If you follow me on Instagram, you've already seen the numbers.

295+ dogs photographed. 15+ horses. 4 cats. August alone brought 165 dogs through my lens. I earned five trophies, gained four photography titles, sat on two qualification panels, and got featured on the BBC, Digital Camera World, PetaPixel, and Forbes.

But here's what those stats don't tell you. I wanted to share a little more about what 2025 has meant to me and my little photography business with big dreams.

I still can’t believe Photography by Frankie is only just about to turn 1 year old!

The Real Story Behind 295+ Dogs

Every single one of those 295+ dogs impacted me in a different way. I have to add the + because when you photograph a National Sheepdog Event the numbers do get a bit overwhelming!

Some dogs were confident and ready. Others needed a little bit of time and space. Some were working dogs: sharp, focused, bred for purpose and loving every second of their job. Others were beloved companions in their favourite place. All were simply incredible and left such an impression on me.

I photographed Border Collies by the dozen (thank you, agility training and sheepdog events). Labradors who'd swim through anything. Spaniels with personalities bigger than their utterly adorable ears. And hundreds of other breeds and mixes who defied every expectation I might have foolishly brought with me: from giant Borzoi to tiny chihuahuas, I felt like I’d seen and photographed it all in 2025.

No two sessions were identical because no two dogs are identical. My job was to adapt: constantly. Wait when waiting mattered. Stop when pushing would break trust. Let go of whatever I'd planned and respond to who actually showed up.

That's how you photograph 295 dogs without anything at all becoming repetitive.

Why August Nearly Broke Me (In the Best Way)

August was brutal and beautiful in equal measure. The numbers may appear slightly skewed as this did include over a hundred photographed at the English National Sheepdog Trials, but the dogs still count! I was also very busy with winding up Northern Tails shooting as well as client sessions too.

Early light, late light, weather that changed its mind every hour. I got heavily sunburnt by the end of the English Nationals, and I was even questioning what I was looking at at times! By the end of the month, I could barely remember my own name, but I also understood my process better than I ever had.

You learn a lot about yourself when you're that deep in the work. You learn which parts of your approach are non-negotiable. You learn that exhaustion doesn't excuse mediocrity - my biggest fear in life is being mediocre.

What people don’t realise is that I was also working on two qualification panels at this time too, as well as retouching images that were going in my 2026 calendar at the shooting was drawing to a close. It really was a relentless summer, but I wouldn’t have had it any other way.

I came out the other side a better photographer and working with dogs even better than ever before.

What My Clients Actually Said (And Why It Matters More Than Any Award)

24 people left me five-star Google reviews this year. 15 gave me 100% recommendations on Facebook. (Actually, just after I posted my 2025 Wrapped on Instagram that number became 25 and 16 respectively!).

But the words they used hit harder than the ratings:

Gentle. Patient. Calm. Reassuring. Stress-free. (amongst a multitude of other super positive words!)

That's what people said about the experience.

And then there were the ones who opened their finished work and cried. The ones who said they'd treasure the photographs forever. The ones who told me the images were phenomenal, incredible, sensational - unlike anything they'd seen before.

I also had the pleasure of hosting 4 repeat clients. That might be my favourite number from the entire year. For someone to love what I do so much they come back again? That is the best feeling in the world for me.

Anyone can take a nice picture of a dog - no really, they can. However, making someone and their dog feel safe enough to trust you with their best friend? That takes something else entirely.

Dog Photography Locations Across the UK

I covered serious ground this year, shooting from Southern Scotland all the way down to London and many many places in between.

I shot in cities I know like the back of my hand and ones where I was still finding my feet. Parks, fields, moors, beaches. Some locations were chosen for their light, landscapes or colours. Others were chosen because they were the only option, and I had to make them work anyway.

Every place shaped the photograph differently, but none of them mattered more than the dog standing in it. A beautiful landscape means nothing if the dog looks uncomfortable, and that’s why I place your dog’s happiness and safety front and centre - you can’t fake that.

I also kicked off something huge, a long-term project photographing 71 dogs across 12 Northern cities to raise funds for Oak Tree Animals' Charity. You can read more about it here. Final sales figures won't be calculated until 2026, but watching it come together and sending out package after package to happy customers across the country has already been worth it.

Thank you to everybody who brought their dogs forward to be photographed by Frankie, you’ve all been such a fundamental part of this journey and we hope that the calendar shines a ray of sunshine into your home each and every day in 2026.

P.S. you can now get 40% off your copy of the calendar from 31/12/2025 until 5/1/2026 only with code HELLO2026 here.

The Recognition I Didn't Expect

I'll be honest - I don't lie awake at night thinking about awards, but I do enter them to keep pushing myself and growing as a professional. They do reflect something I value deeply: showing up consistently, even when no one's watching. Doing things properly because that's the standard, not because there's a trophy at the end, but of course when there is a trophy that is so wonderful too. This year I was fortunate to bring home 5 of them, and I couldn’t be more proud:

2024 Wildlife (Animals) Photographer of the Year with The Society of Photographers
2024 Overall Photographer of the Year with The Society of Photographers
2025 ClickMaster Natural World
2025 Pets Photographer of the Year with The BIPP
2025 Overall Photographer of the Year with The BIPP

September 2025 also saw me awarded with my second Fellowship panel too, this time with The Society of Photographers. Judges unanimously praised the panel for its shift from light to dark / cool to warm, leadings your eyes along the images and back again, brilliant editing style, and a wonderful concept. Those that knew the locations understood the challenges of light amongst other considerations, making a lot of the portraits all the more impressive. The panel had major visual impact across the board, and - most importantly for me - the happiness and personality of each and every dog shone through. Considering I had only a short amount of time with the majority of the dogs and didn’t know them personally, this was all the more impressive.

What I'm Carrying Into 2026

I'm starting the new year with so much more clarity than I had 12 months ago. I’m clearer on what I value, clearer on the work I want to make and so much clearer on who I'm making it for, and that makes me so excited.

January 2026 is already fully booked. February has three sessions available and March has four. If you've been thinking about booking, now's the time.

I’m also so excited to announce that after a photographing a small number of equines in 2025, I will officially be launching equine portrait sessions from Spring 2026 too. Please do reach out to talk to me about photographing horses, I can’t wait to do more of these sessions.

Thank you to everyone who trusted me with their animals this year. Thank you to the clients who came back and as well to the ones who took the time to leave some kind words about my work. Thank you to everyone!

And to those of you who've been watching quietly from the sidelines, I see you too and I’m grateful for even the teeniest bit of support you’ve shown me in 2025… but come and say hi in 2026!

Here's to 2026. Same principles. Same commitment. More dogs, horses and cats.

Ready to book your photography session? Browse the session and contact me here.

My 2025 in Photography: 295+ Dogs, Endless Lessons, and What Actually Mattered