liverpool, locations, but also to pick a couple of spots that were a wink and a nod to locations that meant something to me personally.
A Weekend in Liverpool: The Perfect Homecoming
As with Carlisle, my weekend in Liverpool was a tale of 2 different types of weather. Saturday morning saw the sun absolutely cracking the flags as soon as it rose above the buildings, meaning that a couple of my images look like they could have been shot in Rome thanks to the majestic columns of St George’s Hall. Then we went into much more familiar and comfortable weather territory for me on Sunday morning - overcast and cloudy skies - a God send since I was shooting out in the open at the waterfront with a white dog at 8am! Those of you who know will know that direct harsh sunlight and a white dog with no cover nor shade available would have made things super hard.
The wide variety of dogs I met this weekend was super, from the tall and leggy to the tiny and fluffy, Liverpool had me covered for all my dog needs! It was also so much fun to chat with all of the dogs’ humans I met too - one thing about scousers is that we will TALK. And chit-chat away all morning we did.
Here are some phone pictures of the backgrounds and locations I used for these sessions. They needed to scream Liverpool at the top of their lungs and hopefully my final images did the city justice. There’s always room for a million more images in a million more locations though, and I’m happy to come back to Liverpool at any time for urban portrait sessions!
Being such a photogenic city, I could easily shoot every week of the year in Liverpool and not repeat the same shots.
The Dogs of Liverpool and Their Portrait Locations
Saturday: St George’s Hall & Dale Street
My first dog of the weekend was Suki - a beautiful mix breed rescue who was so very well-behaved. She is part-greyhound, which I think is abundantly obvious if you take a look at those legs! She delivered what could have been a 2-hour session worth of images in 30 minutes, and she probably could have kept going. To anyone who knows Liverpool, I’m sure you’ll recognise the iconic St George’s Hall in her portrait, looking like she owns the building.
At one point during the shoot, a passerby stopped to offer me some shooting advice, suggesting I shoot this image from a different angle to include one of the horse statues in the background. It was a lovely idea, and I appreciated the suggestion, but for this particular shot, I really wanted Suki to have the stage all to herself. She had a regal energy about her that didn’t need any distractions. I wanted people to look at the photo and see her, and only her. And she more than delivered.
From part greyhound to full greyhound, Frank strolled into my life next. His owner had me at snaggletooth (I have a bit of a thing for a sighthound with a snaggle tooth, if you remember Wilma from York you might already know this!), but he’s also the sweetest and most gentle soul. Despite having a reticence about stairs, Frank wilfully followed treats up the steps of St. George’s Hall and posed at the top like he was a retired supermodel nevermind retired racer. One of the many things I adore about photographing sighthounds are the elegant shapes and curves they can make with their bodies, you just need to make sure you are armed with their favourite things in life: their snacks and one or two of their favourite humans.
I was super happy that my secret weapon sound managed to make Frank’s ears pop up on a couple of occasions, much to the delight of his humans who ended up picking one of these shots as their favourites. We continued our session down Dale Street, an area full of history in Liverpool and one which had some personal significance for me too as it was a part of town I visited a lot as my mum used to work there.
“Frankie is very professional and friendly and put Frank, my partner and I at ease throughout the photo shoot. Frankie was very communicative about the whole process before, during and afterwards. It was our first time working with a photographer to photograph a pet and we would totally recommend Frankie if you are looking for memorable, beautiful photographs of your dog - that not only capture your dog but also are works of art. ”
My final dog of the morning was Dolly, a super excitable English Shorthaired Pointer, with a face that could melt your heart in one look. We held our session closer to the docks, stopping for some beautiful portraits in the historic streets of Liverpool and the commanding St. Nicholas Church. Dolly’s beautiful spotted coat helped her pop among the sandy coloured stones, and she fitted right in amongst the black railings and red brick of some of the buildings I photographed her outside.
She looked particularly striking framed by the black railings and deep red bricks of some of the older buildings, and there were moments when she almost looked like she belonged in an oil painting. There’s something about a dog in an urban setting that just works, especially when the setting has this much texture and history. Dolly’s enthusiasm was infectious and made for a lovely, lively finish to the morning.
All in all, Saturday was a dream. Three very different dogs, each with their own quirks and charm, in locations that mean a lot to me both professionally and personally. I genuinely loved photographing each one of them, but just as much, I loved the chats in between shots. If you’re reading this, chances are you have a dog of your own, and you probably already know what I mean when I say you could talk about them for hours to anyone who’ll listen. I’m exactly the same. So if we ever cross paths, don’t be surprised if we end up talking dogs long after the camera’s been packed away.
Sunday: Merseyfront & Dockside
I dedicated my entire Sunday morning, my final day of shooting in Liverpool, to the city’s iconic waterfront and docklands. These locations are such a central part of Liverpool’s identity that it felt right to give them the time and attention they deserved. In fact, they ended up getting two full sessions, and each of the sessions brought something completely different to the table.
The first session of the day was with Ginny, a lemon spot Dalmatian with energy to spare. From the moment she arrived, she was buzzing with excitement, completely in her element and wondering where the heck she was. She was one of those dogs who just loves being out and about, nose to the ground, tail wagging, taking in every smell and sound around her. Rather than trying to settle her energy, I chose to work with it. We focused on capturing movement, personality, and that wonderful spark she brought to the session as I could just see that is such a big part of her personality. Some of my favourite images from the weekend came from that approach. At one point, I even taught her to put her paws up on a big anchor so I could photograph her with the Liver Building in the background. She picked it up instantly, so we swapped out myself as a treat dispenser for her human and the shot was taken! Super smart and so keen to please.
After Ginny’s high energy session, I met my final models of the weekend: Charlie the Cavapoo and Luna the Shipoo. These two were borderline inseparable and when I had finished photographing one we had to reunite them instantly. Wherever Charlie went, Luna followed, and vice versa. They were like a little double act, full of affection and very into their treats. Getting solo portraits took a bit of strategic planning, but with the help of their humans and a good stash of snacks, we managed it. Of course, I had to get the classic duo shot at the Albert Dock. It’s one of Liverpool’s most recognisable spots and the perfect setting for two best friends standing side by side.
Charlie and Luna were both incredibly sweet, calm, and cuddly. They brought a lovely sense of warmth to the morning, and photographing them felt like the perfect way to round off the weekend. The light was soft, the streets were quiet, and the backdrop of the historic docks added that timeless charm I always look for.
Finishing the weekend at the waterfront felt just right. Liverpool gave me so much variety in just a couple of days, from the elegance of St George’s Hall to the raw texture of the docklands. Add in the incredible dogs and the wonderful people who brought them, and it really was one of the most rewarding stops on the calendar tour so far. I’ve since been back to Liverpool for a client session on Crosby Beach, and I just know for a fact that I will be back again and again.
Featuring Liverpool’s Dogs in the 2026 Photography by Frankie Calendar
All the dogs photographed in Liverpool will be featured in the 2026 Photography by Frankie charity calendar. The images their owners chose as a thank-you gift might not be the same ones that make it into the final calendar, but every dog will have a place in the month celebrating Liverpool’s Angels of the North.
I’ve contacted a charity I’d love to support with this project, and I’m hoping I can share more about them soon. They provide a very special service that’s closely linked to something I care deeply about, so I’m hoping to confirm everything in the next few weeks.
What’s Next for Angels of the North
In April, I’ll be photographing at two more stops on my journey: Durham and Lancaster. I’m now recruiting for May’s destinations, which will be Leeds and Chester. I’ve also started receiving emails from dog owners in other northern cities who are keen to take part. If you’d like to be the first to know where I’m heading next, make sure you’re signed up to my newsletter.